Description:

From ledger of ships’ muster roll, 29th September 1793 – 29th September 1794; Society of Merchant Venturers’ archive.
Articles of agreement for the sloop (small ship), Martha’s Goodwill , 1792.
This was a small ship, hence the small crew for a slaving voyage. 49 or fewer slaves were shipped across the Atlantic, 45 (or 42) survived to be sold in St Vincent.

The muster roll is a list of all crew signed on for all or part of a voyage, which was used to calculate the money each man should pay to the Sailors Hospital Fund (insurance).

Articles of agreement set out the terms and conditions of a voyage. The Articles was a standard printed form, listing the food rations and financial arrangements the crew would receive.

The Society of Merchant Venturers is a Bristol-based organisation, which was formed in 1552 as an elite body of merchants involved in overseas trade. The Society still exists today.

Date: 1792

Copyright: Copyright The Society of Merchant Venturers