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Amphitrite (1796 ship) facts for kids

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History
Great Britain
Name Amphitrite
Namesake Amphitrite
Launched 1796, Kingston upon Hull
Captured 1799
Fate Captured 1799
General characteristics
Tons burthen 183, or 194 (bm)
Complement 38
Armament
  • 1797:4 × 3-pounder guns
  • 1800: 12 × 12-pounder guns

The Amphitrite was a ship launched in 1796. It was built in a place called Kingston upon Hull. This ship played a part in sea trade during the late 1700s.

The Ship Amphitrite

The Amphitrite first appeared in a shipping record book called Lloyd's Register in 1797. At that time, its captain was S. Barker. The owner was Atkinson, and the ship traveled between Hull and Lisbon.

Changes and New Journeys

Even though Lloyd's Register did not show any changes, another record book, the Register of Shipping, had different information by 1800. It showed that the Amphitrite had a new captain named Adams. The owner was now Forbes, and the ship's route was from Liverpool to Africa.

One specific record shows the Amphitrite was 194 tons in size. Captain George Adams sailed it from Liverpool on June 17, 1799. The ship was heading to the Gold Coast in Africa. Its purpose was to take part in the trade of enslaved people.

The Slave Trade in History

In 1799, many ships left British ports for voyages involved in the slave trade. A total of 156 vessels sailed, and 134 of them were from Liverpool. This shows how important Liverpool was in this sad part of history.

Capture of the Amphitrite

Lloyd's List, another important shipping newspaper, reported something big on February 4, 1800. It said that a group of French warships had captured two ships. One was the Adriana, and the other was the Amphitrite from Liverpool. This happened off the coast of Africa.

During these times, many British ships involved in the slave trade were lost. In 1799, 18 such ships were lost, with five of them near the African coast. In 1800, the number grew to 34 ships lost, and 20 of those were near Africa. Three more ships were captured while on their way to Africa.

From 1793 to 1807, wars were the main reason British slave ships were lost. This was more common than dangers at sea or other problems.

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