The barque Laurens was launched from the Kennebunk River shipyard of Robert Smith Jr. on January 31, 1838, almost exactly one year before the famous revolt of 53 Africans onboard La Amistad. At first, Kennebunks men sailed the Laurens across the Atlantic carrying mostly cotton and tobacco, but she started whaling in the early 1840s. Boston Customs records say her ownership had been “partially transferred” by 1844. Captain Franklin N. Thompson still commanded her in 1845.

The Laurens was seized by the U. S. Navy off the coast of Brazil on January 23, 1848. Capt. Littlefield was sailing her to Africa with no cargo aboard except for 54,000 gallons of water and $20,000 in gold and silver. The only charts onboard were of Africa’s coast.

In his March 29th sworn testimony, first mate, Wm A. Jackson said one of the Brazilian’s onboard, a captain, had told him the Laurens was headed to the east coast of Africa. See article.

Although the vessel was “owned by a NY whaling firm”, she did not clear Brazil for a whaling voyage. Batavia was her reported destination. To evade international slave trade laws, ownership, command and destination of a vessel were reported differently depending on who was asking.

Most American judges didn’t find it politically expedient to actually incarcerate anyone for such crimes until after President Lincoln took office in 1861. The Laurens was condemned and then quickly sold publicly as a prize to whoever wanted to buy her.

Federal authorities at New London, CT. detained the Laurens again on suspicion of being fitted out for a slaving voyage in 1859. Unnamed “out-of-town parties” had purchased her “for a whaling voyage.” Maps of the coast of Africa and excessive provisions were found onboard the vessel configured to carry people, not whale oil. This time the judge did not find sufficient evidence to justify condemnation. The Laurens was returned to Capt. Curtis and her owners in June 1859. She was spotted at Ponta da Lenha and Sierra Leone on the west coast of Africa later that year by a British Navy Captain. She successfully delivered 600 enslaved Africans to Cuba before the end of 1859.

I have not discovered any direct evidence that Kennebunk people owned the vessel when these crimes were committed. I do find it curiously coincidental that barque Laurens was so-named when she was launched in 1838. Henry Laurens was a notorious 18th century slavetrader from Charleston, SC who eventually replaced John Hancock as President of the Continental Congress.