Mentor (1784 ship)


Mentor was the former HMS Wasp. The British Royal Navy sold Wasp in 1781 and she became the mercantile Polly, which traded with Africa. In 1784 Polly became the slave ship Mentor. Mentor made eight full slave-trading voyages, carrying slaves from The Gambia to the West Indies. French privateers captured her in late 1795 as she was on her way from West Africa to the West Indies on her ninth voyage.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Wasp
Builder: Portsmouth Dockyard
Launched: 1749
Renamed:
  • 1781: Polly
  • 1784:Mentor
Captured: c. December 1795
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 136,[1] or 140​3⁄94, or 150[2] (bm)
Armament: 8 × 9-pounder + 2 × 6-pounder guns (1782)

Polly

Polly first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1782. LR carried the annotation that she had been the sloop-of-war Wasp.[3] On 31 August 1781, Polly, Duley, master arrived at Gravesend from Gorée.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1782 B.Duley Capt.&Co. London–Africa LR
1784 B.Duley Capt.&Co. London–Africa LR

Although her trade initially was London–Africa, Polly apparently was not a slave ship. She does not appear the most complete database of trans-Atlantic slave voyages. Duley did not remain her master. He apparently sailed to Africa in 1784 in Recovery, also not listed as a slave ship.

Mentor

Mentor first appeared in LR in 1784. It noted that she had been Polly.[2]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1784 Middleton Capt. & Co. London–Africa LR; small repairs 1784
1786 Middleton
W.Littleton		 Capt. & Co. London–Africa LR; raised 1786 & new deck of pine

1st slave trading voyage (1784–1785): Captain William Lyttleton sailed from London on 22 October 1784, bound for The Gambia, sailing via Teneriffe. Mentor arrived at Charleston with 152 slaves on 28 May 1785. She arrived back at London on 18 September.[4]

2nd slave trading voyage (1786–1787): Captain Lyttleton sailed from London on 11 March 1786, bound for The Gambia. Mentor arrived at Kingston, Jamaica on 23 December 1786 with 220 slaves, and landed 197. She had embarked 242. She arrived back at London on 23 March 1787.[5] (Lloyd's List reported that Mentor, Littleton, master, had arrived at Dominica with 220 slaves,[6] and sailed on to Jamaica.)

3rd slave trading voyage (1788): Captain John Hamilton sailed from London on 8 March 1788, bound for The Gambia. Mentor arrived at Kingston on 2 August 1788 with 213 slaves and landed 208; she had embarked 216. She arrived back at London on 9 November.[7]

4th slave trading voyage (1789–1790): Captain Robert Lewin sailed from London on 22 February 1789, bound for The Gambia. Mentor, Wilcox, master arrived at Jamaica in December with 190 slaves. She arrived back in England on 28 April 1790.[8]

5th slave trading voyage (1790–1791): Captain Edward Wilcox sailed from London on 31 December 1790, bound for West Africa. While she was in the Downs she had to cut her cables and then return to Dover. Mentor arrived at Jamaica in July 1791 with 186 slaves.[9] Her master when she arrived was Johnson.

6th slave trading voyage (1792): Captain Taylor sailed from London on 5 April 1792, bound for the Gambia. She arrived at Dominica on 1 August with 130 slaves; she had embarked 149. She arrived back at London on 14 October.[10]

7th slave trading voyage (1792–1793): Captain John Brand sailed from London of 22 November 1792, bound for The Gambia. Mentor started acquiring her slaves on 12 January 1793. She sailed from Africa on 26 March with 194 slaves and arrived at Kingston on 28 April with 190. She was also at Dominica, but whether before or after Kingston is not clear. She arrived back in London on 8 September.[11]

8th slave trading voyage (1794): Captain Brand sailed from London 28 February 1794. She started gathering slaves at the Gambia on 1 May and left there on 3 June with 203 slaves. She arrived at St Vincent on 2 July with 197 slaves. She arrived back in London on 17 September.[12]

Fate

Captain Brand sailed from London on 12 June 1795, bound for West Africa on Mentor' ninth slave trading voyage.[1] She arrived there but as she was on her way from Africa to the West Indies, French privateers from Gorée captured her and took her into Gorée.[13]

Citations
  1. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82686.
  2. LR (1784), Seq.No.M558.
  3. LR (1782), Seq.No.P412.
  4. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82678.
  5. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82679.
  6. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (1849). 23 January 1787. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  7. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82680.
  8. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82681.
  9. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82682.
  10. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82683.
  11. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82684.
  12. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Mentor voyage #82685.
  13. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (2790). 2 February 1796. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
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