High Court of Admiralty. Captured ship: Alexandre (master Jean Mouterse, owners Andrew...

High Court of Admiralty.

Captured ship: Alexandre (master Jean Mouterse, owners Andrew and David Gallwey of Nantes [an Irish family]).

Capture history: a French merchant ship (390 tons, 46 men including 3 Americans, 3 passengers, formerly the English ship Jamaica), now bound from Paimboeuf, Nantes to Cap François and Port au Prince, Saint Domingue, laden with bricks, coals, salt, flour, pickled salmon, hoops, twigs, staves, canvas cases and bales of merchandise, books and sea maps [sea charts]; taken on 7 March 1779 in latitude 48°17'N by the privateer Defiance (Lionel Hill commanding), and brought into Plymouth.

Intended voyage: from France to the Caribbean Islands.

Court papers numbered CP 1-14:-

• [CP 1]: attestation as to papers (numbered 1-12) brought in by Lionel Hill, 14 March 1779;
• [CP 2-CP 3]: standing interrogatories [34 questions]; three depositions of Jean Muterse, Michel Maignein and Jacques Pion, and commissioners' affidavit, 16 March 1779;
• [CP 4-CP 6]: claims for the Jamaica, (master David Watt), by George Johnston, previously mate, as having been taken by the American privateer Raleigh (commander Thompson) in 1777;
• [CP 7]: attestation of the master and of Pierre Gallwey, second mate, 20 April 1779;
• [CP 8-CP 9]: allegations;
• [CP 10-CP 11]: attestations of Alexander Watt, brother of David Watt, that the Jamaica was brought into Lorient after capture;
• [CP 12]: decree of restoration to John Randall for salvage, 12 May 1779;
• [CP 13]: inventory and appraisement, 16 Jul 1779;
• [CP 14]: translations of some of the ship's papers.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-12:-

• SP 1: passenger Jeanne Le Cointe;
• SP 2-SP 6: bills of lading;
• SP 7: owner's orders, with a list of correspondents;
• SP 8: order to receive on board the Comte de Segur and his valet, as passengers;
• SP 9-SP 12: ship's pass, permit, muster roll, etc.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-20; Ship's papers: 21-33 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2024].

Topics

International

Litigation

Trade and commerce

Caribbean

Europe and Russia

Conflict

Maps and plans

Piracy and privateering

Ireland

Food and drink

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns