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HMS Black Joke (1827)
Encyclopedia
The third HMS Black Joke was probably built in Baltimore
in 1824, becoming the Brazilian slave ship
Henriquetta. The Royal Navy
captured her in September 1827 and purchased her into the service. The West Africa Squadron
(or 'Preventative Squadron') employed her to chase down slave ships. Over the course of a five-year career she freed many hundreds of slaves. She was deliberately burnt in May 1832 because her timbers had rotted to the point that she was no longer fit for active service.
(possibly as the vessel Griffen), Henriquetta (also Henri Quatre) was a brig
designed to be fast. Sold to the Empire of Brazil in 1825, she worked for a slave dealer at Bahia
, making £
80,000 ($400,000) by running 3,040 slaves across to Brazil in only six voyages over a period of three years.
HMS Sybille
captured her on 6 September 1827. Lieutenant F A Collier, captain of Sybille, wrote to the Admiralty
noting that at the time of her capture Henriquetta was 257 tons, mounted 3 guns and had a crew of 38 men. She had 569 enslaved Africans on board "and had landed at Bahia 3,360 slaves in the last two years".
She was sold at auction in Sierra Leone
on 5 January 1828, for £330 ($1,650).
, Black Jokes crew included an assistant surgeon, three midshipmen, thirty seamen and five marines
as well as a number of Liberia
n Kroomen
for use on detached boat service. She was armed with one long 18-pounder on a pivot mount.
On 5 January 1828 she sailed with Sybille and the 20-gun post ship
Esk. On 12 January she captured the Spanish schooner Gertrudes, which carried 155 slaves. Gertrudes had out-run the other two British warships, but not Black Joke.
On 2 April a Spanish 14-gun brig fired on Black Joke as she approached the brig. After two hours of exchanging shots, and after suffering several casualties, the brig hoisted a flag of truce. She turned out to be the Providentia, of 14 guns and a crew of 80 men. She had fired on the Black Joke as Providentias captain had been warned that a Colombian privateer answering to the same description as Black Joke was in the area. Turner therefore released her.
On 1 May 1828 Black Joke fought the large and well-armed pirate Presidenté. After two hours of action, and following the death of their captain and two others, as well as the wounding of a number more, the crew of the Presidenté sought a truce. (Black Joke sustained one killed and a number wounded.) The crew of Presidenté underwent an examination before being committed for trial on charges of piracy. Many of her crew appeared to be British or have anglicized names, and they were sent back to England for trial. The next day Black Joke retook the Portuguese vessel Hosse, which Presidenté had taken as a prize. Presidente was lost at sea on her way to Sierra Leone but Black Joke earned salvage money for Hosse.
On 16 May, Black Joke captured Vengador. She had a crew of 45 men and eight guns but offered no resistance. She carried 645 slaves, the most ever captured on a single ship.
On 14 September Black Joke was in company when Primrose captured the Zephirina or Zephorina. Zephorina was carrying 218 slaves.
On 14 November Turner received promotion to Commander. He turned over command of Black Joke to Lieutenant Henry Downes of Sybille. In November of the same year Black Joke was forced to leave the coast of Fernando Po
due to fever onboard.
_and_prizes.jpg)
In January 1829 Black Joke saw a Spanish brig as she loaded slaves and sailed for Havana
. Black Joke chased her for a total of 31 hours and on 1 February, when the wind dropped, resorted to sweeps
to bring herself within gunshot of her prey. El Almirante mounted a total of 14 guns (ten Gover's 18-pounder cannon
and four long 9-pounders) and had a crew of 80 men.John Gover designed a new type of gun-carriage in the late 1790s or early 1800s that enabled the guns to be handled by smaller gun crews and the guns to be stored alongside the rails rather than perpendicular to them (de Toussard 1809: pp.357-362). Black Joke was almost half the size of El Almirante and mounted two guns. Good ship-handling, the discipline of the Royal Navy gun crew, and light winds gave Lieutenant Downes the advantage. In 80 minutes he defeated and captured the slaver, which suffered 15 dead, including the captain and the first and second mates, and a further 13 wounded, while Black Joke suffered six wounded, two of whom died later. El Almirante held 466 slaves, who were later landed.
On 6 March Black Joke captured the 2-gun brigantine Carolina, which carried 420 slaves. After this capture Downes was invalided home because of illness, and received a promotion to Commander on his return in recognition of the capture of El Almirante. He had freed a total of 887 slaves. His replacement was Lieutenant William Ramsay.
On 24 March 1830, Black Joke captured the Maria de la Conception, and by April Black Joke was in refit in Sierra Leone
. In July she captured the Dos Amigos, a Baltimore schooner with a crew of 34 and armed with a single carronade. When Black Joke captured her she had 567 African captives aboard. The Admiralty put Dos Amigos up for auction where the Commodore of the British Anti-Slavery Squadron, Jonathan Hayes, bought her and named her . In December Black Joke was cruising in the Bight of Benin
with .
On 21 or 22 February 1831 she captured a slaver with 300 slaves on board. This was probably the Spanish schooner Primeira. At the time Black Joke was acting as a tender to .
In a famous action on 25 or 26 April 1831, Black Joke captured the Marinerito. Black Joke captured the much larger and more heavily armed Spanish slaver off the island of Bioko
. At one point, 14-year-old Midshipman Hinde from Black Joke took command and rescued the boarding party, including Ramsey, which had become stranded on the Spanish slaver's deck. Marinerito had 15 of her crew killed; Black Joke lost one man killed. Of the 496 slaves on Marinerito, 26 were found to have died and 107 were in so weakened a state that they were landed on Bioko, where more than half subsequently died. The remainder were taken to freedom in Sierra Leone.
In September, in company with Fair Rosamond, Black Joke chased two Spanish slavers into the Bonny River
. Lieutenant Ramsey, reported that "during the chase they were seen to throw their slaves overboard, by twos shackled together by the ankles, and left in this manner to sink or swim." The British captured the Spanish vessels, Regulo and Rapido, on 10 September and took them to Sierra Leone
, where the Admiralty Court
condemned them. Black Joke freed 39 slaves, for which a half bounty was paid to the captain and crew. A further bounty was paid for the 29 slaves who died between the capture and the condemnation of the Regulo.
On 15 February 1832, Black Joke captured Spanish schooner Frasquita, alias Centilla. This vessel too yielded bounty money for the slaves on board her.
In all, between November 1830 and March 1832, Black Joke and Fair Rosamond accounted for 11 out of the squadron's take of 13 slavers.
When the Royal Navy ordered that Black Joke be burned, Peter Leonard, surgeon of HMS Dryad
, wrote that she was the ship
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
in 1824, becoming the Brazilian slave ship
Slave ship
Slave ships were large cargo ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves to Americas....
Henriquetta. The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
captured her in September 1827 and purchased her into the service. The West Africa Squadron
West Africa Squadron
The Royal Navy established the West Africa Squadron at substantial expense in 1808 after Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act of 1807. The squadron's task was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa...
(or 'Preventative Squadron') employed her to chase down slave ships. Over the course of a five-year career she freed many hundreds of slaves. She was deliberately burnt in May 1832 because her timbers had rotted to the point that she was no longer fit for active service.
Henriquetta – slaver
Built as a Baltimore clipperBaltimore Clipper
Baltimore Clipper is the colloquial name for fast sailing ships built on the south-eastern seaboard of the United States of America, especially at the port of Baltimore, Maryland...
(possibly as the vessel Griffen), Henriquetta (also Henri Quatre) was a brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
designed to be fast. Sold to the Empire of Brazil in 1825, she worked for a slave dealer at Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
, making £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
80,000 ($400,000) by running 3,040 slaves across to Brazil in only six voyages over a period of three years.
HMS Sybille
French frigate Sibylle (1792)
The Sibylle was an 38-gun Hébé class frigate of the French Navy. She was launched in 1791 at the dockyards in Toulon and placed in service in 1792...
captured her on 6 September 1827. Lieutenant F A Collier, captain of Sybille, wrote to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
noting that at the time of her capture Henriquetta was 257 tons, mounted 3 guns and had a crew of 38 men. She had 569 enslaved Africans on board "and had landed at Bahia 3,360 slaves in the last two years".
She was sold at auction in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
on 5 January 1828, for £330 ($1,650).
Black Joke – slave catcher
She was taken into service as a tender to Sybille, under the command of Lieutenant William Turner of Sybille. During her service with the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Black Jokes crew included an assistant surgeon, three midshipmen, thirty seamen and five marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
as well as a number of Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n Kroomen
Seedies and Kroomen
Seedies and Kroomen were African sailors recruited locally into the British Royal Navy in the 19th and early 20th century....
for use on detached boat service. She was armed with one long 18-pounder on a pivot mount.
On 5 January 1828 she sailed with Sybille and the 20-gun post ship
Post ship
Post ship was a designation used in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail to describe a ship of the sixth-rate that was smaller than a frigate , but by virtue of being a rated ship , had to have as its captain a post captain rather than a lieutenant or commander...
Esk. On 12 January she captured the Spanish schooner Gertrudes, which carried 155 slaves. Gertrudes had out-run the other two British warships, but not Black Joke.
On 2 April a Spanish 14-gun brig fired on Black Joke as she approached the brig. After two hours of exchanging shots, and after suffering several casualties, the brig hoisted a flag of truce. She turned out to be the Providentia, of 14 guns and a crew of 80 men. She had fired on the Black Joke as Providentias captain had been warned that a Colombian privateer answering to the same description as Black Joke was in the area. Turner therefore released her.
On 1 May 1828 Black Joke fought the large and well-armed pirate Presidenté. After two hours of action, and following the death of their captain and two others, as well as the wounding of a number more, the crew of the Presidenté sought a truce. (Black Joke sustained one killed and a number wounded.) The crew of Presidenté underwent an examination before being committed for trial on charges of piracy. Many of her crew appeared to be British or have anglicized names, and they were sent back to England for trial. The next day Black Joke retook the Portuguese vessel Hosse, which Presidenté had taken as a prize. Presidente was lost at sea on her way to Sierra Leone but Black Joke earned salvage money for Hosse.
On 16 May, Black Joke captured Vengador. She had a crew of 45 men and eight guns but offered no resistance. She carried 645 slaves, the most ever captured on a single ship.
On 14 September Black Joke was in company when Primrose captured the Zephirina or Zephorina. Zephorina was carrying 218 slaves.
On 14 November Turner received promotion to Commander. He turned over command of Black Joke to Lieutenant Henry Downes of Sybille. In November of the same year Black Joke was forced to leave the coast of Fernando Po
Bioko
Bioko is an island 32 km off the west coast of Africa, specifically Cameroon, in the Gulf of Guinea. It is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea with a population of 124,000 and an area of . It is volcanic with its highest peak the Pico Basile at .-Geography:Bioko has a total area of...
due to fever onboard.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
. Black Joke chased her for a total of 31 hours and on 1 February, when the wind dropped, resorted to sweeps
Oar
An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles are that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by...
to bring herself within gunshot of her prey. El Almirante mounted a total of 14 guns (ten Gover's 18-pounder cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
and four long 9-pounders) and had a crew of 80 men.John Gover designed a new type of gun-carriage in the late 1790s or early 1800s that enabled the guns to be handled by smaller gun crews and the guns to be stored alongside the rails rather than perpendicular to them (de Toussard 1809: pp.357-362). Black Joke was almost half the size of El Almirante and mounted two guns. Good ship-handling, the discipline of the Royal Navy gun crew, and light winds gave Lieutenant Downes the advantage. In 80 minutes he defeated and captured the slaver, which suffered 15 dead, including the captain and the first and second mates, and a further 13 wounded, while Black Joke suffered six wounded, two of whom died later. El Almirante held 466 slaves, who were later landed.
On 6 March Black Joke captured the 2-gun brigantine Carolina, which carried 420 slaves. After this capture Downes was invalided home because of illness, and received a promotion to Commander on his return in recognition of the capture of El Almirante. He had freed a total of 887 slaves. His replacement was Lieutenant William Ramsay.
On 24 March 1830, Black Joke captured the Maria de la Conception, and by April Black Joke was in refit in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. In July she captured the Dos Amigos, a Baltimore schooner with a crew of 34 and armed with a single carronade. When Black Joke captured her she had 567 African captives aboard. The Admiralty put Dos Amigos up for auction where the Commodore of the British Anti-Slavery Squadron, Jonathan Hayes, bought her and named her . In December Black Joke was cruising in the Bight of Benin
Bight of Benin
The Bight of Benin is a bight on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles from Cape St. Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River. To the east it is continued by the Bight of Bonny . The bight is part of the Gulf of Guinea...
with .
On 21 or 22 February 1831 she captured a slaver with 300 slaves on board. This was probably the Spanish schooner Primeira. At the time Black Joke was acting as a tender to .
In a famous action on 25 or 26 April 1831, Black Joke captured the Marinerito. Black Joke captured the much larger and more heavily armed Spanish slaver off the island of Bioko
Fernando Po
Fernando Po may mean:*Fernando Po in Equatorial Guinea, now called Bioko*Fernão do Pó, Portuguese explorer*Fernando Pó, Portugal, village*Fernando Po, Sierra Leone, village...
. At one point, 14-year-old Midshipman Hinde from Black Joke took command and rescued the boarding party, including Ramsey, which had become stranded on the Spanish slaver's deck. Marinerito had 15 of her crew killed; Black Joke lost one man killed. Of the 496 slaves on Marinerito, 26 were found to have died and 107 were in so weakened a state that they were landed on Bioko, where more than half subsequently died. The remainder were taken to freedom in Sierra Leone.
In September, in company with Fair Rosamond, Black Joke chased two Spanish slavers into the Bonny River
Bonny River
Bonny River is a river in Rivers State, Nigeria. Water taxis which move along the river provide the connection between Bonny Island and Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, which lies alongside the river.-External links:*...
. Lieutenant Ramsey, reported that "during the chase they were seen to throw their slaves overboard, by twos shackled together by the ankles, and left in this manner to sink or swim." The British captured the Spanish vessels, Regulo and Rapido, on 10 September and took them to Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, where the Admiralty Court
Admiralty court
Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries and offences.- Admiralty Courts in England and Wales :...
condemned them. Black Joke freed 39 slaves, for which a half bounty was paid to the captain and crew. A further bounty was paid for the 29 slaves who died between the capture and the condemnation of the Regulo.
On 15 February 1832, Black Joke captured Spanish schooner Frasquita, alias Centilla. This vessel too yielded bounty money for the slaves on board her.
In all, between November 1830 and March 1832, Black Joke and Fair Rosamond accounted for 11 out of the squadron's take of 13 slavers.
Fate
A survey held on the Black Joke in 1832 stated that her timbers were rotten, and that "she is not, in our opinion, a vessel calculated fit for H.M. Service." There were discussions about further use of Black Joke, including use as a Government vessel for Sierra Leone. She was due to be transferred to the governor when the Rear Admiral changed his mind and ordered that Black Joke be destroyed. She was burnt on 3 May 1832 and her stores sold. The surveyors attached examples of her timber; all that now remains of the famous slave-chaser is an envelope filled with brown dust in The National Archives. In 1958 "a small quantity of the 'testings' of the timber of Black Joke were sent to Lagos for exhibition in the museum there".When the Royal Navy ordered that Black Joke be burned, Peter Leonard, surgeon of HMS Dryad
HMS Dryad (1795)
HMS Dryad was a fifth-rate sailing frigate of the Royal Navy that served for 64 years, at first during the Napoleonic Wars and then in the suppression of slavery. She fought in a notable single-ship action in 1805 when she captured the Proserpine, an action that would later earn her crew the Naval...
, wrote that she was the ship
Commanding officers
| From | To | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| 1827 | 1828 | Lieutenant W. Turner |
| 1828 | 1829 | |Lieutenant Henry Downes |
| 1829 | 1832 | |Lieutenant William Ramsay |