Courts & Cases

Esperanza

In 1819, 40 enslaved African(s) were “liberated” in a state-run scheme usually resulting in involuntary indentures, conscription, or re-enslavement. Under the jurisdiction of 4, Case ID LA-E-3140 occurred via the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Freetown.

Case Details

UID	LA-E-3140
Case Name	Esperanza
Year	1819
Government Department	Courts of Mixed Commission
Court	British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Freetown
Trial Outcome	Condemned
Enslaved Total	40
Liberated Africans Total	40
Registered Total	39
Notes	See image https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-113629.
Sources	"Boarding of the Spanish slave schooner Esperance." National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, PAD9478, by Irwin Bevan, 1819; "List of Vessels Adjudicated in the Court of the British and Spanish Mixed Commission," 6 Feb. 1826, in “Class A. Correspondence with the British Commissioners at Sierra Leone, the Havannah, Rio de Janeiro, and Surinam, relating to the Slave Trade, 1826-1827,” in T. P. O'Neill, T. F. Turley, et al., eds., Irish University Press Series of British Parliamentary Papers: Slave Trade, vol. 11 (Shannon: Irish University Press, 1968-1969), 4-6; SlaveVoyages, www.slavevoyages.org (accessed 2020), Voyage ID: 2316.
Cite as:	Lovejoy, H. B. (2024). Conceptualizing ‘Liberated Africans’ and Slave Trade Abolition: Government Schemes to Indenture Enslaved People Captured from Slavery, 1800–1920. Past & Present, 1-69. https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtae019 Chadha, K. (2024). Regenerated Identities: A Collaborative Web-based Content Management System for Digital Humanities. International Journal of Computer Applications, 186(29), 28–33. https://ijcaonline.org/archives/volume186/number29/regenerated-identities-a-collaborative-web-based-content-management-system-for-digital-humanities/

Event Details

UID	LA-E-3140
Case Name	Esperanza

Departure from Africa

Date	1819-12-10
Region	Rivers of West Africa
Place	Sestos
Enslaved Total	40

Capture

Date	1819-12-10
Location	5°48'0" N., 9°57'0" W.
Navy	Britain
Ship	Morgiana
Captain	Charles Burrough Strong
Supporting Ships

Trial

Sentence Date	1819-12-27
Government Department	Courts of Mixed Commission
Court	British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Freetown
Trial Outcome	Condemned
Date	1819-12-23
Region	Rivers of West Africa
Place	Freetown
Liberated Africans	40
Registered	39

People Details

UI	Name	Age
VI015954	Garrar	45	View Details
VI015955	Fy	30	View Details
VI015956	Guyfor	26	View Details
VI015957	Sue	25	View Details
VI015958	Qingee	28	View Details
VI015959	Bar	20	View Details
VI015960	Pay	28	View Details
VI015961	Surar	40	View Details
VI015962	Boway	50	View Details
VI015963	Day	35	View Details
VI015964	Frar	13	View Details
VI015965	Humom	12	View Details
VI015966	Woyho	15	View Details
VI015967	Podar	7	View Details
VI015968	Nausey	7	View Details
VI015969	Tooar	6	View Details
VI015970	Bleak	8	View Details
VI015971	Sam	5	View Details
VI015972	Wafer	4	View Details
VI015973	Cordie	14	View Details
VI015974	Ninmy	17	View Details
VI015975	Garr	15	View Details
VI015976	Massunnar	4	View Details
VI015977	Sidder	2	View Details
VI015978	Surar	48	View Details
VI015979	Wohoway	28	View Details
VI015980	Mama	25	View Details
VI015981	Truar	21	View Details
VI015982	So	10	View Details
VI015983	Maddie	5	View Details
VI015984	Quagmar	9	View Details
VI015985	Gibbar	30	View Details
VI015986	Guguy	25	View Details
VI015987	Gettoo	34	View Details
VI015988	Bendoo	35	View Details
VI015989	Tattio	18	View Details
VI015990	Gucour	34	View Details
VI015991	Sowar	32	View Details
VI015992	Whoyo	37	View Details

List of Source(s)

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-232
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Schooner Esperanza
Creator: Unspecified
Creator Title: Unspecified
Description: Register of 39 people
Publisher: British Library Endangered Archive Programme (Projects Numbers: EAP284, EAP443, EAP782)
Contributor: Unspecified
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1819-12-27
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2016
Resource Type: Text
Source: Sierra Leone Public Archives, SLR12218-12256
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; University of Worcester; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The British Library
Object Type: Register
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.
Notes: Register2
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: Sierra Leone Public Archive
File_Name: 1819-12-27 Esperanza V2316 Register2 SLR12218-12256.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-233
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Untitled
Creator: Gregory, Thomas
Creator Title: British Commissary Judge
Description: Letter from Thomas Gregory to Viscount Casterleagh - Report of condemnation of the Esperanza
Publisher: The National Archives, Kew (Digital Microfilm Project)
Contributor: Unspecified
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1819-12-30
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO84-3 f134-135
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The National Archives, Kew
Object Type: Correspondence
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1819-12-30 Esperanza V2316 FO84-3 f134-135.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-234
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: The Case of the Spanish Schooner the Esperanza
Creator: Gregory, Thomas
Creator Title: British Commissary Judge
Description: Description of the voyage and capture of the Esperanza
Publisher: The National Archives, Kew (Digital Microfilm Project)
Contributor: Unspecified
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1819-12-30
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO84-3 f138-138v
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The National Archives, Kew
Object Type: Vessel Seizure
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1819-12-30 Esperanza V2316 FO84-3 f138-138v.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-235
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: British and Spanish Mixed Commission Sierra Leone
Creator: Unspecified
Creator Title: Unspecified
Description: Disagreement respecting the appointment of a person or persons for selling the Schooner Esperanza
Publisher: Anderson, Richard P.
Contributor: Gregory, Thomas; LeFer, Francisco; Hamilton, Daniel Molloy
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1820-01-05
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO315-26 f30-31
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: York University; University of Colorado Boulder; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University
Object Type: Objections
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1820-01-05 Esperanza V2316 FO315-26 f30-31.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-256
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Proceeds of Sale of the Spanish Schooner Esperanza
Creator: Woods, James
Creator Title: Acting Registrar
Description: Itemized account of the sale of the Esperanza following condemnation
Publisher: The National Archives, Kew (Digital Microfilm Project)
Contributor: Gregory, Thomas; Fitzgerald, Edward
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 0182-08-16
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO84-9 f246-249v
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The National Archives, Kew
Object Type: Expense Report
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1821-08-16 Esperanza V2316 FO84-9 f246-249v.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-227
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Untitled
Creator: Burough, Charles
Creator Title: Commander of the HMS Morgiana
Description: Captor's declaration of the Esperanza; and with a list of her crew
Publisher: The National Archives, Kew (Digital Microfilm Project)
Contributor: Unspecified
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1819-12-10
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO84-3 f136-137
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The National Archives, Kew
Object Type: Captor's Declaration
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1819-12-10 Esperanza V2316 FO84-3 f136-137.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-228
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Court of the British and Spanish Mixed Commission Sierra Leone
Creator: Unspecified
Creator Title: Unspecified
Description: Report of an examination of the Schooner Esperanza
Publisher: Anderson, Richard P.
Contributor: Gregory, Thomas; LeFer, Francisco; Hamilton, Daniel Molloy
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1819-12-27
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO315-26 f27-28
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: York University; University of Colorado Boulder; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University
Object Type: Examination Report
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1819-12-27 Esperanza V2316 FO315-26 f27-28.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-229
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Spanish Schooner Esperanza
Creator: Unspecified
Creator Title: Unspecified
Description: Register of 39 people
Publisher: The National Archives, Kew (Digital Microfilm Project)
Contributor: Unspecified
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1819-12-27
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO315-31 f6-7
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The National Archives, Kew
Object Type: Register
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1819-12-27 Esperanza V2316 FO315-31 f6-7.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-248
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Spanish Schooner
Creator: Unspecified
Creator Title: Unspecified
Description: Partial register of 7 people
Publisher: The National Archives, Kew (Digital Microfilm Project)
Contributor: Gregory, Thomas
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1820-11-02
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO84-4 f94a
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The National Archives, Kew
Object Type: Register
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1820-11-02 Esperanza V2316 FO84-4 f94a.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-230
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Spanish Schooner Esperanza
Creator: Unspecified
Creator Title: Unspecified
Description: Partial register of 32 people
Publisher: The National Archives, Kew (Digital Microfilm Project)
Contributor: Unspecified
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1819-12-27
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2011
Resource Type: Text
Source: The National Archives, FO84-4 f93
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The National Archives, Kew
Object Type: Register
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Unspecified
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: The National Archives, Kew
File_Name: 1819-12-27 Esperanza V2316 FO84-4 f93.pdf
Format: PDF

Source Details

UID (Sources): LA-OB-231
Year: 1819
Case Name Associator: Esperanza
Title: Schooner Esperanza
Creator: Unspecified
Creator Title: Unspecified
Description: Register of 39 people
Publisher: British Library Endangered Archive Programme (Projects Numbers: EAP284, EAP443, EAP782)
Contributor: Unspecified
Court: British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone
Date Original: 1819-12-27
Date Range: Unspecified
Language: English
Date Digital: 2010-2016
Resource Type: Text
Source: Sierra Leone Public Archives, SLR12218-12256
Rights Management: See Rights Management and Use Permissions section at liberatedafricans.org
Contributing Institution: University of Colorado Boulder; York University; University of Worcester; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University; The British Library
Object Type: Register
Event Associator: V2316
Researcher: Lovejoy, Henry B.; Anderson, Richard P.
Notes: Register1
African Region: West Africa
Africa Project: Sierra Leone Public Archive
File_Name: 1819-12-27 Esperanza V2316 Register1 SLR12218-12256.pdf
Format: PDF