The Ceres was a vessel initially launched in France in 1784 before being captured by the British around 1800 and sold as a prize. Under British ownership, she was recorded in Lloyd’s Register with Carmont as her master, owned by James & Co., and engaged in the Liverpool–Naples trade. The ship was armed with a letter of marque obtained by Captain David Carmont in June 1800, indicating her potential for military engagement. Ceres's most notable service was as a slave ship, making four voyages between 1801 and 1806. During these voyages, she was primarily engaged in the transatlantic slave trade, gathering enslaved Africans from West Africa—specifically Calabar, Bonny Island, and West Africa—and delivering them to various ports in the West Indies, including Trinidad, Havana, Kingston, and Charleston. Each voyage involved significant risks; she typically left Liverpool with around 31 to 41 crew members, suffering five crew deaths per voyage, which underscores the hazardous nature of her operations. On her first voyage (1801–1802), she landed 293 slaves in Trinidad after departing Liverpool in August 1801. Her subsequent voyages resulted in similar numbers, with approximately 300 slaves delivered each time. The third voyage (1804–1805) saw her arriving at Kingston with 300 slaves, and her fourth voyage (1805–1806) landed another 300 slaves at Charleston. Notably, during these voyages, her captains acquired letters of marque, reflecting her dual role as both merchant vessel and potential wartime asset. Post-1807, following the abolition of the British slave trade, Ceres transitioned to the West Indies trade and later to service with the East India Company. She continued to appear in shipping registers until 1822, with records indicating her sailing to Bengal in 1816 and 1817 under licenses following the EIC’s loss of monopoly on Indian trade. Her career reflects the shifting maritime priorities of the early 19th century, from the slave trade to established commercial routes to India, before her final disappearance from shipping records.

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