British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Friendship (master Daniel Waters)....

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Friendship (master Daniel Waters).

Capture history: an American merchant ship with a letter of marque (300 tons, 18 guns, 51 men, 6 passengers, formerly a British ship taken c 19 June 1779 by two American privateers Providence and Queen of France , and brougt into Boston), now bound from Boston, Massachusetts to Cap François, Saint Domingue, laden with masts, spars, hoops, lumber; taken on 27 September 1781 about 100 leagues SE of Sandy Hook, New Jersey by HMS Carysfort (William Peacock commanding), and brought into New York.

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-5:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master William Russell, second lieutenant, 10 October 1781;
• [CP 2]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Peacock v The armed ship Friendship and her cargo, 10 October 1781;
• [CP 3]: deposition of Daniel Waters, 11 October 1781;
• [CP 4]: answer and claim of John Trenham, merchant of New York for himself and George Burton of London, original owners of the Friendship, 17 October 1781;
• [CP 5]: replication of Peacock.

Ship's Papers, including mail in transit, numbered SP 1-10 (Massachusetts papers):-

• SP 1: ship's register, owner Thomas Russell, 24 January 1780;
• SP 2: printed privateer commission, 30 January 1781;
• SP 3: clearance from Boston, with descriptions of Waters and the mate Joshua Winslow on the reverse, 29 August 1781;
• SP 4: owners instruction, 31 August 1781;
• SP 5-SP 6: bill of lading and invoice of cargo shipped by Joseph de Valnais, French consul, from Boston to Hispaniola [Saint Domingue], 31 July-6 September 1781;
• SP 7: business letter from Thomas Russell, Boston, to Stephen Geronio merchant, Cap François, 10 April 1781, enclosed in SP 8;
• SP 8: business letter from Thomas Russell, Boston, to Stephen Geronio merchant, Cap François, 31 August 1781;
• SP 9: letter from Joseph de Valnais to M L'Intendant de L'Isle Saint Domingue [Joseph-Alexandre Le Brasseur], 8 September 1781;
• SP 10: empty envelope addressed to Messrs Tirel & Revy, Cap François, by favour of Captain Waters, which perhaps enclosed SP 7-SP 9.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-5; Ship's papers: 6-15 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].