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British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Molly (master John Ashmead)....

Catalogue reference: HCA 32/403/7

What’s it about?

This record is about the British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Molly (master John Ashmead).... dating from 1781 Oct 8 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 32/403/7
Date
1781 Oct 8
Description

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Molly (master John Ashmead).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (brigantine, 120 tons, 19 men) bound from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to St Thomas, Danish West Indies, laden with tobacco, flour, bread; taken on 8 October 1781 about 25 leagues SE of Cape Henlopen in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia by HMS Amphion (John Bazely commanding), and HMS La Nymphe (John Ford commanding), and brought into New York.

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-4:-

  • [CP 1]: affidavit of papers [numbered 1-3] brought in by the prize master John Irwin, second lieutenant of HMS La Nymphe, 17 October 1781;
  • [CP 2]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Bazely v The brigantine Molly and her cargo, 17 October 1781;
  • [CP 3]: monition, 17 October 1781;
  • [CP 4]: deposition of John Ashmead of Pennsylvania, 18 October 1781.

[Decision: condemned, if no response to the monition by 7 November 1781].

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-3 (Pennsylvania papers):-

  • SP 1: ship's register, Philadelphia, owners William Turnbull, Robert Morris and William Semple, merchants of Philadelphia, 7 July 1781;
  • SP 2: cargo manifest;
  • SP 3: clearance bond, 29 September 1781.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-4; Ship's papers: 5-7 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Subjects
Topics
Shipping
International
Litigation
Trade and commerce
Caribbean
Conflict
Food and drink
Navy
Crime
Americas
Armed Forces (General Administration)
Operations, battles and campaigns
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C13506972/

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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.

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Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

109,109 records

Within the department: HCA

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

37,247 records

Within the series: HCA 32

High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers

26 records

Within the piece: HCA 32/403

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

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British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Molly (master John Ashmead)....

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