British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Spitfire (master Stephen Benezet;...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Spitfire (master Stephen Benezet; prize master Lawrence Thureson).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (brigantine, 80 tons), laden with flour; taken on 6 March 1782 by the loyalist privateer Fair American, but the prize master Lawrence Thureson was overcome by patriot mutineers on 13 March, retaken on 14 March 1782 near Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey by the loyalist privateers Black Joke (William Roach commanding) and Lady's Delight (Nathan Adams commanding), and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: within the United States.

Court papers numbered CP 1-20:-

• [CP 1]: libel in Roach v The brigantine Spitfire and her cargo, 20 March 1782;
• [CP 2]: answer and claim of Thomas Yorke merchant of New York, for himself, and others of New York, owners and crew of the Fair American, 27 March 1782;
• [CP 3]: replication of Roach;
• [CP 4]: rejoinder of Yorke;
• [CP 5]: deposition of Benjamin Pearson, mariner of New York, 16 May 1782;
• [CP 5A]: detailed accounts of the sale of the Spitfire and her cargo, net proceeds £2, 031 6s 3d, 10 August 1782;
• [CP 6]: deposition of Lawrence Thureson, mariner, prize master of the Fair American, of New York, a Swedish subject, 3 June 1782;
• [CP 7-CP 8]: deposition of Benjamin Pearson, 6 and 7 June 1782;
• [CP 9-CP 10]: depositions of Lawrence Thureson, 11 and 17 June 1782;
• [CP 11-CP 12]: depositions of Jeffrey Leonard, mariner and prize master, late of the Black Joke, of New York, 17 and 18 June 1782;
• [CP 13-CP 14]: depositions of John Cheese, mariner and prize master, late of the Black Joke, of New York, 20 June 1782;
• [CP 15-CP 16]: depositions of Seaman Doty, mariner and prize master, of the Lady's Delight, of New York, 5 and 6 July 1782
• [CP 17]: release of interest by Jeffrey Leonard, 18 June 1782;
• [CP 18]: release of interest by John Cheese, 20 June 1782;
• [CP 19]: release of interest by Seaman Doty, 6 July 1782;
• [CP 20]: detailed accounts of the sale of the Spitfire and her cargo, ned proceeds £2, 031 6s 3d, 10 August 1782;
• [CP 21]: application of Thomas Yorke for leave to appeal the sentence of 31 July 1782, 13 August 1782.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-75 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].