| More information : Prior History:
'[Taken] by the GREYHOUND privateer: The ALERT, pierced for 18 guns, from Bourdeaux to the Isle of France, with wine, brandy, and bale goods, carried into Kingroad.' (10)
The first voyage for the ALERT of 100 (150) tons, 16 guns, built at Nantes, French prize 1780, is recorded as outward bound from Bristol 20 November 1780 with letters of marque declared on 29 November 1780, with the master noted as William Llewellin, 75 crew, and owned by John Anderson & Co. That voyage arrived at Cape Coast Castle on 25 February 1781, with three prizes taken en route. Fourteen crew were discharged on 16 March 1781, and the vessel returned from Africa with three prizes 23 June 1781. (11)
[Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database voyage 17905, for ALERT, owned by John Anderson, built Nantes 1780, brig of 100 tons, standardised tonnage 182.3 tons] The vessel's next voyage was triangular and directly involved in the slave trade, beginning 13 September 1781 from Bristol for Cape Coast Castle, departing 2 February 1782 for Jamaica, where she arrived with slaves 16 March 1782. She left Jamaica for Bristol on 25 May 1782, arriving 30 July 1782. (11)(12)
[Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database voyage 17908, for ALERT, owned by John Anderson, built Nantes 1780, brig of 100 tons, standardised tonnage 182.3 tons]. This triangular voyage began 5 October 1782 from Bristol, under William Llewellin, arriving at then leaving an unspecified port in Africa with slaves between then and her arrival at Savanna la Mar, Jamaica, on 21 April 1783. She then left Savanna la Mar for Bristol on 15 May 1783, arriving 5 July 1783. (11)(13)
[Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Voyage 17917, for ALERT, owned by John Anderson, built Nantes 1780, brig of 100 tons, standardised tonnage 182.3 tons.] This triangular voyage began ex Bristol 11 October 1783, under Thomas Walker, arriving at Cape Coast Castle on 17 April 1784, thence to Winneba, Ghana, leaving the Gold Coast with slaves on 7 May 1784, and arriving at South Carolina on 8 July 1784. She then left South Carolina on 19 August 1784 for Bristol, arriving 22 October 1784. (11)(14)
[Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Voyage 17947, for ALERT, owned by John Anderson, built Nantes 1780, brig of 100 tons, standardised tonnage 182.3 tons.] This triangular voyage began from Bristol on 2 March 1785 under John Gould, arriving at Cape Coast Castle 2 May 1785, thence to Anomabo, departing Cape Coast Castle 28 August 1785 with slaves for Charleston, South Carolina, arriving 24 November 1785. She then left Charleston on 22 January 1786, arriving at Bristol on 27 March 1786. (11)(15)
[Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Voyage 18274, for ALERT, owned by John Anderson, built Nantes 1780, brig of 100 tons, standardised tonnage 100 tons.] This triangular voyage began from Bristol on 29 May 1786 under Charles Thomson, arriving at Cape Coast Castle, thence to Anomabo and Apollonia, 26 August 1786. She then left Cape Coast Castle with slaves on 17 December 1786, arriving at St. Kitts and ultimately Montego Bay, Jamaica on 2 February 1787. She left Jamaica on 20 March 1787, arriving at Bristol on 3 May 1787, with Guinea grains, i.e. melegueta pepper, sourced from West Africa, among the homeward-bound cargo. (11)(16)
[Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Voyage 17983, for ALERT, owned by John Anderson, built Nantes 1780, brig of 162 tons, registered at Bristol from 1787, not, as previously, 1780, 162 tons standardised tonnage.] This triangular voyage began from Bristol on 13 November 1787 under John Smith, arriving at the Gold Coast on 13 March 1788. The vessel then left the Gold Coast on 27 November 1788 with slaves for Port Royal, Jamaica, arriving on 22 January 1789. She left on 10 March 1789, arriving back at Bristol on 23 May 1789. (11)(17)
[Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Voyage 18033 for ALERT, owned by John Anderson, built Nantes 1780, brig of 177 tons.] This triangular voyage began from Bristol on 16 July 1789, under Charles Thomson, bound for Cape Coast Castle, where she arrived on 4 October 1789. Charles Thomson died on 5 December 1789, and the vessel set out from Cape Coast Castle with slaves under John George on 4 April 1790, arriving at Jamaica on 18 June 1790. She left Jamaica for Bristol on 25 July 1790, arriving on 10 September 1790. (11)(18)
Primary Sources:
'The ALERT, Deun, from Bristol to Africa, is wrecked at Bude in Cornwall, and all the crew drowned.' (2)
'The ALERT, Dean, from Bristol to Africa, is wrecked in Rud [sic] Bay, in Cornwall, and all the crew drowned.' (6)
'His Majesty's Cutter the ALERT, Captain Dean, bound for Africa, which sailed from Kingroad, Bristol, on Tuesday the 30th ult. in the evening of the Thursday following was unhappily wrecked on the Chapel Rocks, in Buden Bay, to the westward of Hartland Point, when the captain and every soul on board perished; among whom, as midshipman, was George, the youngest son of Mr John Dewe, of this city, who, preceding this melancholy catastrophe, was highly respected, and in a direct line for preferment.' (7)
Secondary Sources:
'From a shipwreck at St. Ives recently, 4 men and 2 boys were finally pulled to land.' (EFP). [cited in source (3)]
Burials in the Parish of Stratton, as per parish register:
06-DEC-1790 "2 sailors belonging to ye wreck ALERT, paupers"
07-DEC-1790 "A sailor belonging to ye ALERT "
23-DEC-1790 "2 sailors more belonging to ye wreck ALERT" [cited in source (3)]
She was exposed at low tide after her sinking so the general cargo was soon plundered, leaving tons of iron in her holds and the shore strewn strewn with wreckage. (4)
ALERT, British brig of 177 tons, built Nantes 1783; left Bristol for Africa 29-NOV-1790; shipwrecked prior to slave embarkation, original purpose thwarted by natural hazard. (5)
Commentary and Interpretive Detail:
Source (7) was widely reproduced in the contemporary press and appears to suggest that the vessel was a naval ship. There was an HMS ALERT, a 4-gun schooner purchased in 1790, wrecked in 1791, and possibly salved and broken up in 1799, and it would appear to be that vessel to which source (7) and other newspaper accounts refer. (8)
Source (5), referencing the ALERT of Bristol, Thomas Webber Deane, set out on 29-NOV-1790, consistent with (7), which suggests 30-NOV-1790, and states the vessel as a Bristol-registered brig, built Nantes 1783, of 177 tons, and owed by John Anderson, voyage 18061. There are several voyages for the ALERT of Bristol from 1782 onwards recorded in (5), under several different masters describing her as a Bristol-registered brig, 177 tons, built Nantes 1780, and owned by John Anderson, clearly the same vessel as previous voyages. Her prior voyage had been 1789-1790 (recorded as voyage 18033), from Bristol to Cape Coast Castle, thence to Jamaica, returning to Bristol on 10-SEP-1790.
Source (11) indicates that the vessel was captured in 1780 so must antedate a date of build of 1783, as stated in (5), but there is a common place of build in Nantes. As in source (10) it is clear that the vessel was not originally built as a slave ship but for French coastal trade, from Bordeaux with wine for the Ile de France, i.e. Paris, via the Seine. The identification of this vessel as that captured by the GREYHOUND seems secure, since the date of 1780 quoted corresponds with the date of capture, and the vessel was sent for King Road, i.e. off Bristol.
The next voyage then was as a privateer to and from Cape Coast Castle, but not directly involved in the slave trade. Thereafter the vessel appears to have continued in the slave trade until her final voyage, and is consistently referred to as a vessel originally a French prize throughout. However, her tonnage in her 7th and 8th voyage, and her re-registration at Bristol in 1787, are less consistent than previous entries, although this could be accounted for by refit or rebuild, although she is still referred to as originally a French prize. (9)
Built: 1780 or earlier (10)(11)(12); 1783 (5)
Where Built: Nantes (5)(11)(12)(13)(14)
Master: Dean (6)(7); Deun (2)(3); Thomas Deane (5)
Crew Lost: All (2); some saved according to EFP as cited in (3)
Owner: John Anderson (5)(12)(14); John Anderson & Co. (11)(13)
Additional source cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
EFP.23.12.1790
Additional sources cited in Bristol, Africa, and the Eighteenth Century Slave Trade to America, Vol. 4: The Final Years, 1770-1807:
For the Alert's first voyage in English ownership (privateering): E190/1233/5; ADM 7/103; T70/1544; SMV Wharfage Books; SMV muster rolls, 1780-1, no.111; Felix Farley, 9 December 1780; 6 January 1781; 23 June 1781; Lloyd's List, 5 January and 26 June 1781; Damer Powell, pp250-1
Second voyage in English ownership (1st slaving voyage): E190/1233/5; T 70/1548; SMV Wharfage Books; SMV muster rolls, 1781-2 No.141; Felix Farley, 14 July, 22 September 1781, 6 July, 3 August 1782; Lloyd's List, 5 July 1782
Third voyage in English ownership (2nd slaving voyage): E190/1234/1; ADM 7/103; T 64/72; SMV muster rolls, 1782-3, no.130; Felix Farley, 17 August, 21 September, 12 October 1782, 25 January, 21 June, 12 July 1783; Lloyd's List, 8 and 18 October 1782, 24 January, 20 June 1783
Fourth voyage in English ownership (3rd slaving voyage): E190/1235/3; ADM 7/103; T 701/1550; T 70/1553; SMV Wharfage Books; SMV muster rolls, 1784-5, no.47; Felix Farley, 20 September, 4 and 18 October 1783, 10 April, 21 August, and 23 October 1784; Lloyd's List 17 October 1783; 9 April and 17 August 1784; Donnan, IV, 475
Fifth voyage in English ownership (4th slaving voyage): E190/1237/1; ADM 7/104; T 70/1554; SMV Wharfage Books; SMV muster rolls, 1785-6, no.98; Parliamentary Papers XXIV (1789, 63); Felix Farley, 29 January, 5 March, 30 July, and 20 August 1785; 11 February and 25 March 1786; Lloyd's List, 29 July 1785; 10 February and 4 April 1786; Donnan, IV, 477
Sixth voyage in English ownership (5th slaving voyage): ADM 7/104; CO 142/20; T 70/1554; SMV muster rolls 1786-7, no.140; Parliamentary Papers XXIV (1789), 629, 631; Felix Farley, 29 April 3 June, 30 December 1786; 17 March, 7 April and 5 May 1787; Lloyd's List, 29 December 1786, 13 March, 6 April and 8 May 1787; Cornwall Chronicle, 2 February 1787
Seventh voyage in English ownership (6th slaving voyage): E190/1238/3; ADM 7/106; BT 6/7; T 70/1556; SMV Wharfage Books; SMV muster rolls, 1788-9, no.182; Parliamentary Papers XXIV (1789), 631; Felix Farley, 17 November 1787, 17 May 1788, 14 March, 4 April, and 30 May, 1789; Lloyd's List, 13 May 1788, 3 April and 26 May 1789; Cornwall Chronicle, 31 January 1789
Eighth voyage in English ownership (7th slaving voyage): E190/1239/4; ADM 7/108; T 64/286; T 70/1561-2; SMV muster rolls, 1790-1, no.1; Parliamentary Papers, XXXV (1792), 766-8; Felix Farley, 27 June, 25 July 1789, 9 January, 17 July, 18 September 1790; Lloyd's List, 16 July and 14 September 1790
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