Description:

Ships’ muster rolls from 1753 – 1754; Society of Merchant Venturers’ archive.
Muster roll no: 41.

Muster roll for the ship, the Africa, sailing from Africa and Virginia.
Nothing is known about the numbers of slaves bought and sold. One of the crew was called Black Jack , from Bristol, who was presumably a free black sailor.

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).

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: 1753 - 1754

Copyright: Copyright The Society of Merchant Venturers