British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Betsey (master David Squires)....

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Betsey (master David Squires).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (brigantine, 100 tons, 11 men, formerly a loyalist ship taken in piracy by rebels), now bound from Salem, Massachusetts to Surinam, laden with lumber, tobacco; taken on 8 April 1782 off Nantucket, Boston Bay, Massachusetts by the loyalist privateer Spitfire (George Younghusband commanding), and brought into New York.

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-3:-

• [CP 1]: libel in Younghusband v The brig Betsey, 17 April 1782;
• [CP 2]: affidavit of papers brought in by Alexander Thornton, 17 April 1782;
• [CP 3]: deposition of William Barnard, 23 April 1782;
• [CP 4]: answer and claim of Robert Shedden, Bartlet Goodrich, John Goodrich, David Sproat and William Goodrich as owners of the Betsey, taken in piracy by rebels, 24 April 1782.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-8 (Massachusetts papers):-

• SP 1: crew list, April 1782;
• SP 2: owner's instructions for Surinam, 5 April 1782;
• SP 3: clearance;
• SP 4: invoice of cargo for Surinam;
• SP 5: bill for stores, 5 April 1782;
• SP 6: register;
• SP 7: owner's instructions for Boston and St Vincent or Grenada, 21 August 1781;
• SP 8: bill for stores, 21 August 1781.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-4; Ship's papers: 5-12 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2024].

Topics

Shipping

International

Litigation

Trade and commerce

Caribbean

Conflict

Piracy and privateering

Navy

Crime

Americas

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns