British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Molly (master William Burke)...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Molly (master William Burke) [wrongly called Polly].

History: an American merchant ship (300 tons, 35 men, 3 passengers, formerly an English ship taken by the Americans), now bound from Bordeaux to Baltimore or Philadelphia, laden with claret, bale goods, brandy, salt; taken on 18 Feb 1783 off Cape Henry by HMS Atalanta (Piercy Brett commanding), in sight of HMS Quebec (Christopher Mason), HMS Diomede (Thomas Lenox Frederick), HMS Ceres (James Hawkins commanding), HMS Vulture (Morgan Langhorne), and the privateer Eagle (George Bennison), and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: from France to the United States.

Court papers numbered CP 1-8:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master Joseph Clarke, masters mate of HMS Quebec, 1 Mar 1783;
• [CP 2]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Mason and others v The ship Molly and her cargo, 1 Mar 1783;
• [CP 3-CP 4]: depositions of John Burd and Joseph Francis, common seamen on the prize, 10 Mar 1783;
• [CP 5]: answer and claim of William Pagan of New York on behalf of George Bennison and the Eagle, for joint capture, 12 Mar 1783;
• [CP 6]: replication of Mason;
• [CP 7]: answer and claim of Thompson and Wallace for Henry Rawlinson and others of Liverpool, the original owners, 19 Mar 1783;
• [CP 8]: replication of Mason.

Ships papers:-

• SP 1: inspection certificate, Bordeaux, 16 Nov 1782;
• SP 2: ship's pass, 7 Dec 1782;
• SP 3: account of goods on board;
• SP 4-SP 25: customs certificates, 26 Oct-7 Nov 1782;
• SP 26-SP 43: bills of lading, Oct- Dec 1782;
• SP 44: receipt for embroidered shoes;
• SP 45: receipt issued by Bussmann of Versailles for clothes bought by Burke, 28 Oct 1782;
• SP 46-SP 78: factures for bale goods;
• SP 79: facture for goods on board La Ménagère by orders of M de la Touche Neville on account of Messrs De Queyssac, officers in the army of Rochambeau, 26 Dec 1782;
• SP 80-81: factures;
• SP 82 Joseph Hall, Bordeaux to Burke, 4 Oct 1782; recommends a student at the Hospital of St Andrew, Bordeaux, as surgeon;

Letters SP 83- 137: letters sent by J Lafarge, at Castillon [Castillon-la-Bataille] to his friend and business partner Filhol, Chevalier de Queyssac, captain of infantry in the French Army in America, during his return to France [a passenger on the Molly], of which 83-119 were addressed to him at Brest, 120-133 on board the ship Le Louis, captain Thibaud along the west coast of France and SP 134-137 from his first time in America:-

• SP 83: 6 Dec 1781; received his letter from Boston, and wiill keep the secret of his arrival in France; Queyssac's brother died of a fever on 13 April while in garrison in Lorraine;
• SP 84: 9 Dec 1781; impossible to join him due to harvest;
• SP 85: 13 Dec 1781; learns that he intends on settling in New England for life; send news of the fleet in Brest and its date of departure;
• SP 86: 16 Dec 1781;
• SP 87: 23 Dec 1781; difficult to trade with New England;
• SP 88: 27 Dec 1781; the universe now knows of his arrival in Brest; no news of the possessions of his late brother;
• SP 89: 30 Dec 1781; their ships from Saint-Domingue were taken en route to Bordeaux;
• SP 90: 3 Jan 1782; war news;
• SP 91: 6 Jan 1782: no news of the sale of his brother's possessions;
• SP 92: 8 Jan 1782; money owed and the distribution of wines;
• SP 93: 13 Jan 1782; a terrible storm dispersed the convoy of de Quichon, which returned to Brest and Lorient; could return to his home town as they now have a new mayor;
• SP 94: 20 Jan 1782; America is a ruined country and does not think it wise to trade with them at the moment; happy to help Queyssac to go back to the army; sale of his late brother's possessions;
• SP 95: 24 Jan 1782; sale of wines involving Queyssac's aunt and sister, with a facture for wines on the ships La Solide & L'Isle Dieu;
• SP 96: 27 Jan 1782: war news; should ask for la Croix de Saint-Louis in recognition of his service in America;
• SP 97: 3 Feb 1782;
• SP 98: 7 Feb 1782; Queyssac is writing bills of exchange too freely; should marry in America;
• SP 99: 10 Feb 1782: projects for the vineyards after the war, as the Americans drink a lot of wine;
• SP 100: 14 Feb 1782; his two swords and gun are now on a ship to Brest;
• SP 101: 17 Feb 1782; insurance on cargo on L'Emeraude and sale of wines;
• SP 102: 24 Feb 1782; production and sale of wines, Miss Queyssac's business with M Spohrer, who seems very dishonest;
• SP 103: 28 Feb 1782; is waiting the order to go to Libourne to load wines;
• SP 104: 3 Mar1782; is going to Libourne to load the wines and will address them to M Largenteau.
• SP 105:7 Mar1782; now in Libourne;
• SP 106: 10 Mar1782; news that the Marquis de La Fayette will sail on La Surveillante;
• SP 107: 17 Mar1782;
• SP 108: 21 Mar1782: battle of Saint Christophe [St Kitts];
• SP 109: 24 Mar1782; may come to Brittany soon;
• SP 110: 28 Mar1782; hopes the arrival of Rodney won't disturb their projects;
• SP 111: 31 Mar1782; do not conduct businesss on Good Friday;
• SP 112: 4 April 1782: news of Saint Christophe and Jamaica;
• SP 113: 11 April 1782; asks for news of the fleet;
• SP 114: 14 April 1782; convoy from Le Cap is now at Ferrol and Corunna;
• SP 115: 18 April 1782; Dumoulin (for Lafarge); increasingly difficult to find workers for the vineyards; sale of late brother's possessions;
• SP 116: 21 April 1782; family news;
• SP 117: 28 April 1782;
• SP 118: 2 May 1782; the convoy at Corunna is now in France; politicians think peace is near; what reinforcements is France sending to Rochambeau;
• SP 119: 5 May 1782; Barrington dispersed the convoy bound for India from Brest;
• SP 120: 5 Jul 1782: how long does La Fayette intend on staying at La Rochelle?;
• SP 121: 8 Jul 1782: worried about Queyssac's health;
• SP 122: 9 Jul 1782; Queyssac will leave for America with the convoy;
• SP 123: 12 Jul 1782: visit of the Comte d'Artois;
• SP 124: 21 Jul 1782; send bills of exchange and goods when in America;
• SP 125:1 Aug 1782; insurance as an artillery captain;
• SP 126: 4 Aug 1782; war news;
• SP 127: 8 Aug 1782; sale of possessions of the late Chevalier Queyssac;
• SP 128: 11 Aug 1782: merchant houses in trouble if they cannot trade with paper;
• SP 129: 15 Aug 1782; the King no longer wants trade on neutral ships;
• SP 130: 18 Aug 1782; possessions of his late brother;
• SP 131: 25 Aug 1782; what to sell in America;
• SP 132: 1 Sept 1782: siege of Gibraltar and British evacuation of Charleston;
• SP 133: 5 Sept 1782: war news;
• SP 134: 20 Mar1781: to Messrs de Queyssac freres, officers in the army of Rochambeau, Newport;
• SP 135: 5 June 1781: worried;
• SP 136-SP 137: 5\10 June 1781; enclosing copies of letters from March.