British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Charming Nancy (master Philip...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Charming Nancy (master Philip Seward) renamed Diligence (American prize master Penfield).

Capture history: a British merchant ship (snow, 100 tons, 12 men on capture) bound from Charleston, South Carolina to London, laden with indigo, tobacco, turpentine and rice; taken on 1 April 1781 by the American privateer Saratoga, renamed Diligence, and sent in for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, retaken on 4 April 1781 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina by the brigantine Independence a tender of HMS Royal Oak (William Swiney commanding), and brought into New York.

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-7:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master Jhn Russell, quartermaster of HMS Charlestown, 20 April 1781;
• [CP 2]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Swiney v The snow Diligence and her cargo, 20 April 1781;
• [CP 3]: monition, 20 April 1781 ;
• [CP 4]: deposition of Jeremiah Luny, 24 April 1781;
• [CP 5]: commission of appraisement, 13 May 1781;
• [CP 6]: valuation of ship at £352 12s and cargo at £4022 19s 4d, 14-16 June 1781;
• [CP 7]: answer and claim of James Cruden and otherrs on behalf of Jonathan and William Simpson, 11 July 1781.

[Decision: condemned, if no response to the monition by 10 May 1781].

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-8; Ship's papers: 9-9 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2024].

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