British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: L'Espérance (master Francois...

HCA 32/325/3

1778 Feb 10

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: L'Espérance (master Francois Berrade).

Capture history: a French merchant ship (snow, 220 tons, 20 crew and passengers) bound from Bayonne to Cap François, Saint Domingue, laden with salt, cordage and dry goods; taken on 10 February 1778 at latitude 34°20'N, longitude 314°12' from Tenerife by the privateer Nottingham (Lawrence Bowden commanding), and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: from France to the Caribbean Islands.

Court papers numbered CP 1-11:-

• [no surviving affidavit of papers, but the numbers endorsed by the court ran from 1 to at least 33];
• [CP 1-CP 4]: four depositions of Pierre Palaste surgeon, Gracien Darretchy second captain, Etienne Potel passenger, Jean D'Arancet carpenter, 30 March 1778;
• [CP 5]: deposition of François Berrade master, 9 April 1778;
• [CP 6]: libel in Bowden v The snow Espérance, 10 April 1778;
• [CP 7]: answer and claim of David Campbell attorney of New York, on behalf of François Berrade and Veuve Lalanne & Fils and other French subjects, that Bowden had taken the prize without authority as having no commission against the French, no war being declared until 17 March 1778, and the ship being engaged on French trade, 1 May 1778;
• [CP 8]: replication of Bowden;
• [CP 9]: rejoinder of Campbell;
• [CP 10]: account and receipt for unloading the cargo, 10 July 1778;
• [CP 11]: sales of the ship and cargo, condemned as droits of the Crown; a very detailed list of the dry goods etc, with purchasers, net value of ship and cargo £5929 7s 2d, 14 August 1778 [the salt and cordage not mentioned].

Ship's Papers (including mail in transit, all from Bayonne to Cap François, Saint Domingue) numbered SP 1-33, with unexplained gaps:-

• SP 1: clearance from Bayonne [no original number];
• SP 2: ship's pass;
• SP 3: [wanting];
• SP 4: pass;
• SP 5: certificate of tonnage;
• SP 6: bill of lading.
• SP 7: owners instructions of Veuve Lalanne & Fils;
• SP 8-SP 9: bills of lading.
• SP 10: facture or invoice of pacotilles;
• SP 11: facture or invoice of Augustin Payzard;
• SP 12: muster roll;
• SP 13: letter from Veuve Lalanne & Fils to her father J Lalanne, 8 November 1778;
• SP 14: letter from Hirigoyen, to Forestier, at the house of Messrs Clerisse & Hirigoyen, 26 November 1778;
• SP 15: business letter from Pierre Martin to Lataillade, 11 December 1778;
• SP 16: business letter from Pierre Martin to Forestier, 11 December 1778;
• SP 17, SP 18: [wanting];
• SP 19: business letter from Carzere to Manesea, merchant, 4 December 1778;
• SP 20: [wanting];
• SP 21: letter from Labrouchy to Hillé, requiring news of the settlement of the affairs of an unnamed dead man, 4 December 1778;
• SP 22: [wanting];
• SP 23: business letter from François Maurice to Papillon, 25 November 1778;
• SP 24, SP 25: [wanting];
• SP 26: business letter from Jean Pierre Lissalde to Fouache, 28 November 1778;
• SP 27, SP 28, SP 29: [wanting];
• SP 30: business letter from Pierre Boyer to Dutil, 1 December 1777 [sic] ;
• SP 31, SP 32: [wanting];
• SP 33: business letter from Jacques Romieu to Rogé, 6 December 1778.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-9; Ship's papers: 10-33 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025; CP 10-CP 11 added from HCA 49/91 in 2025. See also T 1/540/155-164]

HCA 32/325/3/1-33

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