Admiral Colpoys (1792 ship)
Admiral Colpoys was a vessel built in South America in 1792 that the British captured circa 1800. Her new name refers to Admiral John Colpoys. She first traded between London and the Caribbean. Between 1802 and 1807 she made three voyages transporting slaves from the Gold Coast to the Americas. After the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 she became a merchant vessel. Then in 1813 new owners turned her towards seal hunting. She made four complete voyages to South Georgia before she was wrecked in 1817 during her fifth seal hunting voyage. Merchantman . "Admiral Colpoys" first appears in "Lloyd's Register" for 1801 with Disney, master, Atkins & Co. as owners, and London-Bermuda as trade. The same entry shows her master as changing to G. Musson, and her trade to London-Jamaica. "Lloyd's Register" for 1802 continues to show Musson and Jamaica. Slave trading. Owners Thomas King & Co. deployed "Admiral Colpoys" on three slaving voyages. For each of her voyages "Admiral Colpoys" went to the Gold Coast to gather her human cargo. First voyage (1802): under George Adams, master, she left London on 17 November 1800. She delivered the slaves to Havana  in September 1802. She had embarked 319 slaves and landed 287, for a loss rate of 10.0%. She arrived back at Portsmouth on 22 December from Havana after a voyage of five weeks and three days. Second voyage (1805): under Henry Coley, master, "Admiral Colpoys" left London on 2 October 1804, bound for the Gold Coast. She started gathering slaves at Cape Coast Castle and then Accra, beginning on 7 February 1805. She delivered the slaves to Demerara on 10 June. She had embarked 337 slaves and landed 303, for a loss rate of 10.1%. She left Demerara on 26  July and arrived back at London on 30 September. Third voyage (1807): on 20 January 1807 Richard Coaley received a letter of marque for "Admiral Colpoys". She sailed from London on 9 February 1807, bound for the Gold Coast. She gathered her slaves at Cape Coast Castle, Lagos, and Tantumquerry. She arrived at Demerar on 30 September. She had embarked 326 slaves and she landed on 293, for a loss rate of 10.1%. The "Essequebo and Demarary Royal Gazette" for 3 October 1807 had two items concerning "Admiral Colpoys". "The Subscribers inform their Friends who Commissioned them to Purchase Negroes  in Barbados, that they have received by the Ship Admiral Colpoys, Capt. Coley, 200 Very Prime Gold-Coast Slaves, which they will be ready to deliver on Saturday the 10th of October, at 12 o'Clock. William King & Co., Cumingsburg, 30th September 1807." "The Subscribers beg leave to inform such of their Friends as Commissioned them to import Negroes, that they have just received 90 Prime Young Gold-Coast Slaves, being part of the Cargo of the Ship Admiral Colpoys from cape coast, last from Barbados, which will be ready for delivery on Saturday the 10th Instant, at the Store of  John Madden, Esq. Colin Macrae, & Underwood, Johnson & Co.. Demerary, 3d October 1807." "Admiral Colpoys" arrived back at London 24 April 1808. Merchantman. In 1807 the British Parliament passed an Act for the abolition of the slave trade. However this act merely imposed fines that were insufficient to deter entrepreneurs from engaging in such a profitable business. A number of Liverpool slave traders continued the trade via various subterfuges (see, for example, the case of "Donna Marianna"). "Lloyd's Register" for 1808 still shows "Admiral Colpoys" with R. Cooly, master, King & Co., owners, and trade London-Africa. So does "Lloyd's  Register" for 1809; it also shows a new master, Venables, replacing Cooly. However, "Lloyd's Register" was only as accurate as the owners of the vessels chose to make it by updating their information. It is therefore not clear whether Thomas King & Co. continued to trade slaves or not. Given that she retained her name and all subsequent merchant voyages had her sailing to British Guiana, she most probably did not. "Lloyd's Register" for 1810 shows "Admiral Colpoys" with Venables, master, King & Co., owners, and trade London-Demerara. The Slave Trade Felony Act 1811 was passed to stiffen the  legal sanctions against those engaged in the slave trade. Transgression became a felony with a punishment that could involve imprisonment or transportation. Seal hunting. "Lloyd's Register" for 1813 continues the entries from 1810, but shows a new master, Toderage, replacing Venables. Toderage appears to be a misspelling for Todrig. All of "Admiral Colpoys"s sealing voyages saw her sailing to South Georgia while under the command of James Todrig, and under the ownership of "Todrig", or James and Francis Todrig. On her first whaling voyage, "Admiral Colpoys" left England on 2 July 1813, and returned on 31 May 1814. On  her second, she left on 21 July 1814, and returned on 9 May 1815. On her third, she left in 1815, and returned on 23 March 1816 with 400 casks and 12 skins (presumably seal). She had left St Helena on 5 March 1815 in company with and , both trading with India under a license from the EIC. On her fourth voyage, she left in 1816 and returned on 27 January 1817. Fate. On her fifth whaling voyage, "Admiral Colpoys" sailed to South Georgia via Santiago, Cape Verde. She was lost on 28 November 1817 when an iceberg floated into  the bay in which she was anchored and pushed her onshore. Her crew was saved. The crew was able to save 700 barrels of elephant oil that were transhipped to England. However, 800 barrels of elephant oil were lost. Another account reports that the iceberg severed "Admiral Colpoys"s cable; attempts to break up the iceberg using cannon fire were unable to prevent "Admiral Colpoys" from drifting on to the rocks. Francis Todrig, in "King George", retrieved the crew. 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