Caledonia (1805 ship)

Caledonia was a Spanish vessel that the British captured in 1804 and that new owners renamed. She made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. In 1809 she disappeared from online records.

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

History
United Kingdom
NameCaledonia
NamesakeCaledonia
OwnerGeorge Geddes
Acquired1805 by purchase of a Spanish prize captured in 1804[1]
FateLast mentioned 1809
General characteristics
Tons burthen327,[2] or 330[3] (bm)
Complement
Armament
  • 1805:20 × 12-pounder guns + 4 Swivel guns[2]
  • 1807:20 × 12-pounder guns,[2] or
  • 1807:4 × 12-pounder guns + 16 × 12-pounder guns "of the New Construction"[3]

Career

Caledonia entered Lloyd's Register for 1805 with Hamilton, master, Geddies (or Geddes), owner, and trade Liverpool–Africa.[4]

Captain Hance Hamilton acquired a letter of marque on 20 September 1805. At the time he acquired the letter of marque his intention may have been to sail her as a privateer. A complement of 110 men is consistent with a privateer, which needs extra men to man prizes, but not with a merchantman or enslaving ship.

1st voyage transporting enslaved people (1805–1806): Captain Hamilton sailed from London on 16 October 1805, bound for West Central Africa and Saint Helena. Caledonia arrived at St Thomas, in the Danish West Indies, on 28 May 1806 with an estimated 280 captives. She arrived back at London on 26 October 1806.[5]

2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1807–1808): Captain William Miller acquired a letter of marque on 20 May 1807. He sailed from London on 1 May 1807.[6] The Act for the abolition of the slave trade had passed Parliament in March 1807 and took effect on 1 May 1807. However, Caledonia had received clearance to sail before the deadline. Thus, when she sailed on 1 May, she did so legally.

Caledonia started gathering captives at Bonny on 5 August 1807. She arrived at Kingston, Jamaica, on 5 January 1808 with 344 captives. She left Kingston on 22 April 1808.[6]

Fate

Caledonia, Miller, master, arrived at Portsmouth on 27 November 1808 from Lisbon, bound for Gothenburg.[7] Because the Slave Trade Act had ended British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade she could no longer continue in that trade.

Lloyd's List for 28 March 1809 reported that Caledonia, Miller, master, had arrived at Gothenburg.[8] There is no mention of a Caledonia leaving Gothenburg in 1809–1810. That would suggest that Miller may have sold her there to owners who renamed her. Lloyd's Register and the Register of Shipping carried stale data from 1807 to 1813, though it is possible she reappeared during that time under a new name.

Citations
  1. Register of shipping (1806), Seq.№C21.
  2. "Letter of Marque, p.54 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  3. Lloyd's Register (1807), Seq.№C22.
  4. Lloyd's Register (1805), Supple. pages "C", Seq.№C97.
  5. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Caledonia voyage #80725.
  6. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Caledonia voyage #80726.
  7. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4305. 6 December 1808. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735023.
  8. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4339. 28 March 1809. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735024.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.