British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Bonetta or Bonitte of Martinique...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Bonetta or Bonitte of Martinique (master Jacques Hanna or James Hanna).

Capture history: a French merchant ship (sloop, 2 men), laden with rum, molasses, sugar, salt, tea and dry goods; taken by the uncommissioned prize ship Molly (master John Gibson) an American ship now a British prize (having been taken by the loyalist privateers General Mathew (John Forsyth commanding) and Experiment (Alexander McPherson commanding)), but on 21 January 1779 was found in latitude 36°19'N, longitude 74°W by the loyalist privateer General Campbell (John Martin commanding) in some peril, being very leaky, with only one small anchor, and with only George Robinson and one other man on board, so the General Campbell put men on board and brought her into New York.

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-12:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master John Quin, master's mate of the General Campbell, 5 February 1779;
• [CP 2]: libel in Forsyth v The sloop Bonetta, 8 February 1779;
• [CP 3]: monition, 8 February 1779;
• [CP 4]: answer and claim of William Pagan, merchant of New York for himself and other owners, officers and crews of the General Campbell and the Experiment against the libel of John Forsyth, 24 February 1779;
• [CP 5]: replication of Forsyth;
• [CP 6]: rejoinder of Pagan;
• [CP 7]: release of interest by Alexander Gillies, Daniel McLaughlin and John Walker, late first lieutenant, armourer and mariner of the General Campbell, 5 April 1779;
• [CP 8]: deposition of Joseph Walker, 12 April 1779;
• [CP 9]: deposition of Daniel McLaughlin, 13 April 1779;
• [CP 10]: deposition of Alexander Gillies, 13 April 1779;
• [CP 11]: list of appearances and motions before Robert Bayard, judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court, February-April 1779;
• [CP 12]: appeal on behalf of Pagan, 10 May 1779.

[Decision: condemned, if no response to the monition by 1 March 1779].

Ship's Papers: [the General Campbell found no papers on board; four papers were added here in 2022, found among the papers of the American privateer Molly, which was herself taken, and brought into New York: see HCA 32/403/14]: numbered SP A-B, and SP 1:-

• SP A: muster roll;
• SP B: ship's register;
• SP 1: certified copy of the letter of marque of the General Mathew, issued by Robert Bayard; printed and manuscript (Imperial size), certified 4 November 1778 [this should perhaps be with the papers of the Molly, HCA 32 403/14, SP 1].

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-18 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].

This case went to appeal.

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