She was wrecked near Ilfracombe on 9 October 1796 on a voyage from Saint Lucia bringing French prisoners of war as well as gold treasure.

There is continuing international debate over the origin of bones found in a mass grave at the wreck site and, if determined, where they should be interred.

[9] In the 1790s African slaves in the French West Indies colonies were freed, and many were enlisted into the army to serve alongside mixed-race and European troops in the war with Britain for control of the islands.

On Saint Lucia the garrison at Fort Charlotte, Castries, surrendered in May 1796 and over 2000 mostly Black and mixed race French soldiers, and some women and children, were transported as prisoners of war, in over 100 ships, to Portsmouth, arriving in October.

[13] Dr Horton said in 2007 that he did not believe that those bones came from black slaves, but more likely from soldiers from France, or even Devon locals; adding that it was possible to re-examine them in the light of developments in DNA analysis.