Minerva (1791 ship)

Minerva was launched in 1791 at Galway. She then traded widely, particularly as a West Indiaman. Between 1800 and 1804 she made two voyages from Bristol as a Guineaman. That is, she was a slave ship, carrying enslaved peoples in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. She then returned to trading with the West Indies. A United States privateer captured her in 1814.

For other ships with the same name, see Minerva (ship).

History
Great Britain
NameMinerva
Launched1791, Galway
Captured8 January 1814
FateLast listed in 1813
General characteristics
Tons burthen210,[1] or 212[2] (bm)
Complement40[2]
Armament
  • 1797: 8 × 4-pounder guns
  • 1799:18 × 6&9-pounder guns
  • 1800:18 × 6&9-pounder guns[2]
  • 1813:2 × 9-pounder guns

Career

Minerva first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1792.[1]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1792 Satchwell Burk & Co. Cork–Virginia LR
1794 Satchwell
S.Lee		 Burke & Co. Cork–Virginia LR; part old materials
1797 S.Lee
A.Robertson		 Burke&Co.
Dixon		 London–Norway
London–Tobago		 LR
1799 R.Dixon T.Dixon London–Leghorn LR
1800 R.Dixon
J.Kennedy		 T.Dixon
Anderson		 London–Leghorn
Bristol–Jamaica		 LR; small repairs 1799

Although the voyage data in Lloyd's Register does not indicate it, Minerva next made two voyages as a slave ship.

1st slave voyage (1800–1802): Captain John Kennedy acquired a letter of marque on 9 April 1800.[2] He sailed from Bristol on 5 May. Minerva acquired her slaves on the Windward Coast. She delivered her slaves to Demerara and then sailed on to Grenada. Apparently she landed some 223 slaves in all. She returned to Bristol on 27 January 1802.[3]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1802 J.Kennedy
J.Silcocks		 Anderson Bristol–Jamaica LR; small repairs 1799

2nd slave voyage (1802–1804): Captain Joseph (or John) Silcock sailed from Bristol on 5 December 1802 bound for the Gold Coast. Minerva started acquiring slaves on 31 January 1803.[4] On 13 May 1803 Lloyd's List (LL) reported that Minerva, Silcock, master, had arrived at Africa. The same report mentioned that Minerva, Coley master, had also arrived there.[5]

Minerva, Silcock, master, sailed to the leeward and returned to the Cape Coast Castle on 23 February. She again sailed to leeward on 5 November.[6] She arrived at Demerara on 25 February and there landed 218 slaves.[4] Advertisements described the slaves as being "Chantee" (Ashantee?), Coromantee, and Fantee. The agents for the sale were Walcott & Forrester and the sale was to begin on 2 March.[6] Minerva arrived back at Bristol on 6 August.[4]

Year Master Owner Trade Source and notes
1805 J.Silcocks
T.C. Williams		 Anderson Bristol–Barbados LR; small repairs 1799 and good repair 1802
1806 Williams Anderson Bristol–Barbados
London		 LR; small repairs 1799 and good repair 1802
1807 Williams Anderson London–Barbados LR; small repairs 1799 and good repair 1802

Lloyd's Register continued to carry Minerva with unchanged information to 1813. However, the Register of Shipping carried two Minervas from 1809, one launched in 1791 at Galway with Bishop, master and owner, and trade London–West Indies, and a second, launched in 1791 in Ireland, with Williams, master, Anderson, owner, and trade London–Barbados.

Year Master Owner Trade Source and notes
1809 Bishop Captain & Co. London–West Indies Register of Shipping (RS); small repair 1802 and repairs 1805
1810 Williams Anderson London–Barbados Register of Shipping (RS)

The Register of Shipping carried both vessels 10 1813 with unchanged information.

Fate

Neither register carried Minerva in 1814.

On 8 January 1814 the United States privateer Comet captured a vessel, believed to be Minerva, of London. Minerva was close to Barbados when she was captured.[7][lower-alpha 1]

Although Lloyd's Register carried 109 vessels named Minerva, only the Minerva of this article had London–Barbados as its trade. Also, no other Minerva showed a trade of London–West Indies.

Notes
  1. The privateer was probably the highly successful Comet.

Citations
  1. LR (1792), Seq.No.623.
  2. "Letter of Marque, p.78 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Minerva voyage #18238.
  4. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Minerva voyage #18252.
  5. LL, №4319.
  6. Richardson (1996), p. 261..
  7. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4851. 8 March 1814. hdl:2027/hvd.32044105232912.

References
  • Richardson, David, ed. (1996). Bristol, Africa, and the Eighteenth-Century Slave Trade to America, Vo. 4 The Final Years, 1770-1807. Bristol Record Society, c/o Department of Historical Studies, Univ. of Bristol. ISBN 0-901538-17-5.
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