Mentor (1784 ship)

The British Royal Navy sold Wasp in 1781 and she became the mercantile Polly, which traded with Africa.

Mentor made eight full voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people.

[1] Commander Edward Yates, recommissioned Wasp in June 1760 for cruising in Home Waters.

Commander Charles Leslie recommissioned her in April 1763, for the Western Channel.

[4] On 31 August 1781, Polly, Duley, master arrived at Gravesend from Gorée.

[5] 2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1786–1787): Captain Lyttleton sailed from London on 11 March 1786, bound for The Gambia.

[6] (Lloyd's List reported that Mentor, Littleton, master, had arrived at Dominica with 220 slaves,[7] and sailed on to Jamaica.)

The Slave Trade Act 1788 (Dolben's Act) limited the number of enslaved people that British enslaving ships were permitted to transport, based on the ships' tons burthen.

[8] 3rd voyage transporting enslaved people (1788): Captain John Hamilton sailed from London on 8 March 1788, bound for The Gambia.

[9] 4th voyage transporting enslaved people (1789–1790): Captain Robert Lewin sailed from London on 22 February 1789, bound for The Gambia.

Mentor, Wilcox, master arrived at Jamaica in December with 190 captives.

[10] 5th voyage transporting enslaved people (1790–1791): Captain Edward Wilcox sailed from London on 31 December 1790, bound for West Africa.

6th voyage transporting enslaved people (1792): Captain Taylor sailed from London on 5 April 1792, bound for the Gambia.

[12] 7th voyage transporting enslaved people (1792–1793): Captain John Brand sailed from London of 22 November 1792, bound for The Gambia.

[13] 8th voyage transporting enslaved people (1794): Captain Brand sailed from London 28 February 1794.

[14] Captain Brand sailed from London on 12 June 1795, bound for West Africa on Mentor's ninth voyage transporting enslaved people.

Seven of the losses occurred in the Middle Passage, that is as the ships were on their way from Africa to the West Indies.