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British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Betsey (master Thomas Williamson,...

Catalogue reference: HCA 32/281/7

What’s it about?

This record is about the British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Betsey (master Thomas Williamson,... dating from 1779 Apr 6 in the series High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.

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Full description and record details

Reference
HCA 32/281/7
Date
1779 Apr 6
Description

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Betsey (master Thomas Williamson, formerly Richard Talbott). History: an American merchant ship (schooner, 35 tons, 7 men) bound from Portsmouth, Virginia to St Eustatius, laden with tobacco, naval stores, lumber, staves, shingles; taken on 6 April 1779 in latitude 37°N, longitude 73°W off the Capes of Virginia by the loyalist privateer Mohawk (John Freeman commanding), and brought into New York.

Court papers numbered CP 1-4:-

  • [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master Thomas Gray, 21 April 1779;
  • [CP 2]: libel in Freeman v The schooner Betsey, 21 April 1779;
  • [CP 3-CP 4] two depositions of Samuel Lewis and Alexander Adams, 21 April 1779;
  • [CP 4]: monition, 21 April 1779.

[Decision: condemned, if no response to the monition by 12 May 1779].

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-2: (Virginia papers)-

  • SP 1:-SP 2: official ships papers.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-5; Ship's papers: 6-7 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2024].

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference
HCA 32/281/19/1-8
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C13505054/

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Series information

HCA 32

High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers

See the series level description for more information about this record.

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Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

109,109 records

Within the department: HCA

Records of the High Court of Admiralty and colonial Vice-Admiralty courts

37,247 records

Within the series: HCA 32

High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers

30 records

Within the piece: HCA 32/281

Captured ships with names beginning with B. Described at item level

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British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Betsey (master Thomas Williamson,...

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