HMS Black Joke was a cutter of approximately 257 tons, believed to have been built in Baltimore around 1824, originally launched as the Brazilian slave ship Henriquetta. She was likely constructed as a Baltimore clipper, known for her speed and agility, possibly as the vessel Griffen, and operated as a brig designed for swift movement. Originally, she was used by Brazilian owners to run slaves from Bahia, making significant profits from six voyages that transported over 3,000 slaves in just three years. Captured by the Royal Navy on 6 September 1827 by HMS Sybille, she was taken into service and renamed Black Joke, after an English song. The Navy used her primarily to patrol the West Africa Squadron, tasked with intercepting slave ships. During her active service, she was a small but formidable vessel, armed with a single long 18-pounder pivot gun, and crewed by around 38 men, including seamen, midshipmen, a surgeon, marines, and Liberian Kroomen for boat operations. Throughout her service, Black Joke was notably successful in her anti-slavery efforts. She captured numerous slave ships, including the Spanish schooner Gertrudes with 155 slaves, the large brig Vengador with 645 slaves—the most she ever captured—and the schooner Christina with 354 slaves. Her engagements ranged from capturing heavily armed vessels like El Almirante to fighting off pirates such as Presidenté. Her crew also participated in the notable capture of the Marinerito, a heavily armed Spanish slaver with 496 slaves, during which she sustained minimal casualties. By 1832, her timbers had deteriorated significantly, and a survey declared her unfit for further service. Consequently, she was deliberately burnt in May of that year to prevent further use. Her actions were instrumental in the Royal Navy’s efforts to suppress the transatlantic slave trade, and she is remembered for her role in freeing thousands of enslaved Africans and her reputation as a fast, effective slave hunter. Her remains are now preserved only as timber samples in archives, symbolizing her significant maritime and anti-slavery legacy.

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