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British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Royal Cedar (master unknown)....

Catalogue reference: HCA 32/443/24

What’s it about?

This record is about the British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Royal Cedar (master unknown).... dating from 1780 Dec 30 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 32/443/24
Date
1780 Dec 30
Description

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Royal Cedar (master unknown).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (80 tons), laden with tobacco; taken on 30 December 1780, when run ashore in James River, Virginia (the joint military and naval expedition against Virginia under Brigadier General Benedict Arnold and Commodore Thomas Symonds), in an action by the fleet consisting of HMS Charon (Thomas Symonds commanding), HMS Hope (William Thomas commanding), HMS Thames (Tyringham Howe commanding), HMS Amphitrite (Robert Biggs commanding), HMS Swift (Richard Graves commanding), HMS Fowey (Peter Aplin commanding), HMS Charlestown (Henry Francis Evans commanding), HMS Bonetta (Ralph Dundas commanding), and HMS Independence (John Dilworth commanding), and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: from the United States to [Europe?].

Court papers numbered CP 1-5:-

  • [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master John Howes, midshipman of HMS Thames, 16 February 1781;
  • [CP 2]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Symonds and other v The brigantine Royal Cedars and her cargo, 16 February 1781;
  • [CP 3]: monition, 22 February 1781 ;
  • [CP 4]: deposition of Benedict Arnold, 29 August 1781; mentions the exhibit B shown him [not here];
  • [CP 5]: account of sale of ship and cargo on 16 February 1781, net proceeds £3,683 11s 4d, 6 Ocotber 1781.

[Decision: condemned, if no response to the monition by 15 March 1781].

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-11 (large pencil numbers): two added from HCA 49/91. All sorted and renumbered in 2025].

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C13507590/

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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

109,117 records

Within the department: HCA

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

37,255 records

Within the series: HCA 32

High Court of Admiralty: Prize Court: Prize Papers

32 records

Within the piece: HCA 32/443

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

You are currently looking at the item: HCA 32/443/24

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Royal Cedar (master unknown)....

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