High Court of Admiralty. Captured ship: [USS] Spitfire of the Rhode Island State...

High Court of Admiralty.

Captured ship: [USS] Spitfire of the Rhode Island State Navy (commander Joseph Crandall).

Capture history: an American ship of war (row galley, 30 tons, with guns, 30 men) bound from Providence, Rhode Island on a cruise; taken on 26 May 1778 in Falls River, Rhode Island by HMS Nonsuch (Samuel Reeve commanding), and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: a cruise from the United States.

Court papers numbered CP 1-2:-

• [CP 1]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Reeve v The galley Spitfire, 12 June 1778;
• [CP 2]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master James Kempthorne, lieutenant, 26 June 1778.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-10:-

• SP 1: commission of Captain Joseph Crandall, appointing him to command the Rhode Island State galley Spitfire, 12 May 1777;
• SP 2: copy of the resolution of the Rhode Island General Assembly appointing Crandall, May 1777;
• SP 3: journal of William Crandall, 12 May-29 July 1777;
• SP 4: journal and later account book of Benjamin Cranston, first on the schooner Spitfire, later master's mate on the row galley Spitfire, listing on p 23 the details of her crew: name, date of entry, station, wages and time of departure, for 36 men, followed by records of payment;
• SP 5: a formal journal, starting Bristol, 2 February 1778, ending Lees River, 15 May 1778;
• SP 6: crew list and agreement, listing 18 men including Pompy, in manuscript; on a printed form beginning"The Invitation of the Continental Congress, to their brethren who are Sons of Liberty and Seaman, to engage in the Defence of the Liberties of America", and setting out rules and rewards
• SP 7: note requesting the bearer to deliver a small boat to Captain Crandall, 6 December 1777;
• SP 8: note from Archibald Crary to Captain Crandall to deliver all the new French arms on board the Spitfire to Sant Hopkins, as General Spencer has ordered them brought to Providence, 24 February 1778;
• SP 9: notebook recording smaller vessels joining the Spitfire;
• SP 10: notebook recording provisions.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-3; Ship's papers: 4-13 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].