Captured ship: Le Mentor of Rouen (master Jean Charles Vauguelin). History: a French...

Captured ship: Le Mentor of Rouen (master Jean Charles Vauguelin).

History: a French merchant ship (200 tons, 10 guns, 26 men), bound from Martinique to Le Havre, laden with coffee and cotton; taken on 13/24 June 1744 off the Isles of Scilly by HMS Fowey (Polycarpus Taylor commanding), after escaping in the night was retaken on 14/25 June 1744 by HMS Fowey and sent off with a prize crew; then taken in fight on 15/26 June, by the privateer Thurloe (Thomas Dugdale or Edward Bingley commanding) whilst under command of the prize crew until the crew of HMS Fowey forcibly removed those of the Thurloe, and brought into Plymouth. The capture was subsequently portrayed as a joint capture by the Thurloe and taken to appeal.

Documents:-

Court Papers:

• [CP 1-CP 5]: standing interrogatories, three examinations, commissioners' affidavit taken at Plymouth, 27 June 1744;
• [CP 6]: abstract and translation of the 19 ship's papers;

• [CP 7-CP 19]: standing interrogatories on behalf of Polycarpus Taylor of HMS Flowey, twelve examinations of six witnesses taken in Plymouth on 28 February and again from 1-11 March 1745, brought into court 19/30 March 1744;
• [CP 20]: allegation (joint capture);
• [CP 21]: commission/wrapper;

• [CP 22-CP 29]: additional standing interrogatories with wrapper annexed, five examinations taken in Liverpool on behalf of Thomas Seel and James Ross, the owners of the privateer Thurnloe; commissioners' affidavit from 12 March 1745, brought into court 19 March 1745;
• [CP 30-CP 32]: two release of claims by crew members of the Thurnloe, attestation as to releases of claims;
• [CP 33]: allegation (joint capture);
• [CP 34]: commission/wrapper;

• [CP 35-CP 36]: Polycarpus Taylor's response to the previous allegations for joint capture, taken in Kent on 6 March 1745, commissioners' affidavit, brought into court 19 March 1744;
• [CP 37]: allegation (joint capture);
• [CP 38]: commission/wrapper

• [CP 39]: schedule of costs incurred in the court process.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-SP 19.

[Decision: condemned as prize, 2 August 1744: appealed]