Christopher (1785 ship)
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Christopher |
| Namesake: | Othello (character) |
| Owner: |
|
| Launched: | 1780 at America |
| Acquired: | 1785 |
| Fate: | Sunk 1794 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Tons burthen: | |
| Length: | 82 ft 0 in (25.0 m) |
| Beam: | 22 ft 0 in (6.7 m) (above the wales) |
| Depth of hold: | 4 ft 5 in (1.3 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 45 1793[4] |
| Armament: | 14 × 4-pounder guns (1793[4]) |
| Notes: | Two decks and three masts |
Christopher was built in America and taken in prize in 1780. She first appears in British records in 1786. Liverpool merchants purchased her before then, probably in 1785. Thereafter she made eight voyages in the African slave trade before she sank in 1794 in the harbour at Saint Croix.
Career
Christopher was condemned in the Vice admiralty court in New York on 16 August 1780. She was made free in Liverpool on 6 October 1786.[1] She first appears in Lloyd's Register in 1786 (there was no edition of Lloyd's Register in 1785),[2] but apparently Liverpool merchants had already purchased her and deployed her in slave trading.
Captain John Howard sailed her in 1785 for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. He then carried to Dominica the slaves he had gathered.[5] Christopher arrived on 29 December, from Cameroon. She had embarked 294 slaves and disembarked 240;[6] the mortality rate was 18%.
In 1786 Christopher received copper sheathing.[7]
Howard sailed again for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands in 1787. He then delivered the slaves to Dominica.[5] Christopher arrived on 5 December 1787. Howard had embarked 502 slaves and disembarked 410,[8] for an 18% mortality rate.
On 14 May 1788 Captain George Maxwell replaced Howard as master on Christopher. That same day Galley & Co. sold Christopher to Thomas Leyland and Thomas Molyneux.[1] Christopher arrived at Dominica on 29 December 1788; she had embarked 391 slaves and disembarked 246,[8] for a mortality rate of 18%.
In 1789 Maxwell sailed to West Central Africa and St. Helena. He delivered his slaves to Saint Kitts.[5]
In 1790 Captain Thomas Lowe sailed Christopher to West Central Africa and St. Helena. At some point Charles Molyneux replaced Lowe.[5] Christopher arrived at Dominica from Angola on 29 December. She delivered 154 men, 83 women, 13 boys,and three girls, for a total of 253 slaves. She had embarked 277.[9] At 9%, the mortality rate on this voyage was half that of the previous voyages.
In 1791 Molyneux again sailed to West Central Africa and St. Helena.[5] Christopher arrived at Dominica from Congo, Kicongo, and Manikongo on 14 December. The numbers of slaves involved exhibit some inconsistencies. Supposedly, she embarked 273, of whom two men and two women died before she left the African coast. She landed 269: 176 men, 66 women, 22 boys, and five girls in all,[10] for a mortality rate of only 1.5%.
In 1792 Molyneux sailed to the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. He delivered his slaves to Barbados.[5] Christopher returned to Liverpool at the end of January 1793.
War with France broke out in February and Molyneux received a letter of marque on 28 February.[4] He then sailed for West Central Africa and St. Helena. He delivered his slaves to Grenada.[5]
Fate
Lloyd's List reported in February 1794 that Christopher, Molyneux, master, had sunk at St Croix.[11] She had struck an anchor and sank in the harbour.[12][Note 1]
Notes, citations, and references
Notes
- ↑ It is possible that she was salvaged and sold. In 1794 Christopher, William Boys, master, grounded at Port le Murray, Isle of Man.[13] The slave voyage shows her voyage as incomplete, and has no subsequent Christopher. Lloyd's Register for 1794 and 1795 has no other Christopher that would be a suitable candidate, and Boys appears in the 1795 Lloyd's Register as master of Thomas.
Citations
- 1 2 3 Craig & Jarvis (1967), p.28.
- 1 2 Lloyd's Register (1786), Seq. №C263.
- ↑ Lloyd's Register (1791), Seq. №C238.
- 1 2 3 4 Letter of Marque, p.56 - accessed 25 July 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thomas Cozens: Liverpool Slave Ship Voyages Database
- ↑ Campbell (2007), p.24.
- ↑ Lloyd's Register (1787), Seq. №C238.
- 1 2 Campbell (2007), p.26.
- ↑ Campbell (2007), p.27.
- ↑ Campbell (2007), p.28.
- ↑ "Ship News". The Times (2910). London. 12 February 1794. col D, p. 3.
- ↑ Lloyd's List №2585.
- ↑ Lloyd's List №2644.
References
- Campbell, Susan (2007) "Africans to Dominica: 100,000 Middle Passages from 'Guinea' to the Eastern Caribbean, 1764-1808".
- Craig, Robert, & Rupert Jarvis (1967) Liverpool Registry of Merchant Ships. (Manchester University Press for the Chetham Society), Series 3, vol. 15.