African Queen first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1793 with Williams, master, J.Anderson, owner, and trade Bristol–Africa.

While African Queen was on the coast she employed two smaller vessels, Dragon, and Fame, as ship's tenders.

Both then and during the voyage the loss of crew members, including the ship's surgeon, meant that sanitation measures fell behind and captives could not be brought on deck for air.

One captive was identified as "pawn", that is, he had been pledged as security by a merchant in Africa, and so legally was not property of the vessel's owners.

The young man remained on board African Queen to go to Bristol, and from there, eventually back to Africa.

The 65 men, 74 women, five adolescents, and 58 children sold for £7,800; James Rodger's, the vessel's owner had invested an initial £10,650 in the voyage.

[8] 2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1794–1795): Captain Thomas Williams acquired a letter of marque on 13 June 1794.

[1] Williams, of Bristol, sailed for the firm John and Alexander Anderson & Co. on four different slave ships.

Dolben's Act apparently resulted in some reduction in the numbers of captives carried per vessel, and possibly in mortality, though the evidence is ambiguous.

[11][b] 3rd voyage transporting enslaved people (1795): African Queen underwent a second good repair in 1795.

[14] A privateer captured three British slave ships off the west coast of Hispaniola on about 15 December 1795, as they were on their way to Jamaica.