Ceres was a British slave ship launched at Bermuda in either 1800 or 1802. She was first recorded in Lloyd's Register in 1806, with Mortimore listed as her master and owned by S. Newton & Co., engaged in the Liverpool–Africa trade. The vessel was a part of the active slave trade during this period, having made at least two outbound voyages to Africa, where she transported captives to the West Indies. In terms of specifications, specific details such as tonnage, dimensions, or construction materials are not provided in the available source. However, her operational history indicates she was a typical vessel of the period involved in the transatlantic slave trade, equipped to carry a full cargo of captives. Ceres's service history is marked by a series of notable incidents. She initially set sail from Liverpool on 7 January 1806 under Captain John Mortimer, heading for the region between Rio Nuñez and the Assini River with a crew of 26 men. Early in her voyage, Lloyd’s List reported that she was onshore near Liverpool and considered a total loss, but she was subsequently refloated and returned to port. She attempted to sail again but was driven ashore by a violent gale on 10 March 1806, from which she was recovered. Later, under Captain John Williams, Ceres arrived off the Windward Coast of Africa by August 1806. Her final voyage ended tragically when she capsized off Cape Mesurado on 20 March 1807 while bound for the West Indies with a full cargo of enslaved people. Thirteen crew members survived, but Captain Williams and others drowned. This marked her as one of the vessels lost during the intense period of the transatlantic slave trade, with her loss reflecting the hazards faced by British slave ships, which included maritime dangers and the perils of war. Ceres’s history exemplifies the perilous nature of the slave trade vessels in the early 19th century and highlights the considerable risks faced by ships engaged in this grim commerce.

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