High Court of Admiralty. Captured ship: Betsey (master James Robb). Capture history:...

High Court of Admiralty.

Captured ship: Betsey (master James Robb).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (brig, 100 tons, 8 men, seized about two years before as prize), now bound from Guadeloupe to Boston, Massachusetts, laden with molasses, rum; taken on 3 November 1782 in latitude 32°10'N, longitude 66°20'W off Bermuda by the privateer Hornet (John Kimber commanding), and brought into Bristol.

Intended voyage: from the Caribbean Islands to the United States.

Court papers numbered CP 1-13:-

• [CP 1]: attestation as to papers (numbered 1-16) brought in by the prize master Edward Robe, fourth lieutenant of the Hornet, Plymouth, 19 December 1782;
• [CP 2]: standing interrogatories;
• [CP 3]: deposition of Thomas Martin, mariner [mate], and commissioners affidavit, Bristol, 19 December 1782;
• [CP 4]: standing interrogatories;
• [CP 5]: deposition of John Steevens mariner, and commissioners affidavit, Bristol, 11 January 1783;
• [CP 6]: commission of appraisement and sale, 21 January 1783, endorsed with a list of the various activities, by date, in Bristol;
• [CP 7-CP 8]: inventory of the ship and account of sales, net proceeds £164 15s 11d.;
• [CP 9-CP 13]: four receipts in the course of appraisal and sale, and account of disbursement on the brig Betsey.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-16 (Massachusetts papers):-

• SP 1: crew list and agreement;
• SP 2: [wanting; should have an encircled number 2 in LH margin];
• SP 3: clearance from Boston, 7 August 1781;
• SP 4: portage bill, listing payments to the crew, Point Peter [Point a Pitre], 4 October 1782;
• SP 5: French register [?];

[SP 6-SP 16 are mail in transit from Guadeloupe, all dated August-October 1782 and from Point a Pitre unless otherwise stated.]

• SP 6: personal/business letter from Thomas Boutineau, to Thomas Walcutt, Boston;
• SP 7: captain's letter from John Odiorne, to [ship owner] John Bartlett, Salisbury;
• SP 8: business letter from Thomas Boutineau to William Stewart, New London, [Connecticut];
• SP 9: business letter from Neveaux, at Basse Terre, to Mr Osbourne, Boston via Captain Edouard, Newburyport, but written to Mrs Osbourne as 'some body told me that your husband had been taken. I am indeed sorry for him'; 25 September 1782;
• SP 10: captain's letter from Nicholas Johnston, St Pierre Martinique, to Captain Thomas Thomas, merchant, Newburyport; news, health of crew of his ship the Count de Gra' [an American privateer ?], 2 October 1782;
• SP 11: personal letter from John Odiorne to his wife, addressed to himself John Odiorne, of Salisbury;
• SP 12: a seven-page personal/business letter, reciting letters going back to 15 August, from Thomas Boutineau, to Benjamin Henshaw, merchant, Middletown [Middleton?];
• SP 13: business letter from James Jowett to James Jowett merchant, Newburyport;
• SP 14: personal letter from Joshua Ellingwood to his wife, addressed to himself Johsua Ellingwood, Beverly;
• SP 15: business letter from Neveaux, at Basse Terre, to Mr Osbourne, Boston, 27 September 1782; in French;
• SP 16: personal letter from Bazille (father of Alexis), at Marie Galante, to M Pitres Domorg, Frenchman, to give to Alexis Bazille, at Boston; in [local ?] French, 2 October 1782.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-13; Ship's papers: 14-29 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2024].

Topics

Shipping

International

Litigation

Trade and commerce

Caribbean

Conflict

Piracy and privateering

Food and drink

Americas

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns