Various sources give her origin as a British plantation (colony),[1] America,[2] an American prize,[3] and Nova Scotia.

[1] Captain Kimber was tried for murder in 1792, after the abolitionist William Wilberforce accused him of torturing to death an enslaved teenage girl on the deck of his ship.

Recovery, Kimber, master, was on shore in the Bristol River in March 1792 as she sailed for Africa.

On this voyage Kimber, together with five other captains of enslaving ships, bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for captives.

The bombardment by some 66 guns killed and wounded 50 or so of the local inhabitants and resulted in the traders agreeing to the prices the captains offered.

Recovery arrived at Cape Coast Castle on 26 September 1796 and sailed for England on 10 February 1797.

[7] Lloyd's List reported in July 1806 that Recovery, Suter, master, was one of four vessels that "Renau's squadron" had captured off the Windward Coast of Africa.