Ship Elizabeths Company arrived Sierra Leone 9 Mar 1820

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: American_Colonization_Society Black_Heritage Liberian_emigrants

Emigrants to Liberia

American Colonization Society

Introduction

The Ship Elizabeth's Company, commanded by Captain Sebor, and often called the Mayflower of Liberia, left New York for Liberia on 6 Feb 1820. This was the first organized Black emigration back to Africa. It began when 88 free Blacks left New York Harbor aboard the ship The Elizabeth. However, the Ship Elizabeth never made it to present day Liberia. The First African-Americans came to Cape Mesurado on the Gun-Boat "Alligator".

The following is exerpted from the "Journal of Daniel Cocker, a descendant of Africa" ^[1]

"In his message of December 20, 1819, Pres. Monroe informed Congress that he had appointed Rev. Samuel Bacon, of the American Colonization Society, with John Bankson as assistant, to charter a vessel and take the first group of African-American emigrants to Africa, the understanding being that he was to go to the place fixed upon by Mills and Burgess. Thus the National Government and the Colonization Society, while technically separate, began to work in practical cooperation. The ship Elizabeth was made ready for the voyage; the Government informed the Society that it would "receive on board such free blacks recommended by the Society as might be required for the purpose of the agency". Rev. Samuel A. Crozer was appointed as the Society's official representative; 88 emigrants were brought together (33 men and 18 women, the rest being children); and on February 5, 1820, convoyed by the war-sloop Cyane, the expedition set forth."

"On March 3, however, the ship sighted the Cape Verde Islands and six days afterwards was anchored at Sierra Leone; and Coker rejoiced that at last he had seen Africa. John Kizell, however, whom the agents had counted on seeing, was found to be away at Sherbro; accordingly, six days after their arrival they too were making efforts to go on to Sherbro, for they were allowed at anchor only fifteen days and time was passing rapidly.

Meanwhile Bankson went to find Kizell. Captain Sebor was at first decidedly unwilling to go further; but his reluctance was at length overcome.

On March 17 Bacon sailed for Sherbro. The next day they met Bankson, who informed them that he had seen Kizell. This man, although he had not heard from America since the departure of Mills and Burgess, had already erected some temporary houses against the rainy season. He permitted the newcomers to stay in his little town until land could be obtained; sent them twelve fowls and a bushel of rice; but he also, with both dignity and pathos, warned Bankson that if he and his companions came with Christ in their hearts, it was well that they had come; if not, it would have been better if they had stayed in America.

Now followed much fruitless bargaining with the native chiefs, in all of which Coker regretted that the slave-traders had so ruined the people that it seemed impossible to make any progress in a "palaver" without the offering of rum.

Meanwhile a report was circulated through the country that a number of Americans had come and turned Kizell out of his own town and put some of his people in the hold of their ship.

Disaster followed disaster. The marsh, the bad water, and the malaria played havoc with the colonists, and all three of the responsible agents died. The few persons who remained alive made their way back to Sierra Leone. Thus the first expedition failed." ^[2]

Roll of Emigrants

Names	Age	State emigrated from	Free born or otherwise	Extent of education	Profession	Date of death	Cause of death	Removed to what place	Removal date	Removal Cause
John Adams	40	–	Free born	Reads	Farmer	–	–	U.S.	1821
Isaac Alexander	29	–	do	do	–	1822	Drowning
Minty Alexander	25	–	do	None	–	1839	Diseased Brain
James Alexander	1	–	do	–	–	1820	Fever
—Alexander	0	–	do	–	–	1830	Fever
William Amy	30	New York	do	–	–	–		U.S.	1821	Desertion
John Augustine	30	Philadelphia	do	–	–	1820	Fever
Nancy Augustine	25	do	do	–	–	1820	Fever
Mary Augustine	4	do	do	–	–	1820	Fever
Mary Augustine	2	do	do	–	–	1820	Fever
–Augustine, infant	–	do	do	–	–	1820	Unknown
Parris Bennet	21	New York	do	–	Tailor	–	–	S. Leone	1822	Disappointm’t.
Nelly Binks	30	do	do	–	Nurse	1820	Fever
Joseph Blake	33	Philadelphia	do	–	Ship Carpenter	–	–	S. Leone	1837
Nathaniel Brander	21	Virginia	do	Writes &c.	–
Richard Butler	19	New York	do	Reads	–	1820	Fever
William Butler	15	do	do	do	–	1824	Drowning
Nace Butler	66	Washington, D. C.	do	do	Carpenter	1824	Drowning
Nancy Butler	26	do	do	do	–	1834	Female Disease
Thomas Camaran	45	New York	do	–	Potter			U.S	1822
Ann Camaran	25	do	do	–	–	1820	Fever
William Camaran	19	do	do	–	–	–	–	U.S	1822	His father
Thomas Camaran, Jr.	5	do	do	–	–	–	–	U.S	1822	His father
Ann Camaran, infant	–	New York	do	–	–	–	–	U.S	1822	Her father
Henry Cain	40	Philadelphia	do	–	–	1824	Decline
Charlotte Cain	22	do	do	–	–	1821	Fever
Henrietta Cain	1	do	do	–	–	1821	Fever
York Carey	22	do	do	–	–	–	–	S. Leone	1822
Wilson Carey	30	do	do	–	–	–	–	do	1822
Elizabeth Carey	29	do	do	–	–	1820	Fever
Elizabeth Carey	2	do	do	–	–	–	–	do	1822	With father
Julian Carey	1	do	do	–	–	–	–	do	1822	With father
Daniel Coker	35	Maryland	–	Liberal	School Teacher	–	–	do	1822
Solomon Clark	40	New York	do	Writes	–			do	1821
Francis Cressy	50	do	do	do	–	–
Lewis Crook	30	do	do	Reads	Farmer	1835	Decline
Matsy Crook	29	do	do	do	Seamstress	1836	Decline
Maria Crook	12	do	do	do	–	1822	Fever
Eliza Crook	3	do	do	–	–	–	–
Jonathan Dickson	34	do	do	do	Farmer	–	–	S. Leone	1822
Susan Dickson	30	do	do	do	–	–	–	do	1822	Her husband
John Fisher	30	do	do	do	Smith	–	–	do	1822
Sally Fisher	23	do	do	None	–	–	–	do	1822
John Fisher, Jr.	1	do	do	None	–	–	–	do	1822
Charles Francis	46	Virginia	do	–	Farmer	1826	Unknown
Nancy Francis	45	do	do	–	–	1820	Fever
Hannah Francis	20	do	do	–	–	–	–	S. Leone	1822
Emily Francis	18	do	do	Reads	–	–	–	do	1822
Lucinda Francis	16	do	do	do	–	–	–	do	1822
Lewis Francis	10	do	do	None	–	1838	Unknown
Abigail Francis	6	do	do	do	–	1833	Childbirth	do	1822
Terra Hall	55	Philadelphia	do	–	Hatter	–	–	U. S.	1822
Rachel Jackson	20	New York	do	–	–
Edward Jackson	19	do	do	–	Turner	–	–	do	1836
Jane Jackson	17	do	do	–	–	1834	Unknown
Eliza Jackson	12	do	do	do	–
Allen James	29	Philadelphia	do		Writes	Carpenter	1830	Unknown
Frederick James	29	do	do	do	do	1834	Decline
Elijah Johnson	29	New York	do	Reads	–
Mary Johnson	20	do	do	do	–	1820	Fever
Lewis Johnson	10	do	do	do	–	1838	Unknown
Charles Johnson	8	New York	Free born	Reads
Elizabeth Johnson	2	do	do	Good
David Lee	55	Virginia	do	Writes	–
John Lawrence	28	New York	do	None	–	–	–	Sherbro	1821
Henrietta Lawrence	24	do	do	do	–	1839	Decline
Mary A. Lawrence	2	do	do	do		1835	Decline
William Milton	22	do	do		Writes	–	–	–	S. Leone	1822
Eliphalet Newport	19	do	do	Writes, &c.	Farmer	1820	Consumption
Sarah Newport	40	do	do	do	–	1820	Fever
Ralph Newport	17	do	do	do	–	1833	Drowning
Nathaniel Peck	22	Maryland	do	do	–	–	–	U. S.	1821
Edward Wigfall	23	Philadelphia	do	Writes	–	–	–	U. S.	1821
Francis Posey	26	New York	do	do	Shoemaker	–	–	S. Leone	1821
Lucy Posey	30	do	do	do	–	–	–	do	1821
John Revey	19	do	do	do	–	–	–	do	1821
Peter Small	26	Philadelphia	do	do	–	–	–	do	1821
Elizabeth Small	24	do	do	Reads	–	–	–	do	1821
Amelia Small	2	do	do	–	–	–	–	do	1821
John Smith	40	do	do	None	Farmer	–	Fever
Sarah Smith	25	do	do	do	–	–	Unknown
Edward Smith	15	do	do	do	–	1831	Pleurisy
Sarah H. Smith	3	do	do	do	–	1823	Decline
–Smith, infant	–	do	do	do	–	1821	Decline
Matilda Spencer	25	do	do	do	–	1837	Pleurisy
Thomas Spencer	32	do	do	do	–	1822	Casualty-shot.

Sources

1. ↑ The Journal of Daniel Cocker: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.69015000002887&view=1up&seq=3
2. ↑ Christine's African American Genealogy Website: https://ccharity.com/contents/roll-emigrants-have-been-sent-colony-liberia-western-africa/emigrants-to-liberia-ship-lists/shipelizabeth1820/

• Transcribed from “Information relative to the operations of the United States squadron on the west coast of Africa, the condition of the American colonies there, and the commerce of the United States therewith,” 28th Congress, 2d. Session, S. Doc. 150, serial 458.
• The Mayflower of Liberia: https://aaregistry.org/story/the-mayflower-of-liberia-leaves-new-york/