Description:

From ships’ muster roll book, September 1773 – September 1774; Society of Merchant Venturers’ archive.
Muster roll no: 16.
Muster roll for the ship, The Catherine from Africa and South Carolina, 1772.
Death and desertion were common amongst the crews of slaving ships. Of The Catherine’s crew, 5 died and 10 deserted. The number of slaves purchased in Africa is not known, but tax was paid on 237 in South Carolina.

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: 1772

Copyright: Copyright The Society of Merchant Venturers