British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Fox (master Charles Burgess)....

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Fox (master Charles Burgess).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (schooner, 25 tons, 6 men) bound from Hampton, Virginia to St Eustatius, laden with tobacco; taken on 11 June 1779 in latitude 37°0'N, longitude 74°10'W about 20 leagues from Cape Henry by the loyalist privateer Swift (William Cook commanding), and brought into New York.

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-3:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers (numbered 1-13) brought in by Cook, 18 June 1779;
• [CP 2]: libel in Cook v The schooner Fox and her cargo, 18 June 1779;
• [CP 3]: deposition of Charles Burgess, a loyal subject of King George, 18 June 1779.

Ship's Papers, including mail in transit, numbered SP 1-13 by the court (Virginia papers):-

• SP 1: business and political letter from William Amory, Smithfield, to his friend and kinsman Benjamin Amory, St Eustatius, 8 June 1779;
• SP 2: business letter to William Amory, St Eustatius, from Purdie, Todd & Wilson, Smithfield, 5 May 1779;
• SP 3: business and political letter from George Purdie, Smithfield, to Thomas Main, London, 5 May 1779;
• SP 4: business letter from William Amory, Smithfield, to William Maillard, St Eustatius, 8 June 1779;
• SP 5: personal letter from Daniel Barraud, Smithfield, to his son Dr Philip Barraud, at John Taylor esq, Antigua, 2 June 1779: reports news of his daughters Fanny and Kitty and the total loss of everything they possessed (except one slave) in the [Chesapeake Raid, May 1779];
• SP 6: business letter from George Purdie, Smithfield, to Ellistan Perot, St Eustatius, 9 June 1779;
• SP 7: business and political letter from John Mallory, Isle of Wight, Virginia to Ellistan & John Perot, St Eustatius, 9 June 1779: reporting 'the enemy from New York made an attack on Portsmouth in this state, and plundered the inhabitants ... and [moved on to] Suffolk Town which they laid in ashes'; intends to send his son to St Eustatius as the items are so perilous; encloses SP 7A, invoice;
• SP 8-SP 9: clearance certificate and clearance bond from Hampton, 8 May 1779;
• SP 10: invoice of cargo for three barrels of tobacco consigned by William Cole [as in SP 13], with a list of sundries to be supplied in retturn (listed in detail - stockings, handkerchiefs, ribbon, sugar, Whitechapel needles, tea etc);
• SP 11: accounts for William Amory, Purdie, Todd & Wilson, 1778;
• SP 12: ships register, owner Mallory Todd, 8 May 1779;
• SP 13: Appomatox River, Bolly Booke Warehouse: list of 3 hogsheads of tobacco shipped by William Cole on the Fox, 3 June 1779.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-3; Ship's papers: 4-17 (large pencil numbers): one paper added from HCA 32/334/6. All sorted and renumbered in 2025].

Topics

International

Litigation

Trade and commerce

Caribbean

Conflict

Piracy and privateering

Slavery

Food and drink

Navy

Crime

Americas

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns