| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Swallow |
| Namesake | Swallow |
| In service | 1798 |
| Captured | 1799 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 207 (bm) |
| Complement | 25, or 37 |
| Armament | 14 × 6&9-pounder guns |
Swallow's origins are obscure in terms of her launch year and place. She first appeared in 1798 as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1798 with R.White as master, R.Abram as owner, and trade Liverpool–Africa.
Captain Robert White acquired a letter of marque on 14 March 1798. He sailed from Liverpool on 4 May. In 1798, 160 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for the trade in enslaved people; 149 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool.
Swallow acquired captives in West Africa. She escaped the French privateer Republican, of 32 guns, in a squall after an hour-long running fight. After Swallow had acquired her captives she sailed towards the West Indies. On her way she captured a French privateer. However, the privateer's crew were able seize their captors. They then sailed Swallow and the privateer into Cayenne.
Citations
- ^ "Letter of Marque, p.88 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
- ^ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Swallow voyage #83670.
- LR (1798), Seq.№S462.
- Williams (1897), p. 680.
- ^ Williams (1897), p. 367.
- Lloyd's List 12 April 1799, №3063.
References
- Williams, Gomer (1897). History of the Liverpool Privateers and Letters of Marque: With an Account of the Liverpool Slave Trade. W. Heinemann.