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British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Betsey (master Benjamin Bradhurst)....

Catalogue reference: HCA 32/281/18

What’s it about?

This record is about the British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Betsey (master Benjamin Bradhurst).... dating from 1779 Jun 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 32/281/18
Date
1779 Jun 6
Description

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Betsey (master Benjamin Bradhurst).

Capture history: an American merchant ship fitted for war and commissioned as a privateer (brigantine, 50 or 75 tons, 6 guns, 18 men) bound from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Cayenne or Surinam, laden with tobacco, tar, hogs' lard, naval stores, lumber; taken on 6 June 1779 in latitude 36°N, longitude 68°W by the loyalist privateers Byron (John Russell commanding) and Friendship (Duncan Fisher commanding), and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: from the United States to the Caribbean mainland / South America.

Court papers numbered CP 1-3:-

  • [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master Richard Everett, lieutenant, 30 June 1779;
  • [CP 2]: libel in Russell v The brigantine Betsey, 30 June 1779;
  • [CP 3]: deposition of Benjamin Broadhurst, 30 June 1779.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-10 (Pennsylvania papers):-

  • SP 1: official ship's paper;
  • SP 2: invoice;
  • SP 3: official ship's paper;
  • SP 4: bill of lading;
  • SP 5: privateer commission;
  • SP 6: crew list and agreement;
  • SP 7-SP 10: receipts.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-3; Ship's papers: 4-13 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2024].

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference
HCA 32/280/23/1-7
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Subjects
Topics
Shipping
International
Litigation
Trade and commerce
Caribbean
Conflict
Piracy and privateering
Weapons
Navy
Crime
Americas
Armed Forces (General Administration)
Operations, battles and campaigns
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C13505065/

Series information

HCA 32

High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers

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

View series description

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

You are currently looking at the item: HCA 32/281/18

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Betsey (master Benjamin Bradhurst)....

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