British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: L'Empereur (master Bernard...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: L'Empereur (master Bernard Durcoudroy).

History: a French merchant ship (brigantine, 180 tons,17 men) bound from St Anne, Guadeloupe, to Miquelon, laden with sirop, rum, taffia, wine, molasses, coffee, tea, sugar, dry goods and salt; taken on 2 June 1777 off Cape May by the schooner Ballyhoo, (tender to HMS Roebuck (Andrew Snape Hammond commanding), and brought into New York.

Court papers numbered CP 1-7:-

• [CP 1]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Hamond v The brigantine and her cargo, 28 November 1777;
• [CP 2]: interrogatories;
• [CP 3-CP 4]: deposition of Alexander Thompson of HMS Roebuck, and his release of interest, 2 December 1777;
• [CP 5]: affidavit of papers brought in by John Dilworth, one of the pilots of HMS Roebuck, 18 December 1777;
• [CP 6-CP 7]: deposition of John Dilworth, and his release of interest, 16-17 February 1778.
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Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-11:-

• SP 1: ship's pass, from Guadelopue to Dunkirk, via St Pierre et Miquelon, 17 March 1777;
• SP 2: clearance;
• SP 3: bill of lading;
• SP 4: muster roll;
• SP 5-SP 7: customs, Grandterre, Guadeloupe;
• SP 8: facture;
• SP 9: small log, with on the last page a note of the capture by Hamond;
• SP 10-SP 11: detailed factures, or invoices of cargo.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-8; Ship's papers: 9-19 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].