Description:

Ships’ muster rolls from the 29th Sep 1774 – 29th Sep 1775; Society of Merchant Venturers’ archive. Muster roll no: 134.

Muster roll for the slave ship, the Maesgwyn, sailing from Bristol to Anamaboe in West Africa, where 300 slaves were purchased. The ship then sailed to South Carolina where the slaves were sold. The ship returned to Bristol.

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: 1773

Copyright: Copyright The Society of Merchant Venturers