Captured ship: La Champfleur of Nantes (master Jacques Brisson). History: a French...

Captured ship: La Champfleur of Nantes (master Jacques Brisson).

History: a French merchant ship with a letter of marque (300 tons, 18 guns, 72 men, and several French and Spanish passengers) bound from Havana to Nantes, laden with sugar, indigo, cotton taken on at Cul de Sac, Saint Domingue, and with 2 chests of silver belonging to two Spanish passengers and some snuff taken on at Havana; taken on 23 March/3 April 1745 in 48º by HMS Augusta (John Hamilton commanding) in sight of HMS Falkland (Thomas Grenville commanding), and brought first into Kinsale, and then into Plymouth.

Documents:-

Court Papers:

• [CP 1]: three examinations, commissioners' affidavit;
• [CP 2]: allegation on behalf of HMS Augusta;
• [CP 3]: allegation on behalf of the lieutenants John Midwinter and Hugh Pigot and men of HMS Falkland for joint capture;
• [CP 4-CP 9]: commission to take examinations at Kinsale, October 1745; with two proxies, a copy of the allegation at CP 3, special interrogatories from HMS Augusta, and (in one document) six examinations and cross-examinations of the crew of La Champfleur taken at Kinsale and the commissioners' affidavit, December 1745 -January 1746;
• [CP 10-CP 26]: commission to take examinations at Plymouth, May 1746; with a copy of the allegation at CP 3, release of interest of the 8 deponents (the captain and other crew members, late of HMS Falkland, and now of HMS Defiance), special interrogatories from HMS Augusta, examinations and cross-examinations taken at Plymouth, and commissioners' affidavit, August 1746;
• [CP 27]: release, June 1746;
• [CP 28]: allegation on behalf of HMS Augusta, October 1746;
• [CP 29]: release, December 1746;
• [CP 30-CP 47]: commission to take examinations at Plymouth, January 1747; with a copy of the allegation at CP 28, special interrogatories, examinations and cross-examinations of the 6 deponents (5 from HMS Augusta, 1 late HMS Falkland) taken at Plymouth, three releases and commissioners' affidavit, January-February 1747;
• [CP 48-CP 53]: commission to take examinations at Kinsale, October 1746; with a copy of the allegation at CP 28, two proxies, special interrogatories, examinations and cross-examinations of 6 deponents from the crew and passengers of La Champfleur, and commissioners' affidavit, February 1747;
• [CP 54]: account of expenses and sales at Plymouth, rendered April 1748.
• [CP 55-CP 56] two loose special interrogatories, undated;
• [CP 57]: attestation by Captain Hamilton as to ship's papers numbered 1-4, and that other papers were found on board and taken up in the water, including some packets of Spanish letters to persons of distinction which he has transmitted to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty 'with a view to give them intelligence of the designs of the enemy', and several other loose letters and insignificant papers, May 1745;
• [CP 58]: abstract and translation of the 55 ship's papers now numbered SP 1-SP 55.

Ship's papers, now numbered SP 1-SP 55, and further unnumbered papers, now numbered SP 56-SP 90.

[Decision: condemned as prize, 10 August 1745]

See the 3 examinations in HCA 13/90