The Rolla was a French brig launched in 1801 or 1803, with records differing on her exact year of construction. She was captured by the British in 1804 and subsequently became a privateer and later a slave ship operating in the triangular trade. As a privateer, she was armed and carried a substantial crew, as indicated by a letter of marque issued to Captain William Miller on 23 January 1805. Her trade route was primarily between Liverpool and Africa, aiming to gather enslaved people, but she was intercepted before embarking any captives. Originally, the French Navy captured Rolla in late 1805 during Admiral Linois's squadron's return from the Indian Ocean, either on 22 November or 5 December. She was captured off Loango and later recaptured by the British Royal Navy on 21 February 1806 at the Cape of Good Hope as she entered Table Bay. The British took her into service as HMS Rolla, serving notably in Sir Home Riggs Popham's expedition against Buenos Aires. During this campaign, she functioned as a transport vessel, carrying troops and provisions, and participated in various military actions, including transporting troops from Montevideo and ferrying provisions from Rio Grande. In December 1807, HMS Rolla was laid up at Portsmouth, and by 1810, the Admiralty sold her. She re-entered merchant service and was listed in Lloyd’s Register from 1811 onward. Throughout her later career, she traded under various masters and routes, including Liverpool to Brazil and Buenos Aires to Havana. Despite occasional reports of her loss, such as the 1825 report that she was lost on the coast of Brazil while sailing from Buenos Aires, she remained listed until 1826, suggesting she was likely lost around that time. Rolla’s service history reflects her versatile role during the Napoleonic Wars—transitioning from privateer and slave ship to naval transport and merchant vessel—highlighting her significance within maritime military and commercial spheres of the early 19th century.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.