High Court of Admiralty. Captured ship: Elizabeth (master Robert Campbell). History:...

High Court of Admiralty.

Captured ship: Elizabeth (master Robert Campbell).

History: an English merchant ship (170 tons, 10 men, 36 passengers) bound from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Falmouth, laden with rum, chocolate, flour, ship's bread, oak staves; seized on 7 May 1776 at anchor in Carrick Road within the port of Falmouth at Pendennis Castle (Lieutenant George Lewis Hamilton resident commanding officer) as suspected to be a rebel American, and brought into Falmouth.

Court papers numbered CP 1-10/7:-

• [CP 1]: standing interrogatories, four depositions of John Stanley mariner of Bethnal Green, steward, Paul Joyce of Genoa and Philadelphia, common seaman, John Tumy of Londonderry, Ireland, and Philadelphia, second mate, Henry Humphrys of Merionethshire, North Wales, common seaman, commissioners' affidavit, taken at Falmouth, 11-15 June 1776;
• [CP 2]: attestation as to papers (no papers) brought in by George Lewis Hamilton, Lieutenant of Invalids and Commanding Officer, Pendennis Castle, Cornwall, 21 June 1776;
• [CP 3]: attestation as to papers (numbered 1-3) by Robert Campbell, master of the Elizabeth, that on the ship's arrival in Carrick Roads from Pennsylvania, he, accompanied by a King's Officer, conveyed to the Post Office at Falmouth upwards of 1,100 letters addressed to different persons in England to be forwarded; he also delivered to the Custom House of Falmouth a Customs certificate from Philadelphia that the ship should sail to Great Britain subject to statute, and a clearance certificate, both of 7 March 1776, and the ship's pass issued by Governor John Penn and a manifest of cargo, now in the custody of the Collector of Customs ; also that his logbook, journal and other private papers were on board the ship, 24 June 1776
• [CP 4]: depositions on standing and additional interrogatories of John Talbot merchant of Philadelphia, a passenger, Robert Campbell of London, master, 25-27 June 1776;
• [CP 5]: additional interrogatories, four depositions of John Stanley, John Tumy, Henry Humphrys, and Paul Joyce, commissioners' affidavit, taken at Falmouth, 16 July 1776;
• [CP 6]: attestation and claim of Robert Campbell on behalf of Richard Neave & Son of London for the ship and cargo, which was loaded before 25 March 1776 [a significant date in the Prohibitory Act], 17 July 1776;
• [CP 7]: attestation as to papers (numbered 4-6, the certificate, clearance and pass) by Robert Campbell, 27 July 1776;
• [CP 8]: allegation, 31 July 1776 ;
• [CP 9]: very detailed list of costs on behalf of George Lewis Hamilton, 9 December 1776;
• [CP 10/1-CP 10/7]: very detailed lists of costs submitted by George Lewis Hamilton, for beer, dinners, legal costs, journeys etc.

[Decision: restoration of ship and cargo, subject to payment of Hamilton's expenses; it appears the ship's papers were also restored].

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-35 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].