Admiral Colpoys (1792 ship)

Admiral Colpoys was a vessel built in South America in 1792 that the British captured circa 1800. Her new name refers to Admiral John Colpoys. She first traded between London and the Caribbean. Between 1802 and 1807 she made three voyages transporting slaves from the Gold Coast to the Americas. After the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 she became a merchant vessel. Then in 1813 new owners turned her towards seal hunting. She made four complete voyages to South Georgia before she was wrecked in 1817 during her fifth seal hunting voyage.

For other ships with the same name, see Colpoys (1803 ship).

History
Great Britain
Name: Admiral Colpoys
Namesake: Admiral Sir John Colpoys
Builder: South America[1]
Launched: 1792[1]
Acquired: c.1799,[2] or 1800 as a prize
Fate: Wrecked 1817
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 250,[1][3] 272,[4] or 274[5] (bm)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement: 33[4]
Armament:
  • Merchantman:4 × 9-pounder guns
  • Slaver:12 × 9-pounder guns
  • Letter of Marque: 12 × 9-pounder guns
  • Sealer: 6 guns

Merchantman

Admiral Colpoys first appears in Lloyd's Register for 1801 with Disney, master, Atkins & Co. as owners, and London-Bermuda as trade. The same entry shows her master as changing to G. Musson, and her trade to London-Jamaica.[1] Lloyd's Register for 1802 continues to show Musson and Jamaica.[6]

Slave trading

Owners Thomas King & Co. deployed Admiral Colpoys on three slaving voyages.[7][Note 1] For each of her voyages Admiral Colpoys went to the Gold Coast to gather her human cargo.

First voyage (1802): under George Adams, master, she left London on 17 November 1800. She delivered the slaves to Havana in September 1802. She had embarked 319 slaves and landed 287, for a loss rate of 10.0%.[7] She arrived back at Portsmouth on 22 December from Havana after a voyage of five weeks and three days.[8]

Second voyage (1805): under Henry Coley, master, Admiral Colpoys left London on 2 October 1804, bound for the Gold Coast. She started gathering slaves at Cape Coast Castle and then Accra, beginning on 7 February 1805. She delivered the slaves to Demerara on 10 June. She had embarked 337 slaves and landed 303, for a loss rate of 10.1%. She left Demerara on 26 July and arrived back at London on 30 September.[7]

Third voyage (1807): on 20 January 1807 Richard Coaley received a letter of marque for Admiral Colpoys.[4] She sailed from London on 9 February 1807, bound for the Gold Coast. She gathered her slaves at Cape Coast Castle, Lagos, and Tantumquerry. She arrived at Demerar on 30 September. She had embarked 326 slaves and she landed on 293, for a loss rate of 10.1%.[7]

The Essequebo and Demarary Royal Gazette for 3 October 1807 had two items concerning Admiral Colpoys.[9]

"The Subscribers inform their Friends who Commissioned them to Purchase Negroes in Barbados, that they have received by the Ship Admiral Colpoys, Capt. Coley, 200 Very Prime Gold-Coast Slaves, which they will be ready to deliver on Saturday the 10th of October, at 12 o'Clock. William King & Co., Cumingsburg, 30th September 1807."

"The Subscribers beg leave to inform such of their Friends as Commissioned them to import Negroes, that they have just received 90 Prime Young Gold-Coast Slaves, being part of the Cargo of the Ship Admiral Colpoys from cape coast, last from Barbados, which will be ready for delivery on Saturday the 10th Instant, at the Store of John Madden, Esq. Colin Macrae, & Underwood, Johnson & Co.. Demerary, 3d October 1807."

Admiral Colpoys arrived back at London 24 April 1808.[7]

Merchantman

In 1807 the British Parliament passed an Act for the abolition of the slave trade. However this act merely imposed fines that were insufficient to deter entrepreneurs from engaging in such a profitable business. A number of Liverpool slave traders continued the trade via various subterfuges (see, for example, the case of Donna Marianna).

Lloyd's Register for 1808 still shows Admiral Colpoys with R. Cooly, master, King & Co., owners, and trade London-Africa.[10] So does Lloyd's Register for 1809; it also shows a new master, Venables, replacing Cooly. However, Lloyd's Register was only as accurate as the owners of the vessels chose to make it by updating their information. It is therefore not clear whether Thomas King & Co. continued to trade slaves or not. Given that she retained her name and all subsequent merchant voyages had her sailing to British Guiana, she most probably did not.

Lloyd's Register for 1810 shows Admiral Colpoys with Venables, master, King & Co., owners, and trade London-Demerara.[11]

The Slave Trade Felony Act 1811 was passed to stiffen the legal sanctions against those engaged in the slave trade. Transgression became a felony with a punishment that could involve imprisonment or transportation.[12]

Seal hunting

Lloyd's Register for 1813 continues the entries from 1810, but shows a new master, Toderage, replacing Venables. Toderage appears to be a misspelling for Todrig. All of Admiral Colpoys's sealing voyages saw her sailing to South Georgia while under the command of James Todrig, and under the ownership of "Todrig", or James and Francis Todrig.[5][Note 2]

On her first whaling voyage, Admiral Colpoys left England on 2 July 1813, and returned on 31 May 1814.

On her second, she left on 21 July 1814, and returned on 9 May 1815.

On her third, she left in 1815, and returned on 23 March 1816 with 400 casks and 12 skins (presumably seal). She had left St Helena on 5 March 1815 in company with Indian Oak and Lady Nugent , both trading with India under a license from the EIC.[14]

On her fourth voyage, she left in 1816 and returned on 27 January 1817.[5]

Fate

On her fifth whaling voyage, Admiral Colpoys sailed to South Georgia via Santiago, Cape Verde. She was lost on 28 November 1817 when an iceberg floated into the bay in which she was anchored and pushed her onshore.[5] Her crew was saved.[15]

The crew was able to save 700 barrels of elephant oil that were transhipped to England. However, 800 barrels of elephant oil were lost.[5] Another account reports that the iceberg severed Admiral Colpoys's cable; attempts to break up the iceberg using cannon fire were unable to prevent Admiral Colpoys from drifting on to the rocks.[16] Francis Todrig, in King George, retrieved the crew.[17][Note 3]

Notes, citations and references

Notes

  1. Thomas King & Co. may have been based in Bristol, but she did not sail from there.[2]
  2. For a scholarly history of early sealing in the Falklands see Dickinson.[13] It includes a mention in passing of the loss of Admiral Colpoys.
  3. Thomas W. Smith, a crewman aboard Admiral Colpoys provided a fuller account of the voyage and her loss, though his account suffers from some minor inaccuracies. He names his vessel Admiral, Coalpoise, and sets the loss in 1818.[18]

Citations

  1. Lloyd's Register (1801), №A106.
  2. Farr (1950), p. 217.
  3. Clayton (2014), p. 51.
  4. "Letter of Marque, p.47 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  5. British Southern Whale Fishery Database – voyages: Admiral Colpoys.
  6. Lloyd's Register (1802), №A125.
  7. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database voyages: Admiral Colpoys.
  8. Naval Chronicle, Vol. 8, p.519.
  9. Essequebo and Demarary Royal Gazette, Vol. 2, No. 92, 3 October 1807. Accessed 23 October 1807.
  10. Lloyd's Register (1808), №139.
  11. Lloyd's Register (1810), №A135.
  12. Haslam, Emily (2012). "Redemption, Colonialism and International Criminal Law". In Kirkby, Diane (ed.). Past law, present histories. Canberra, Acton, A.C.T.: ANU E Press. ISBN 9781922144034.
  13. Dickinson (1993), pp. 1-17.
  14. "LLOYD'S MARINE LIST—MAY 9. 1815". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 13 May 1815; Issue 14575.
  15. Lloyd's List (27 March 1818), №5266.
  16. Headland (1992), p. 38.
  17. Headland (1989), p. 109.
  18. Smith (1844), pp. 155-6.

References

  • Clayton, Jane M. (2014). Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775–1815: An alphabetical list of ships. Berforts Group. ISBN 9781908616524.
  • Dickinson, A. B. (1993). "Early Sealing in the Falkland Islands Dependencies". The Great Circle. 15 (1).
  • Farr, Grahame E., ed. (1950). Records of Bristol Ships, 1800-1838 (vessels over 150 tons. 15. Bristol Record Society.
  • Headland, R. K. (1989). Chronological List of Antarctic Expeditions and Related Historical Events. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521309035.
  • Headland, Robert (1992). The Island of South Georgia. CUP Archive. ISBN 9780521424745.
  • Smith, Thomas W. (1844). A Narrative of the Life, Travels, and Sufferings of Thomas W. Smith ... W.C.Hill.
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