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Item

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Liberty (commander John McEver)....

Catalogue reference: HCA 32/389/12

What’s it about?

This record is about the British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Liberty (commander John McEver).... dating from 1778 Jul 2 in the series High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.

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Full description and record details

Reference

HCA 32/389/12

Date

1778 Jul 2

Description

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Liberty (commander John McEver).

Capture history: an American privateer (armed brigantine, 80 tons, 11 guns) bound from Barnegat, New Jersey to St Croix, Danish West Indies, laden with 156 barrels of flour and 26,000 shingles; seized on 2 July 1778 at Barnegat by 7 British or Irish and 1 American loyalist members of the crew (named), and brought into New York.

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-4:-

  • [CP 1]: libel in Advocate General for the King v The brigantine Liberty and her cargo [droits of the Crown, the captors having no commission, but being in revolt from the enemy], 12 August 1778;
  • [CP 2]: affidavit of papers (no papers) brought in by Patrick MacDonald and Edward Commander, mariners, 14 August 1778;
  • [CP 3]: depositions of MacDonald and Commander, 31 August 1778.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-4 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference

HCA 32/389/12/1-4

Legal status

Public Record(s)

Language

English

Closure status

Open Document, Open Description

Subjects
Topics
Shipping
International
Litigation
Caribbean
Conflict
Piracy and privateering
Weapons
Ireland
Food and drink
Navy
Crime
Americas
Armed Forces (General Administration)
Operations, battles and campaigns
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C13506643/

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Series information

HCA 32

High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers

See the series level description for more information about this record.

View series description

Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

108,802 records

Within the department: HCA

Records of the High Court of Admiralty and colonial Vice-Admiralty courts

37,116 records

Within the series: HCA 32

High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers

25 records

Within the piece: HCA 32/389

Captured ships with names beginning with L. (Described at item level)

You are currently looking at the item: HCA 32/389/12

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Liberty (commander John McEver)....

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