Recovery (1791 ship)

Recovery was launched in 1781, possibly under another name. She first appeared in British sources in 1781. She made two voyages as a Bristol-based slave ship, with the first of these giving rise to a landmark court case. She then became a West Indiaman until the French Navy captured her in 1797.

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

History
Kingdom of Great Britain
Name: Recovery
Launched: 1781
Acquired: 1791
Captured: 1797
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 180, or 189 (bm)
Armament: 6 × 3-pounder guns (1796)

Career

Recovery's origin are ambiguous. Various sources give her origin as a British plantation (colony),[1] America,[2] an American prize,[3] and Nova Scotia.[4]

Recovery first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1789.[2]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1789 Jn. Kimber W.Jacks Bristol–Africa LR; good repair 1791

1st slave voyage (1791): Captain John Kimber sailed from Bristol on 10 April 1791. Recovery started gathering slaves at New Calabar on 2 June. She left Africa on 1 September and arrived at Grenada on 28 October. She had embarked 304 embarked slaves and she arrived with 283, for a loss rate of 7%. She sailed from Grenada on 20 November and arrived back in Bristol on 22 December. She had left Bristol with 25 crew members and she had arrived at Grenada with 24. (She had taken on one man at Calabar, and she discharged one at Grenada.[1]

Captain Kimber was tried for murder in 1792, after the abolitionist William Wilberforce accused him of torturing to death an enslaved teenage girl on the deck of his ship. Kimber was acquitted, but the trial gained much attention in the press. The case established that slave ships' crew could be tried for murder of slaves.

Main article: John Kimber

Recovery, Kimber, master, was on shore in the Bristol River in March 1792 as she sailed for Africa.[5]

2nd slave voyage (1792–1793): Captain Kimber sailed from Bristol on 3 May 1792, bound for New Calabar. On this voyage Kimber, together with five other captains of slave ships, bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for slaves. The bombardment by some 66 guns killed and wounded 50 or so of the local inhabitants and resulted in the traders agreeing to the prices the captains offered.[6][Note 1]

Recovery arrived at Falmouth, Jamaica on 3 November. She had embarked 321 slaves and she arrived with 216, for a loss rate of 33%. She had left Bristol with 31 crew members and she had 29 when she reached Jamaica. Six crew members were discharged there.[7] Recovery arrived back at Bristol on 28 January 1793. At some point Samuel Priez or Price, may have replaced Kimber as master. On her return she was advertised for sale.[7]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1796 J.Souter L.Jack Bristol–Africa LR
1797 J.Souter S.Teast Bristol–Africa LR[4]

The Bristol shipowner and builder Sydenham Teast purchased Recovery. He traded with Africa, but directly, not via the slave trade. Recovery arrived at Cape Coast Castle on 26 September 1796 and sailed for England on 10 February 1797.[8]

Fate

Lloyd's List reported in July 1806 that Recovery, Suter, master, was one of four vessels that "Renau's squadron" had captured off the Windward Coast of Africa.[9]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

  1. The other five were Amacree, Betsey, Martha, Thomas, Phillips, master, and Wasp, Hutchenson, master.

Citations

  1. Richardson (1996), p. 193.
  2. LR (1789), Seq.No.M123.
  3. Richardson (1996), p. 224.
  4. LR (1797), Seq.No.R54.
  5. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (2387). 27 March 1792. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  6. Wilberforce (1899), pp. 25–26.
  7. Richardson (1994), p. 224.
  8. Richardson (1996), p. 250.
  9. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (2937). 7 July 1797. Retrieved 27 January 2021.

References

  • Richardson, David, ed. (1996). Bristol, Africa, and the Eighteenth-Century Slave Trade to America, Vol. 4 The Final Years, 1770-1807. Bristol Record Society, c/o Department of Historical Studies, Univ. of Bristol. ISBN 0 901538 17 5.
  • Wilberforce, William (1899). The Enormity of the Slave-trade: And the Duty of Seeking the Moral and Spiritual Elevation of the Colored Race: Speeches of Wilberforce and Other Documents and Records. American Tract Society.
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