John Bull (1799 ship)
John Bull was a sailing ship built in 1799 at Liverpool for the slave trade. She made one voyage carrying slaves from West Africa to Jamaica. Thereafter she became a West Indiaman, trading with Jamaica. Early in this period she was a letter of marque, and captured a French merchant vessel. A little later John Bull detained an American vessel. Much later she carried military prisoners to Australia from Ceylon on one voyage, and then on another transported female convicts to Australia from Cork. She was last listed in 1833.
Career
John Bull entered Lloyd's Register in 1799. Her master was Parkinson, her owner Taylor & Co., and her trade, Liverpool-Africa. Captain John Parkinson acquired a letter of marque for John Bull on 23 July 1799. Under his command she made one voyage as a slaver.She sailed from Liverpool on 5 September 1799 bound for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. John Bull gathered her slaves at Bonny and delivered them to Kingston, Jamaica, where she arrived on 29 July 1800 with 550 slaves. She left Kingston on 5 October and arrived back at Liverpool on 24 December. She had left with 68 crew members and she suffered 21 crew deaths on her voyage.
In 1801, Henry Kelly replaced Parkinson as master, and her trade became London-Jamaica. Kelly received a letter of marque on 12 March 1801. The application for the letter evidences a large increase in her crew size, suggesting that she was going to engage in privateering.
However, in 1802 her ownership changed from Taylor to Dalgairns. Then in 1803 her ownership changed to M. Benson, and her master to J. Murray. On 31 May John Murray, of the ship John Bull, received a letter of marque.
In July 1803 a vessel arriving at Falmouth reported that she had encountered the privateer John Bull, of 28 guns, of Liverpool. John Bull and the privateer Union, of Guernsey, had captured a large French vessel from Île de France and taken her into Bantry Bay.
Also in 1803 John Bull captured a small French merchant vessel trading with the West Indies.
In 1805, John Bulls master was H. Kelly, changing to J. Murray. Her ownership and trade remained unchanged.
On 13 January 1809, Patriarch, Easton, master, came into Port Royal, Jamaica, having been detained by John Bull, Askew, master. Patriarch had been sailing from Baltimore to Charleston.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade |
| 1805 | H. Kelly J. Murray | M. Benson | Liverpool-Jamaica |
| 1808 | J. Askew | R. Benson | Liverpool-Jamaica |
| 1810 | J. Askew | M. Benson | Liverpool-Jamaica |
| 1815 | J. Askew | R. Benson | Liverpool-Jamaica |
| 1819 | J. Askew W. Corlett | R. Benson | Liverpool-Jamaica Liverpool-Calcutta |
| 1820 | W. Corlett | Hibberson | Liverpool-Calcutta |
In 1819 John Bull received a license from the British East India Company to sail east of Capetown. On 8 March 1820 she came into Capetown from Liverpool and Teneriffe having lost her anchors and cables. She sailed for Bengal about a week later. Later that year, John Bull transported a number of military convicts from Ceylon to Port Jackson.
On 5 June 1821, John Bull towed Jane, Brabin, master, into Cork, Ireland. Jane had been sailing from Balmaura when she lost her masts and rigging. That same day surgeon William Elyard, who with his family had just arrived in Cork on John Barry, transferred to John Bull.
Under the command of William Corlette John Bull sailed from Cork on 25 July 1821. She sailed via St. Jago and arrived at Port Jackson on 18 December. John Bull carried free passengers and 80 female convicts. No prisoners died en route. Discontent among the crew developed from Corlette and Elyard's disciplinary measures, aimed at preventing prostitution between crew and prisoners. The discontent did not, however, rise to the level of mutiny.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade |
| 1821 | W. Corlett | Hibberson | Liverpool-Calcutta Liverpool-New South Wales |
| 1825 | W.Grave | Hibberson | Liverpool-Havana |
| 1830 | W. Grave | Hibberson | At Cowes |
| 1833 | W. Grave | Hibberson | At Cowes |