The Barton was a Bermuda-built vessel launched around 1799, primarily constructed of Bermuda cedar, which contributed to its relatively light and durable frame. With a tonnage of approximately 171 tons (bm), she was a merchant vessel initially registered in Lloyd’s Register in 1801, under the command of Master J. Wilson, owned by Seller & Co., and engaged in trade between Liverpool and Africa. Barton’s early service was marked by her involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Her first voyage commenced on 19 November 1801, departing from Liverpool under Captain John Wilson, with the goal of acquiring and transporting enslaved Africans from the West African coast. She acquired captives between December 12, 1801, and July 28, 1802, at Rio Nuñez and the Assini River, delivering 166 captives to St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies. She returned to Liverpool in October 1802. Her second voyage began on 23 December 1802, with the same captain and owner. During this trip, Barton embarked an estimated 310 captives at Rio Nuñez. However, before completing her voyage, she was captured by the French in 1803. The French took her into Guadeloupe, where they landed 279 captives, indicating a significant loss of human cargo. Lloyd’s List confirmed her capture in December 1803, and her name was marked as "Captured" in the 1804 Register of Shipping. Following her capture, Barton appears to have returned to British ownership by 1810, as she re-entered Lloyd’s Register that year. In 1811, she was again captured by a French privateer while returning from Messina and Swansea, but the privateer released her after taking six crew members. Her maritime career culminated in her grounding and wreck on 27 April 1819 at the entrance to the Sierra Leone River, where she bilged but with some cargo and stores salvaged. Overall, Barton’s history reflects the perilous nature of maritime trade during the Age of Sail, especially amidst the conflicts of the Napoleonic Wars and the transatlantic slave trade, highlighting her role as both a participant in and a victim of the turbulent maritime landscape of her era.

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