Captured ship: La Margueritte of Saint-Jean-de-Luz (master Pierre St Martin), formerly...

HCA 32/395/7

1778

Captured ship: La Margueritte of Saint-Jean-de-Luz (master Pierre St Martin), formerly La Marianne, built at St Pierre et Miquelon in 1772.

History: a French merchant ship (goélette/schooner, 50 tons, 10 men) bound from St Jean de Luz to St Pierre et Miquelon, and from there to Edenton in North Carolina (or possibly, direct to Edenton), laden with salt, bale goods, lead and shoes; taken on 24 June 1778 in latitude 43°40' N about 6 leagues north east of Cape St Antonio [Santoña] by the privateer Active of Guernsey (Amos Carrel commanding) and brought into St Peter Port. As La Marianne she had been chiefly employed taking salt to St Pierre et Miquelon and returning to Saint-Jean-de-Luz with fish. The owner of the ship and cargo was Saubat Claret of Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

Intended voyage: from France to the United States.

There was one passenger on board, Daniel Russell, a 'seafaring man' from Boston, Massachusetts, going to Edenton, who claimed in his deposition to be a loyal subject of King George. The muster describes him as 'the captain of a ship taken by British royalists, who goes to St Pierre to enable him to return to his homeland'. The ship's papers give Miquelon as the destination of the cargo, but the master admitted that was a ruse and the true destination was Edenton. It is not clear, then, that the ship was actually bound for St Pierre at all.

Court Papers:

• [CP 1]: attestation as to papers (numbered 1-26) brought in by Amos Carrrel, 1 July 1778;
• [CP 2]: standing interrogatories, three depositions of Pierre St Martin (master, 37 years old, born Saint-Jean-de-Luz), Etienne/Esteben Daspilcouette (mate, 36 years old, born Hendaye), Daniel Russell (passenger, , born Boston, Massachusetts), commissioners' affidavit, taken at St Peter Port, Guernsey;
• [CP 3]: translations of ship's papers, 31 August 1778;
• [CP 4]: allegation, 5 September 1778.

Ship's Papers (the master deposed that he had hidden one paper at the time of the capture, but that it was found by the captors. The passenger said two letters were thrown overboard.):

• SP 1: passport;
• SP 2: acquit à caution or customs bond;
• SP 3: bill of health;
• SP 4: letter in Basque addressed to Anton de Lay with Esteben Mouritz, capitaine de navire, from Jean Louis de Lay and another, at Bidart 8 and 9 June;
• SP 5: muster roll/role de l'équipage:
  • Pierre St Martin, de Guéthary, capitaine;
  • Estienne Daspicouette, d'Hendaye, 2nd capitaine;
  • Estienne Etcheverry, de Guéthary, lieutenant;
  • Dominique St Martin, de Saint-Jean-de-Luz, surgeon;
  • Martin Larsabal, d'Ahetze, carpenter;
  • David Hiriart, d'Urrugne, matelot;
  • Michel Dubart, de Guéthary, matelot;
  • Baptiste Demanche, de Saint-Jean-de-Luz, novice;
  • Joannis Hiraboure, d'Urrugne, novice;
  • Martin Biadonnet, de Saint-Jean-de-Luz, mousse;
  • Daniel Russell, from Boston, passenger for Saint Pierre et Miquelon.
• SP 6: letter in French addressed to Mons. Henry, chirurgien du roy, à St Pierre à Terreneuve, from Ja. Sallabery, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 22 June 1778 (originally enclosed in SP 11);
• SP 7: letter in French addressed to Jean Haiche de Agerre, matelot à St Pierre, from his father, Marsans Lissardy alias Haisse de Agerre, Hendaye, 7 June 1778;
• SP 8: letter in French addressed to Mons. Le Baron de L'Espérance, governor of St Pierre et Miquelon [Charles-Gabriel-Sébastien, Baron de L’Espérance (1725-1791)], from S Claret (owner of La Margueritte), Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 21 June 1778;
• SP 9: letter in Basque addressed to Marsans Hardoy, matelot in the crew of Mons. Halsouet at Boston, from Jean Mendibouru, Arbonne, 15 June 1778 (folding pattern);
• SP 10: letter in French similar to SP 8 but addressed to Mons. Beaudeduit, Comm. Ordinateur de la Marine, from S Claret (owner of La Margueritte), Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 21 June 1778;
• SP 11: letter in French addressed to Jn Sallaberry, capitaine de navire, St Pierre, from his cousin, Ja. Sallabery, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 22 June 1778 (originally enclosed in SP 6);
• SP 12: letter in French addressed to Mons. Morin, Controlleur de la Marine, from S Claret (owner of La Margueritte), Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 19 June 1778;
• SP 13: letter in Basque addressed to Martin Sagundo aboard the Halcuet, from his mother Maria Daguere in Bidarten, [6 June?] (folding pattern);
• SP 14: letter in French addressed to Mons. Dubois, negotiant, from S Claret (owner of La Margueritte), Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 21 June 1778;
• SP 15: receipt for 540 livres received from Pierre St Martin for the freight of 135 quintals of cod, Bayonne, 14 January 1778;
• SP 16: letter in Basque addressed to Massans Hardoi [Marsans Hardoy - see SP 9], from his cousin;
• SP 17: letter in French addressed to Messrs Jean-Baptiste Echeverry Larrequy & Jean Halzouet captain of La Basquaize of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, at Boston, dated 3 and 10 June 1778 at Bayonne, 11th [or 2nd?] duplicate;
• SP 18: Bill of Lading for cargo loaded at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 19 June 1778;
• SP 19: wrapper marked 'Papiers pour le Capt Pierre St Martin' and 'Papier a cacher' ['papers to hide'] which contained SP 20-26:
  • SP 20: sailing directions in English for navigating to South Quay, Virginia [up the Chowan River from Edenton NC], 'where you will get a good price for your goods and have tobacco cheap'. Written by Thomas W Piarson (see SP 23);
  • SP 21: letter in French addressed to Mons. Cushing at Boston, dated 3 June 1778 at Bayonne, 11th [or 2nd?] duplicate;
  • SP 22: packet addressed in French to Mons. Cabarrue, negotiant, at Edenton, North Carolina, and containing two letters in French from Jacques Lafont, Bayonne, 14 June 1778:
    • SP 22A: to Mons. Cabarrue at Edenton;
    • SP 22B: to Mons. Pierre Lafont at Edenton (his brother);
  • SP 23: letter in English addressed to Mr Stacy Hepbourn, merchant, in Suffolk Virginia, from Thomas W Piarson in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 12 June 1778. A letter of introduction carried by Captain St Martin, describing how the writer had been taken by a Jersey privateer on 18 May. He is now on his way from Bilbao to Bordeaux to board a vessel for home (America). He refused St Martin's offer of a free passage in La Margueritte because 'his vessel will not sail well and I am afraid of being taken again';
  • SP 24: sailing directions in French for Edenton NC;
  • SP 25: letter in Basque addressed to Betry De Echebery/Betri Detchebery at St Pierre, from Martin Fayond, 15 June 1778;
  • SP 26: letter in French addressed to M[iche]l Harismendy at St Pierre, from his wife Marie Mendiboure Harismendy at Bayonne, 19 June 1778.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as 1-34 (large pencil numbers): SP 22B added from HCA 32/394/9. All sorted and renumbered in 2022.]

SP 9 and SP 25 moved here from HCA 32/394/9 in May 2022

HCA 32/395/7/1-34

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