High Court of Admiralty. Captured ship: Charming Nancy (master Robert Crosby). Capture...

High Court of Admiralty.

Captured ship: Charming Nancy (master Robert Crosby).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (schooner, 60 tons, 5 men, 1 passenger, a Dutch tailor) bound from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Surinam, laden with flour; taken on 24 September 1777 off Martha's Vineyard by the Lady Parker tender to HMS Chatham (Tobias Caulfield commanding), and brought into Rhode Island: [ship disposed of locally, and papers eventually sent to Portsmouth, England].

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-4:-

• [CP 1]: standing interrogatories;
• [CP 2]: deposition and release of interest of Stephen Fauchey of Portsmouth, [England], second lieutenant in HM Marines but previously a volunteer in HMS Chatham, and serving on the the tender Lady Parker, commissioners' affidavit, and covering letter, taken at Portmouth, 8 September 1778;
• [CP 3]: attestation as to papers (numbered 1-2) brought in by John Read esq of Portsmouth (agent for the officers and company of HMS Chatham at the time of the taking of the Charming Nancy by her tender) that Captain Caulfield delivered the two ship's papers to him, there not being at that time any Court of Vice-Admiralty established at Rhode Island or New York [this is plain wrong]; also that he was at that time Commissary for the Prisoners taken by the Fleet in North America and that Admiral Lord Howe had ordered Americans taken prisoner to be exchanged for British as quickly as possible, and that none of the captured crew can therefore be examined, 9 September 1778;
• [CP 4]: allegation, 3 October 1778.

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

• SP 1: invoice of cargo, Philadelphia, 30 August 1777;
• SP 2: ship's register, with manifest on reverse, 26 August 1777.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-7; Ship's papers: 8-9 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].

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