Trio (1801 ship)
Trio enters Lloyd's Register in 1802 with Shannon, master, Greenock, owner, and trade Dublin.[1] She became a slave ship but the French Navy captured her in January 1806 early in her first slave trading voyage.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1804 | Shannon A. Thompson |
Grenock Scott & Sons |
Dublin Greenock–Montreal |
Lloyd's Register (LR) |
| 1805 | Thompson J. Hassler |
Scott & Sons P. Johnson & Co. |
Greenock–Montreal Liverpool–Africa |
LR |
 United Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Trio |
| Owner: |
|
| Builder: | New Brunswick |
| Launched: | 1801 |
| Captured: | January 1806 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 120,[1] or 126,[2] or 136[3] (bm) |
| Sail plan: | Brig |
| Complement: | 25[3] |
| Armament: | 10 × 6-pounder guns[2] |
| Notes: | Built of black birch and pine[2] |
Capture
Lloyd's Register for 1806 lists Trio with "J. Haster", master, Johnson, owner, and trade Liverpool–Africa.[2] Captain James Hassler sailed from Liverpool on 21 September 1805, bound for West Africa. Lloyd's List reported on 8 April 1806 that a French squadron consisting of an 84-gun ship-of-the-line and three frigates had captured Trio, Lord Nelson, and the sloop-of-war HMS Favourite off the coast of Africa.[4]
L'Hermite's squadron captured Trio in January off Sierra Leone. The French made a cartel of her and she arrived at Falmouth on 7 April 1806 with the crew of Favourite, which the French had captured on 6 January.[5] She then sailed on to Plymouth. The entry for Trio in Lloyd's Register has the notation "captured" above her name.[2]
Spilsbury's log
Francis P. Spilsbury was the surgeon aboard Favorite and he kept a log of her voyage to Africa.
The French captured Trio on 22 January at Cape Mount. The French swept into the bay where they found Trio and three American vessels. Trio fired a gun and then struck. The French sold the female slaves Trio had gathered to the Americans and divided the male slaves among the French vessels.[6] The French made a cartel of Trio, and on 24 January, after looting almost all the possessions of Favorite's crew, put her crew on board Trio.[6] The French also put on board the crews of Trio, Robert, of Liverpool, Hero, of Glasgow, Flora, of London, and Belle, of Greenock. L'Hermite provided sufficient provisions for 150 men for five days. On the 25th some of the men from the merchantmen became mutinous. Captain John Davie, of Favourite, read the Articles of War and gave the ringleaders 36 lashes each; this ended the mutiny. Trio had 160 men aboard and reached Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 2 February.[7] Trio reached Crookhaven on 29 March where she took on provisions. However, Trio's mate and surgeon deserted. Trio reached Falmouth on 8 April.[8]
Post script
Under the rules governing cartels, Trio would probably have sailed on to France, carrying French prisoners in exchange for the British prisoners she had brought. Although the Registers continue to list Trio until 1810, the data is stale, unchanging from 1806.
Citations and references
Citations
References
- Spilsbury, Francis B. (1807) Account of a voyage to the western coast of Africa: performed by His Majesty's sloop Favourite, in the year 1805. Being a journal of the events which happened to that vessel... (R. Phillips).