Captured ship: Conquis or Concord or Conquest of La Rochelle (master Joseph Compere...

Captured ship: Conquis or Concord or Conquest of La Rochelle (master Joseph Compere or Campere).

History: a French slave trader ship (160 tons, 20 guns), bound from La Rochelle to Loango and the French Antilles, transporting around 140 enslaved people; taken in fight on 9/19 April 1697 on the coast of Loango by the English slave trader ship Johns Bonadventure (John Ford commanding) and the Dutch privateer Dolphin of Middelburg (Mathieu Boegart commanding); the captors divided the goods and enslaved people between them at Angola but ransomed the badly-damaged Conquis back to Compere, and the Johns Bonaventure then sailed for Carlisle Bay, Barbados, where the captives were sold by inch of candle.

Documents:-

Ship's papers numbered SP 1-SP 29 from the larger bundle of SP 1-SP 77, all in folder HCA 32/1865/24; descriptions of the Conquis's ship's papers are continued in HCA 32/1865/24B:

• SP 1: letter of marque;
• SP 2: blank muster roll;
• SP 3: muster roll;
• SP 4: ship's pass;
• SP 5: permission to trade on the African coast issued by the Compagnie de Guinée to Mr. Heron, owner of the ship Le Conquis; Registered at La Rochelle, 22 March 1696;
• SP 6: list of crew roles on the ship;
• SP 7: certificate of engagement as a naval officer to the name of François Guichet from La Rochelle;
• SP 8: instructions for the distribution of rations on board the ship Le Conquis;
• SP 9: report by Joseph Compere, commander of the ship Le Pons d’Or relating to a storm in February 1691, which caused some sugar to become wet on the journey back to France; completed on 10 April 1691, onboard the ship Le Pons d’Or, La Rochelle;
• SP 10: list of tools belonging to the maistre vallet (cook) and a list of provisions;
• SP 11: document giving command of the prize ship Bilbos Factore [Bilbao Factor?] to Mathieu Martin, with instructions to declare the prize to the admiralty and to bring it to La Rochelle; completed 21 August 1694;
• SP 12: blank muster roll;
• SP 13: ship's pass;
• SP 14: ship's pass;
• SP 15: Account of merchandise loaded on board Le Conquis on account of Mr. Trahan, 16 August 1696;
• SP 16: copy of a letter from Begon stating that Ponchartrain has granted to the recipient permission to take part in the slave trade; Rochefort, 29 May 1696;
• SP 17: letter to Compere, commander of the ship Le Conquis from Heron; about someone [likely a prisoner or an enslaved person] who escaped from Compere’s guard, causing great embarrassment; La Rochelle, 9 August 1696;
• SP 18: letter to Alexandre Bouvot, merchant in São Tomé, from his brother, giving family news and war news, especially relating to the attack on the isle of Ré; he hopes for a general peace in the next year; La Rochelle, 31 July 1696;
• SP 19: letter to Alexandre Bouvot, merchant in São Tomé, from his sister Madelaine Bouvot, giving family news and war news; they can see the attack on the isle of Ré, but are confident that they have good defences; they are sending the documents he requested; La Rochelle, 26 July 1696;
• SP 20: letter to Alexandre Bouvot, merchant in São Tomé, from his sister Elisabeth Bouvot, giving family news; they have learned that his wife is expecting again and are asking, if it’s a girl, if he can send her to France; are sending hats for his wife and son; news of the attack on the isle of Ré; asking if he received their letters; La Rochelle, 21 July 1696;
• SP 21: letter to Compere, captain on the ship Le Conquis, at Chef de Baye, from his wife Marie Bruand; glad to learn he is doing well; assurance of her enduring love; best wishes from the family; La Rochelle, 1 August, 1696;
• SP 22: letter to Compere, captain on the ship Le Conquis, at Chef de Baye, from Heron; details of a deserter and the attempt to arrest him; gives opinion that to avoid disorder on the ship, best not to have women on board; La Rochelle, 8 August, 1696;
• SP 23: letter from Pontchartrain regarding the payment for flour destined to soldiers in Cayenne; Versailles, 9 May, 1696;
• SP 24: list of sums owed to Heron, signed Compere; La Rochelle, 14 April 1696;
• SP 25: letter to Donullien from Heron; asking him to do business with Compere if he stops at Cayenne with enslaved people and for his help to recover payment for a cargo of flour; La Rochelle, 14 July 1696;
• SP 26: letter to Mr. de Ferrolle from Heron; business matters relating to the slave trade and to the supply and payment of flour; La Rochelle, 14 July 1696;
• SP 27: letter to Compere, on board the ship Le Conquis, from De Sein   Germim [Saint Germain?] asking him to talk to M. de Pallue on his behalf regarding merchandise he promised him, including one barrel of sugar; La Rochelle, 16 August 1696;
• SP 28: letter to Compere from Gomme; has received the coral Compere sent him to trade with local merchants and the mafouque [mfuka, mafuku, mafuka, m-fuka and mafoeke]; the latter asked Gomme to keep some coral for him and said he will take the coral next time he brings enslaved people; the king sent an enslaved man to Gomme, but he has no desire to keep him as he does not think he is strong enough; 5 March 1697;
• SP 29: letter to Compere from Gomme; description of a tiger attack and requesting pistols in case it happens again; Loango, 5 March 1697; SP 30: letter to Compere from his brother; hoping that his health is improved; king's captives are supposed to arrive the next day and he will try not to take too many women; [La Rallade?], 18 February 1697.