British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Adventure (master Thomas Robinson)....

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Adventure (master Thomas Robinson).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (brigantine, 50 tons, 9 men, formerly the British ship William bound from Tortola to New York, but seized by part of her crew acting as patriot Americans in 22 July 1780), now bound from Wilmington, Delaware to New York, with a permit, laden with flour, bread and Indian corn; retaken on 14 May 1781 at the Toms River, New Jersey by HMS Royal Oak (William Swiney commanding), in sight of HMS Bedford (Thomas McNamara commanding), HMS London (David Graves commanding), HMS Prudent (Thomas Burnet commanding), HMS America (Samuel Thompson commanding), HMS Europa (Smith Child commanding), HMS Chatham (John Orde commanding), HMS Charon (Thomas Symonds commanding), HMS Roebuck (Andrew Snape Douglas commanding), HMS Assurance (Thomas Goldesborough commanding), and HMS Medea (Henry Duncan commanding), and brought into [New York].

Intended voyage: from the United States to British America.

Court papers numbered CP 1-21:-

• [CP 1]: schedule of 10 papers found on the prize, noted by Swiney of HMS Royal Oak, 14 May 1781 [these numbers have not been used];
• [CP 2]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master James Brown, master's mate of HMS Royal Oak, 16 May 1781;
• [CP 3]: libel in Swiney v The brigantine Adventure and her cargo, 16 May 1781;
• [CP 4]: answer and claim of William Pagan, for himself, William Lowther and Robert Mercer, merchants of New York for the ship formerly called William, 23 May 1781;
• [CP 5]: a very long answer and claim by Richard Hartshorne and others, merchants of New York, owners of the Adventure, that they were working for secret loyal friends of the government to bring in supplies for the garrison of New York, mention of secret intelligencers, etc, 27 June 1781; Hartshorne v Swiney;
• [CP 6-CP 8]: depositions of David Brewer, Thomas Robinson, and William Salter;
• [CP 9]: interrogatories;
• [CP 10-CP 12]: depositions of David Matthews, Henry White and Daniel Coxe;
• [CP 13]: cross-interrogatories;
• [CP 14-CP 17]: depositions of Thomas Robinson, William Salter, David Matthews and Henry White;
• [CP 18-CP 19]: two replications;
• [CP 20]: rejoinder;
• [CP 21]: copy of the licence.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-5:-

• SP 1-SP 2 official ship's papers;
• SP 3: crew list and agreement;
• SP 4: licence issued by Thomas Symonds, of HMS Charon, countersigned by Thomas Matthews, Mayor of New York issued 24 November 1780, for secret loyal subjects to bring flour to New York in the Adventure;
• SP 5: log book of the Adventure, 3-14 May 1781.

Mail in Transit numbered MT 1-2:-

• MT 1: letter of 18 April 1781 from Joshua Deane, Philadelphia to Captain John Wanton, Newport, Rhode Island: is sending his chest of sea clothes;
• MT 2: letter of 8 May 1781, from Samuel Read, Wilmington to Samuel Cravath, merchant at Boston: with the recommendation of Mr Levi Hollingsworth of Wilmington and of Mr Cumberland Dugan of Boston but now here, I have thought proper to send to your address the brigantine Adventure (Robinson) with a cargo of flour etc as per the invoices, bill of lading and manifest enclosed, to sell for Mr John Thomas Rickets' and my interest, with further instructions; enclosing MT 2A-MT 2G, invoices for flour, bread and goods, bound to Boston; MT 2H bill of lading, and MT2 J cargo manifest.

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