Bell (1788 ship)

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History
Great Britain
NameBell
Launched1788, Liverpool
Capturedcirca 1797
General characteristics
Tons burthen148,[1] or 168,[2] or 220[3][4] (bm)
Complement15[3]
Armament10 × 6-pounder guns[3]

Bell was launched in 1788 in Liverpool. Between 1788 and 1795 she made five voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured her in 1796 on her sixth slave voyage after she had embarked her slaves.

Career[]

1st slave voyage (1788–1790): Captain John Holliwell sailed from Liverpool on 30 November 1788, bound for West Africa. Bell started acquiring slaves at Cape Grand Mount on 30 January 1789. She left Africa on 19 December 1789 and arrived at Dominica on 19 January 1790. She had embarked 247 slaves and arrived with 243, for a 25 mortality rate.[1] At some point Thomas Oliver had replaced Holliwell as captain as Oliver was master when Bell arrived in Dominica. She left Dominica on 9 February and arrived back at Liverpool on 6 April. She had left Liverpool with 30 crew members and she had lost 12 on the voyage.[1]

2nd slave voyage (1790–1791): Captain Oliver sailed from Liverpool on 21 May 1790. Bell acquired her slaves at Cape Grand Mount and arrived Dominica on 24 May with 246 slaves. She sailed from Dominica on 8 June and arrived back at Liverpool on 24 July. She had left Liverpool with 26 crew members and suffered four crew deaths on her voyage. Between her arrival in Dominica and her arrival back in Liverpool, Bell's master changed from Oliver to Gilbert Rigby.[5]

3rd slave voyage (1791–1792): Captain Rigby sailed from Liverpool on 21 August 1791. Bell started gathering slaves on 20 October. She started at Cape Grand Mount, continued at Bassa, but gathered most of her slaves at New Calabar. She sailed from Africa on 14 January 1792, stopping at Annobón on her way. She had embarked 245 slaves and arrived at Dominica on 10 March with 234, for a mortality rate of 7%. She sailed from Dominica on 9 April and arrived back at Liverpool on 16 May. She had left Liverpool with 19 crew members and had suffered one crew death on her voyage.[6]

Rigby's second mate was Hugh Crow, who would go on to be captain of several slave ships and be the supercargo on Kitty's Amelia , when she made the last legal slave trading voyage by a British ship. In his Memoirs, Crow wrote that Rigby had neither the firmness or the tact to command a crew, with the result that the crew became insubordinate.[7][8]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1792 G.Rigby
George Foreshaw 		Harper & Co. Liverpool–Africa LR; repairs 1792

4th slave voyage (1792–1793): Captain George Foreshaw may have been the master of record or the intended master before Bell sailed from Liverpool on 28 August 1792.[2] However, Lloyd's List reported in February 1793 that Bell, Rigby, master, which had arrived in Africa, had spoken Amacree, Pratt, late master, off Madeira.[9][a] Bell, Rigby, master, arrived at Montego Bay on 24 August 1793 with 257 slaves. At some point Captain John Richards replaced Rigby. Bell left Jamaica on 10 October and arrived back at Liverpool on 30 December. She had left Liverpool with 25 crew members and had suffered ten crew deaths on here voyage.[2]

5th slave voyage (1794–1795): Captain John Richards acquired a letter of marque on 1 August 1794.[3] He sailed from Liverpool on 26 August. Bell started acquiring slaves at Calabar on 28 October. She sailed from Africa on 30 December, and arrived at St Croix 19 February 1795. She had embarked 351 slaves and arrived with 348, for a mortality rate of 1%. She sailed for Liverpool on 22 May and arrived there on 19 July. She had left Liverpool with 30 crew members and suffered three crew deaths on her voyage.[4]

6th slave voyage (1795–Loss): Captain David Thompson sailed from Liverpool on 24 November 1795. Bell acquired her slaves first at Îles de Los, and then at Rio Pongo. [11]

Loss[]

Lloyd's List reported in March 1797 that a French squadron under "Renier" had captured Bell, Thompson, master, Falmouth, Pearson, master, and Union, Galbraith, master, on the African Windward Coast. The French then gave Falmouth up to the crews.[12]

Notes, citations, and references[]

Notes

  1. ^ Captain William Platt had died on 11 October 1792.[10]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Bell voyage #80467.
  2. ^ a b c Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Bell voyage #80470.
  3. ^ a b c d "Letter of Marque, p.52 – Retrieved 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  4. ^ a b Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Bell voyage #80471.
  5. ^ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Bell voyage #80468.
  6. ^ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Bell voyage #80469.
  7. ^ Crow (1830), p. 38–39.
  8. ^ Behrendt (1990), p. 103.
  9. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2479. 12 February 1793. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  10. ^ Behrendt (1990), p. 134.
  11. ^ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Bell voyage #80472.
  12. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2911. 31 March 1797. Retrieved 11 January 2022.

References

  • Behrendt, Stephen D. (1990). "The Captains in the British slave trade from 1785 to 1807" (PDF). Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire. 140.
  • Crow, Hugh (1830). Memoirs of the late Captain Hugh Crow, of Liverpool; comprising a narrative of his life, together with descriptive sketches of the western coast of Africa; particularly of Bonny ... To which are added, anecdotes and observations illustrative of the Negro character. Compiled chiefly from his own manuscripts, etc. Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green.
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