Captured ship: Duke of Argyle (master Tanguy Gallic). History: a British merchant...

Captured ship: Duke of Argyle (master Tanguy Gallic).

History: a British merchant ship (300-360 tons), captured by the French frigate Ambuscade, taken into Brest and condemned in a French prize court, and then retaken in fight when bound from Brest to Bordeaux, laden with tobacco, on 11 / 22 June 1746 in 46°N by the privateer Fox (Matthew Combe commanding), and brought into Bristol. This was the second time she had been taken by the French and retaken, the first being in July 1744 (with Joseph Ludlow as master) when, bound from Virginia to Bristol laden with tobacco, she had been taken by the French Mercure (74 guns, Dubois de la Motte commanding), and retaken 7 or 8 days later by the privateer Southwell (John Wingfield commanding) and taken into Falmouth.

Documents:-

Court Papers:

• [CP 1-CP 5]: standing interrogatories, three examinations taken at Plymouth in August 1744, commissioners' affidavit, all relating to the first time Duke of Argyle was retaken from the French;
• [CP 6-CP 10]: standing interrogatories, three examinations taken at Bristol in June 1746, commissioners' affidavit;
• [CP 11]: attestation as to necessity of unloading cargo;
• [CP 12]: attestation and claim;
• [CP 13]: allegation;
• [CP 14-CP 15]: attestation as to papers, and abstract and translations of the two ship's papers.

Ship's Papers, numbered SP 1 to SP 2.

[Decision: cargo condemned, ship restored to former owner paying half salvage, 23 October 1746]