British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Le Hardie or Le Hardy (master...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Le Hardie or Le Hardy (master Ignace Moreau).

Capture history: a French merchant ship (sloop, 40 tons, 6 guns, 11 men, 1 passenger) bound from Basse Terre, Guadeloupe to St Pierre et Miquelon, laden with candles, rum, salt, soap, oil, dry goods, paint, arms; taken on 23 January 1778 in latitude 36°44'N, near the coast of Virginia by HMS Otter (Matthew Squire commanding), and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: from the Caribbean Islands to New France.

Court papers numbered CP 1-8:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers [numbered SP 1- brought in by the prize master John Wright lieutenant, 4 February 1778;
• [CP 2]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Squire v The sloop Le Hardie and her cargo, 4 February 1778;
• [CP 3]: affidavit of John Wright as to the perishing nature of the cargo, 4 February 1778;
• [CP 4-CP 5]: depositions of Ignace Moreau of Guadeloupe and Jean Camoin of Marseilles, second captain, 17 February 1778;
• [CP 6]: affidavit of James Gilchrist, agent for HMS Otter, as to the perishing nature of the cargo cause by storm and high tide, 30 March 1778;
• [CP 7]: interrogatories;
• [CP 8]: deposition of James Gilchrist merchant of New York, 1 April 1778.

Ship's Papers, and mail in transit, numbered SP 1-17 [1-16 numbered by the captor]:-

• SP 1: permission to depart, with specified cargo, Guadeloupe, 29 December 1777;
• SP 2: small logbook or journal, 1-20 January 1778, with SP 2A, a small card listing places (Jerusalem, Namur etc), found at f 15;
• SP 3: muster roll, from Guadeloupe to St Pierre et Miquelon, 27 December 1777;
• SP 4: [wanting];
• SP 5: pass and provision list for voyage to St Pierre et Miquelon, Guadeloupe, 27 December 1777;
• SP 6: owners instructions, , Basse Terre, 29 December 1777;
• SP 7: Molia Beauchamp facture of the cargo for St Pierre et Miquelon and Mississippi, 29 December 1777;
• SP 8: business letter from Jean Baptiste Barlees, Basse Terre, Guadeloupe to Dubois, St Pierre et Miquelon, 28 December 1777; ;
• SP 9: letter from Comte D'Arbaud, Governor of Guadeloupe, and President de Peynier, to M de Sartine, Minister, 15 November;
• SP 10: letter from Comte D'Arbaud, Governor of Guadeloupe to M de Sartine, Minister of Marine, at the Court, 10 December 1777;
• SP 11: bill of lading from Molia Beauchamp, Basse Terre, Guadeloupe to Dubois, St Pierre et Miquelon, 31 December 1777;
• SP 12: letter from President de Peynier, Guadeloupe to M de Sartine, Minister of Marine, 10 December 1777;
• SP 13: bill of lading from Molia Beauchamp, Basse Terre, Guadeloupe to Dubois, St Pierre et Miquelon, 31 December 1777;
• SP 14: business letter and facture from Molia Beauchamp, Basse Terre, Guadeloupe to Dubois, St Pierre et Miquelon, 29 December 1777;
• SP 15: small logbook or journal, 10-21 January 1778;
• SP 16: ship's pass, from Basseterre to Bordeaux, via St Pierre et Miquelon, 27 December 1777;
• SP 17: letter from Brigadier Repentigny, of the Regiment of Guadeloupe, Basse Terre, to the Baron de L'Espérance, Governor of St Pierre et Miquelon, 26 December 1777.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-8; 28 to 31; Ship's papers: 9-27 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].