Alexander (1794 ship)

For other ships with the same name, see Alexander (ship).
History
France
Name: Unknown
Launched: 1791
Captured: Captured post-1793
History
UK
Name: Alexander
Owner:
  • Connick & Co.
  • Smith & Co.
Acquired: By purchase of a prize
Fate: Last listed 1809
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 357,[1] or 377-383[2] (bm)
Complement: 40-50[2]
Armament:
  • 1795: 12 × 4-pounder guns
  • 1798:24 × 6&9-pounder guns[2]
  • 1805:20 × 9-pounder guns[2]
  • 1806:18 × 9-pounder guns[2]

Alexander, was built in France in 1791 under a different name. She was taken as a prize and her new owners renamed her Alexander. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC), and then became a slave ship, making several voyages between 1798 and 1807. She is last listed in 1809.

Career

It is currently not possible to identify Alexander's name before she became an English prize.[1]

Alexander appears in Lloyd's Register for 1794 with Js. Boulton, master, Thompson, owner, and trade London-Ostend. Her burthen is given as 257 tons (bm),[3] but that is corrected to 357 tons the next year.[4]

In 1796, Lloyd's Register showed a change in ownership to Connick & Co. Modifications to the entry showed the master as changing to W. Wallace, and her trade to London-Botany Bay.[5]

However, Alexander next voyage for the East India Company (EIC) as an extra ship, i.e., under contract. Captain William Wallace left Portsmouth 12 August 1796, bound for Bengal. Alexander reached Saugor on 23 January 1797, and Calcutta six days later. She left Culpee on 27 March 1797. She reached the Cape on 12 July, St Helena on 17 September, and Long Reach on 18 December.[6]

Alexander then was sold into the Africa and West Indies slave trade.[1] Lloyd's Register for 1798 shows Alexander, French-built in 1791, of 357 tons, with master Wallace and owner Connick, as being on the London-East Indies trade. A later amendment to the entry shows a new master, W. Cockerill, a new owner, B. Smith, and a new trade, Liverpool-Africa.[7]

Lloyd's Register for 1799 gives the names of her master and her owner as William Cockerel, and Smith & Co.[8] Cockerel had received a letter of marque for Alexander on 6 September 1798.[2] A database of slave voyages shows Alexander, under the command of William Cockerell, sailing to West Central Africa and St Helena, and taking slaves to Jamaica.

A later amendment to the entry for Alexander in the 1800 issue of Lloyd's Register shows a change of master to G. Farquhar.[9] George Farquhar received a letter of marque on 22 April 1800.[2] Farquhar sailed Alexander to West Central Africa and St Helena in 1800, and then took slaves to Jamaica. The Lloyd's Register entry continues unchanged until 1805, though the database of slave voyages does not list further voyages.

An amendment to the entry for Alexander in the 1805 issue of Lloyd's Register shows a change of master to V. May, and a change of owner to "Ti[undeceipherable]".[10] Vincent May received a letter of marque on 19 October 1805.[2] The database of slave voyages shows the master as Vincent May and the owner as John Titherington. The database does not identify the voyage.

Lloyd's Register for 1807 shows the owner as Titherton; an amendment to the entry gives a new master by the name of Smith.[11] John Smith received a letter of marque on 13 December 1806.[2] The database of slave voyages has the master's name as John Smith, and the voyage as being from the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands to Jamaica.

The entries in Lloyd's Register do not change until 1809, even though the Slave Trade Act 1807 had abolished the trade for British vessels. An amendment to the entry in the 1809 Lloyd's Register shows a change of master to J. Towers.[12]

Fate

There is no further listing for Alexander after 1809.

Citations and references

Citations
References
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