Captured ship: Le Monarque of Bordeaux (master Martin Larreguy). History: a French...

Captured ship: Le Monarque of Bordeaux (master Martin Larreguy).

History: a French merchant ship (350 tons, 14 guns, 37 men), bound from Saint Domingue to Bordeaux, laden with sugar, indigo and snuff, sailing in a convoy with five other ships called L'Intrépide, La Flore de Nantes, La Laurence, La Sirenne and Les Bons Enfants, captured together by an Anglo-Dutch squadron, on 12/23 August 1744 in latitude 45°46' by HMS Edam of the United Netherlands, an auxiliary to the British naval fleet (Alexander Frensell commanding), and brought first into Spithead and then into Portsmouth: a disputed joint capture.

Documents:-

Court Papers:

• [CP 1-CP 6]: standing interrogatories, three examinations, commissioners' affidavit and a parchment wrapper;
• [CP 7]: allegation on behalf of Alexander Frensell, brought into court 3 November 1744;
• [CP 8]: allegation on behalf of Charles Gwynn, master of the privateer Prince Charles, for joint capture, brought into court 3 November 1744;
• [CP 9]: allegation on behalf of Philip Balaine, master of the privateer Dispatch, for joint capture, brought into court 3 November 1744;
• [CP 10-CP 11]: two allegations on behalf of Alexander Frensell against the Prince Charles and the Dispatch;

[CP 12-CP 19] brought into court in one bundle 12 March 1744:

• [CP 12-CP 16]: copy of the allegation on behalf of Charles Gwynn, commission for the additional examination of witnesses at Bristol, letter stating the presence of both parties’ proxies during the administration of the additional examinations, two appointments of proxies by Greenly and Tyndale to be present in the commission of additional interrogatories;
• [CP 17-CP 19]: additional interrogatories, two examinations and commissioners' affidavit;

[CP 20-CP 29] brought into court in one bundle 12 March 1744:

• [CP 20-CP 24]: copy of the allegation on behalf of Charles Gwynn; commission for the additional examination of witnesses at Bristol, letter stating the presence of both parties’ proxies during the administration of the additional examinations, two appointments of proxies by Greenly and Tyndale to be present in the commission of additional interrogatories;
• [CP 25-CP 26]: two releases for the ships Le Monarque and La Sirenne by the examinees of CP 28;
• [CP 27-CP 29]: additional interrogatories, eight examinations, commissioners' affidavit;

[CP 30-39], brought to court in one bundle 9 April 1745:

• [CP 30-CP 34]: second allegation on behalf of Alexander Frensell against the Prince Charles, commission for the additional examination of witnesses at Portsmouth, letter stating the presence of both parties’ proxies during the administration of the additional examinations, two appointments of proxies by Greenly and Tyndale to be present in the commission of additional interrogatories;
• [CP 35-CP 39]: additional examinations, eight examinations, commissioners' affidavit and a parchment wrapper;

• [CP 40]: Inhibition, brought into court 6 February 1745
• [CP 41-CP 42]: libel and appeal, brought into court March-April 1745/6;
• [CP 43-CP 44]: attestation as to papers and abstract and translation of the 3 ship's papers.

Ship's Papers marked SP A-SP C.

[Decision: condemned as prize, 3 November 1744]

HCA 32/118/10