Iris was launched at Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people.

She also made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) to Bengal and back (1795-1796).

[4] 1st voyage transporting enslaved people (1783-1785): Captain Thomas Holliday sailed from Liverpool on 16 November 1783 bound for the Gold Coast with a crew of 51.

[1] 2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1787-1789): Captain Peter Potter sailed from Liverpool on 20 March 1787, bound for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands.

[2] 3rd voyage transporting enslaved people (1790-1791): Captain George Greaves sailed from Liverpool on 12 April 1790, bound for the Bight of Biafra.

[3] 4th voyage transporting enslaved people (1791-1792): Captain Greaves sailed from Liverpool on 26 June 1791, bound for the Bight of Biafra.

[10] 5th voyage transporting enslaved people (1792-1793): Captain Thomas Huson sailed from Liverpool on 8 July 1792, bound for the Gold Coast.

On her homeward leg she reached St Helena on 14 July and arrived at The Downs on 4 November.

[8] 6th voyage transporting enslaved people (1797-1798): Captain John Spencer acquired a letter of marque on 29 March 1797.

[5] He sailed from Liverpool on 23 April 1797, bound for West Central Africa and St Helena (i.e., present day Angola).

[13] 7th voyage transporting enslaved people (1797-1798): Captain Spencer sailed from Liverpool on 8 June 1798, bound for the Bight of Biafra.

[15] 8th voyage transporting enslaved people (1799-1800): Captain George Cannon acquired a letter of marque on 17 June 1799.

On 12 December Lloyd's List reported that Iris, "Cannell", master, had put back into Kingston leaky.