High Court of Admiralty. Captured ship: Thamas Koulikan [of St Malo] formerly Pacifique...

High Court of Admiralty.

Captured ship: Thamas Koulikan [of St Malo] formerly Pacifique (master Noel Le Pern or Le Perru).

Capture history: a French merchant ship (260 tons, 45 men, 4 passengers including Henry Grand, as supercargo), bound from Le Croisic, Britanny to Cap François, Saint Domingue and then on to Charleston, South Carolina, laden with salt, ammunition, tea, candles, linen and dry goods; taken on or about 12 January 1778 in the Bay of Biscay in latitude 46°N, longitude 9°W about 100 leagues from France by HMS Hector (Sir John Hamilton Bartholomew commanding), and brought into Portsmouth.

Intended voyage: from France to the United States.

Court papers numbered CP 1-8:-

• [CP 1]: standing interrogatories;
• [CP 2]: three depositions of Alexander Boyd of Georgetown, South Carolina, a passenger; Guillaume Matheur; Augustin Blanchet; commissioners' affidavit, taken at Portsmouth, 13 February 1778;
• [CP 3]: attestation as to papers (numbered 1-49) brought in by the prize master. William Furser, [sailing] master, Portsmouth, 21 February 1778;
• [CP 4]: certificate of receipt of the ship's papers, Portsmouth, 21 February 1778;
• [CP 5]: attestation of Francis Wilson of the Navy Office, that he had called on Henry Grand, supercargo or passenger (at his lodgings in 13 Golden Square, London), to demand his attendance at Doctors Commons to depose; Grand refused, on the previous advice of the French Ambassador, 2 March 1778;
• [CP 6]: deposition of John Baylor, a passenger, taken at London, 28 March 1778; lodging a the house of Mrs Norton, Golden Square; ios a planter of Virginia, and a burgess of Glasgow
• [CP 7]: translations of ships papers (1, 2, 7-10, 16-18, 20, 22-24, 26-28, 32-33, 38, 40-41, 43-45);
• [CP 8]: allegation, 5 May 1778.

Ships papers, numbered SP 1-SP 52:-

• SP 1: business letter from D Chauvel & fils, Le Havre to P Basile & Co, merchants, Port au Prince, 20 Oct 1777; sends the ship Thamas Koulikan and asks them to load as much goods as possible [for South Carolina], and to heavily arm the ship, considering the critical state of politics;
• SP 2: business letter from Pierre Gaudin, to Boisquet, Cap François, 24 Dec 1777; to load goods on ship Thamas Koulikan;
• SP 3: business letter from P Chareault, to De Muzayne, Cap François, 24 Dec 1777; to send the requested article on the ship Thamas Koulikan, and as many funds as possible, considering the critical state of politics;
• SP 4: business letter from D Chauvel & fils, Le Havre, to Desprairies, Cap François, 20 Oct 1777; sends the ship Thamas Koulikan and asks them to load as much goods as possible, and to heavily arm the ship, considering the critical state of politics;
• SP 5: muster roll, 1777;
• SP 6: extract from registry of Admiralty of Vannes. Captain Louis Ginner had to stop in this port to repair sails and riggings broken by the wind. , 12 Nov 1777;
• SP 7: ship's pass;
• SP 8: List of expenses for the ship Thamas Koulikan, Nov/ Dec 1777;
• SP 9-SP 12: bills of lading, 31 Dec 1777;
• SP 13: acquit a caution [customs bond], 5 Jan 1778;
• SP 14: bill of health, Le Havre, 20 Oct 1777;
• SP 15-SP 16: bills of lading, 31 Dec 1777;
• SP 17: ship's pass, 29 Oct 1777;
• SP 18: bill of lading, 10 Nov 1777;
• SP 19: bill of lading, 25 Oct 1777;
• SP 20: facture or invoice of cargo on account of Pierre Gaudin, 27 Dec 1777;
• SP 21: list of caulker's material, undated;
• SP 22: facture of cargo on ship Thamas Koulikan, undated;
• SP 23: customs bond, 5 Jan 1778;
• SP 24: ship's pass, 18 Oct 1777;
• SP 25: wrapper for papers of the ship Thamas Koulikan, undated;
• SP 26: draft letter about pay of the ship's crew, 6 Dec;
• SP 27: [draft] declaration of Captain Ginner stating that he cedes the command of the ship Thamas Koulikan to the captain nominated by M. Grand [armateur], Le Havre, 19 Oct 1777;
• SP 28: list of gunner's material, undated;
• SP 29: notebook about ship expenses, Jan 1777;
• SP 30: note about money paid to M. Perru, undated;
• SP 31: note about purchase of pins, undated;
• SP 32: facture of cargo on board Thamas Koulikan, 13 Dec 1777;
• SP 33: instructions given by D Chauvel & fils to Captain Noël Le Pern, commander of the ship Thamas Koulikan;
• SP 34: list of surgeon's material, 11 July 1777;
• SP 35:l ist of materials and provisions, undated;
• SP 36: list of carpenter's material, undated; SP 37: List of spare sails, undated;
• SP 38: account of expenses for arming and loading the ship Thamas Koulikan, undated;
• SP 39: receipt for payment of lighthouse dues [droit de feu], Le Havre, 18 Oct 1777;
• SP 40: bill of lading, 19 Oct 1777;
• SP 41: list of gunner's material, undated;
• SP 42: list of cooper's material, undated;
• SP 43: acquit a caution [customs bond], 18 Oct 1777;
• SP 44: receipt for payment by H. Grand to Captain Le Perru, La Roche-Bernard, 17 Jan 1777;
• SP 45: statement by Joseph Le Perru, saying he was hired as second captain on the ship Thamas Koulikan, undated;
• SP 46: calculations, undated;
• SP 47: calculations and various notes, undated;
• SP 48-SP 49: [wanting];
• [SP 50]: signed contract of engagement of crew members, 2 Dec 1777;
• [SP 51]: statement by Joseph Le Perru, saying he was hired as second captain on the ship Thamas Koulikan, La Roche-Bernard, 7 Jan 1777;
• [SP 52]: signed contract of engagement of crew members, St Brieux, 7 Dec 1777.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-52; Ship's papers: 53-118 (97-117 missing?) (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025]. See also SP 37/24/1