Captured ship: L'Intrépide (master Pierre Le Gars). History: a French merchant ship,...

Captured ship: L'Intrépide (master Pierre Le Gars).

History: a French merchant ship, letter of marque (200 tons, 33 men), bound from Saint Domingue to Nantes, laden with sugar, coffee and indigo, one of a fleet of six ships captured together by an Anglo-Dutch squadron, the others being La Flore de Nantes, La Laurance, Les Bons Enfants, Le Monarque and La Sirenne; taken on 13/24 August 1744 west of Ushant by HMS Captain (Thomas Griffin commanding), after having been chased and engaged by the privateer Prince Charles (Charles Gwynn commanding), and brought into Spithead. Disputed joint capture.

Court Papers:

Court Proceedings at Portsmouth, August 1744: [CP 1-CP 3]

• [CP 1-CP 2]: standing interrogatories and three examinations bound as one document, commissioners' affidavit;
• [CP 3]: parchment wrapper.

Court Proceedings at Bristol, mid-January 1745: [CP 4-CP 15]

• [CP 4-CP 8]: commission, standing interrogatories, eight sayings and depositions bound as one document, 2 commissioners' affidavits;
• [CP 9]: allegation;
• [CP 10-CP 11]: 2 papers of substitution;
• [CP 12-CP 15]: releases for 4 of the captured ships L'Intrepide, along with La Flore de Nantes, La Laurance and Les Bons Enfants.

Court Proceedings at Portsmouth, late January 1745: [CP 16-CP 29]

• [CP 16 -CP 20]: commission, standing interrogatories, three examinations bound as one document, 2 commissioners' affidavits;
• [CP 21-CP 26]: 6 allegations;
• [CP 27-CP 28]: 2 papers of substitution;
• [CP 29]: itemised bill of legal expenses.

Court Proceedings at Portsmouth, March 1745: [CP 30-CP 39]

• [CP 30-CP 35]: commission, standing interrogatories, 8 sayings and depositions of witnesses bound as one document, 8 examinations bound as one document, 2 commissioners' affidavits;
• [CP 36]: allegation;
• [CP 37-CP 38]: 2 papers of substitution;
• [CP 39]: parchment wrapper.

Additional papers submitted, 1749: [CP 40-42]

• [CP 40]: attestation of expenses;
• [CP 41]: bill of expenses;
• [CP 42]:account by way of debtor and creditor of the sale of the 4 French prizes including attestation.

Earlier court papers:

• [CP 43]: abstract and translation of the 10 ship's papers.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-SP 10.

[Decision: condemned as prize, 27 September 1744; appeal against the share of the privateer Prince Charles (Charles Gwynn commanding)]