British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Port au Prince (master Pierre...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Port au Prince (master Pierre Guillard).

Capture history: a French merchant ship (sloop, 70 tons, 6 men) bound from Port au Prince, Saint Domingue to New York, with a pass from Admiral Howe and General Howe, laden with molasses; taken on 24 May 1778 when the sloop came into Sandy Hook by HMS Amazon (Maximilian Jacobs commanding), and brought into New York. [This is between the English declaration of war against France (March 1778) and the French declaration of war against Britain (July 1778)].

Intended voyage: from the Caribbean Islands to British North America.

Court papers numbered CP 1-22:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master Sir James Barclay, bart, lieutenant, 25 May 1778;
• [CP 2]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Jacobs v The sloop Port au Prince and her cargo, 29 May 1778;
• [CP 3]: answer and claim of Captain Peter Guillard on behalf of Messrs Mesples Frères of Port au Prince, Saint Domingue, 24 June 1778;
• [CP 4]: replication of Jacobs ;
• [CP 5]: rejoinder of Guillard;
• [CP 6]: deposition of Pierre Guillard of Saintonge, 10 July 1778;
• [CP 7]: deposition of Jacques Bernard, 10 July 1778;
• [CP 8]: deposition of Jean Clochet, comman seaman, of Cadilla, 10 July 1778;
• [CP 9]: deposition of John Stout, mariner of New York, 18 July 1778;
• [CP 10]: deposition of Edward Laight, mariner of New York, 18 July 1778;
• [CP 11]: deposition of Edward Laight, mariner of New York, 7 August 1778;
• [CP 12]: deposition of Bartholomew Labusan, cooper;
• [CP 13]: deposition of Frederick William Mecht, Assistant Commissary General of Stores to HM Forces, 10 August 1778;
• [CP 14]: deposition of Gregrory Townsend, Assistant Commissary General of Stoes and Provisions, 15 August 1778;
• [CP 15]: deposition of Michael Morris, Physician and Inspector General of HM Hospitals, 18 August 1778;
• [CP 16]: deposition of Nesbitt Balfour, Lieutenant General of HM 23rd Regiment of Foot, 19 September 1778;
• [CP 17]: deposition of John Fawcett, gunner of HMS Amazon, 6 October 1778;
• [CP 18-CP 19]: two depositions of David Morris, mariner of New York, 24 October 1778 ;
• [CP 20]: deposition of Baynton Prideaux, first lieutenant of HMS Amazon, 26 October 1778;
• [CP 21]: release of interest by Baynton Prideaux, and John Fawcett, 6 October 1778;
• [CP 22]: application to appeal.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-5:-

• SP 1: muster roll;
• SP 1A: ship's pass for trade within Saint Domingue, with many additions, 6 Nov 1777-18 April 1778;
• SP 1B: request for permission to go to St Pierre et Miquelon, 15 April 1778;
• SP 1C-SP 1D: customs receipts;
• SP 1E: accounts for the purchase of another ship for 8,000 livres from M Pejac, and fitting out and loading with cargo , total 16525 livres, Port au Prince, 19 April 1778;
• SP 2: French formal instructions of the owners Mesples Frères to proceed not to St Pierre et Miquelon, but actually to New York, by permission of General Howe and Admiral Howe, also signed by Captain Guillard, 19 April 1778;
• SP 3: sea protest of the master and crew that they were bound to St Pierre et Miquelon, but encountering bad weather were forced to change their destination, 12 May 1778;
• SP 4: business letter from Barache Le Grand & Cie to Lewis Pintard, merchant of New York, 17 April 1778;
• SP 5: letter from Mr Warner, Stony Hill, to Gaillard, 27 August 1777; His Excellency will not grant any pass, nor will he return the papers granted by Lord Howe and General Howe.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-28; Ship's papers: 29-33 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2026].