Captured ship: Catherine of Wexford brigantine (master Walter Breen). History: an...

Captured ship: Catherine of Wexford brigantine (master Walter Breen).

History: an Irish (alleged Spanish) merchant ship (50-70 tons, 9 men) having come from Tenerife in the Canary Islands to trade around the Cape Verde Islands for orchilla weed [a dyestuff] and hides, with the intention of returning to Ireland, laden with wine, brandy, oil, and goods in chests; seized at anchor at Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão in the Cape Verde Islands on 2 November 1739 by the privateer James Sloop of Dartmouth (John Sherry commanding) and brought first into Porto Grande, São Vicente, and then into Dartmouth.

Documents:-

Court Papers:

• [CP 1-CP 6]: special interrogatories, four examinations taken in Dartmouth, and commissioners' affidavit, April-May 1740;
• [CP 7-CP 8]: attestation and claim, and proxy, on behalf of Francis Talbot, for the ship;
• [CP 9-CP 10]: attestation and claim, and proxy, on behalf of Garrett Murphy (an Irish merchant resident in Tenerife), for the cargo, against Arthur Holdsworth, owner of the James Sloop;
• [CP 11]: proxy on behalf of Walter Breen, the master;
• [CP 12]: allegation on behalf of Talbot, Murphy and Breen, with 6 exhibits attached, numbered CP 12/2, CP 12/3, CP 12/4, and CP 12/A, CP 12/C and CP 12/D, September 1740;
• [CP 13/1 and CP 13/2]: commission of appraisal, and inventory and appraisal of the ship and cargo, taken at Dartmouth, October 1740;
• [CP 14]; allegation on the part of Breen, December 1740;
• [CP 15]: commission to take examinations at Wexford, January 1741; with copies, originals or translations of the exhibits CP 15/A and CP 15/D (i and ii) also found at [CP 12], and a bill of lading CP 15/B, and CP 15/1 the original bill of sale of the ship in 1722; also copy of the allegation of Talbot, Murphy and Breen [CP 12]; all sewn together with pink silk tape;
• [CP 16]: allegation on behalf of Holdsworth and Sherry, February 1741;
• [CP 17-CP 26]: special interrogatories from both sides, examinations taken at Wexford, and commissioners' affidavit, March 1741;
• [CP 27-CP 32]: copies of the allegation of Holdsworth and Sherry, copy of their interrogatories, copy exhibit 1, and 3 lists of deponents;
• [CP 33]: commission to take examinations at Bristol, March 1741; with [CP 33/1-10] special interrogatories from both sides, examinations (from inhabitants of Tenerife) taken at Bristol, and commissioners' affidavit, copy of allegation, etc;
• [CP 34]: attestation by Holdsworth, August 1741;
• [CP 35]: commission to take examinations at Plymouth, July 1742; with [CP 35/1-8] special interrogatories, examinations (from inhabitants of the Canary Islands) taken at Plymouth, and commissioners' affidavit, copy of allegation, etc;
• [CP 36]: allegation by Holdsworth, June 1743;
• [CP 37]: commission to take examinations at Dartmouth, June 1743; with [CP 37/1-7] special interrogatories, examinations taken at Dartmouth, and commissioners' affidavit, copy of allegation, etc;
• [CP 38]: a detached translation of the sale of the ship Catherine at Cadiz to Walter Furlong in 1734;
• [CP 39-CP 41]: wrappers used for sending in examinations etc;
• [CP 42]: wrapper for the ship's papers.

Ship's papers, numbered SP 1-SP 13, brought into court 21 May 1740.

[Decision: 2/3 of cargo condemned, 1/3 of cargo and ship restored, 16 March 1744]

See also IND 1/9022, f31-31v