Captured ship: Postillon of Salonica (master Antoine Fougasse). History: a French...

Captured ship: Postillon of Salonica (master Antoine Fougasse).

History: a French ship (polacre, with several Turkish, Jewish, Greek and Armenian passengers), bound from Alexandria to [Rhodes ?], laden with the master's adventure of flax and coffee, and with many private goods; taken off Rhodes on 29 July 1744 by the privateer Ruby (Robert Saunders commanding), and brought into Rhodes but there was no British consul there, and the master absconded after going ashore to raise a ransom; so Saunders transferred the cargo, set fire to the Postillon. and took the French second captain and steward to Zante, where examinations were taken before the British Consul; and then on to Livorno [Leghorn] where they had to observe 60 days quarantine.

Documents:-

Court Papers:

• [CP 1-CP 6]: allegation of Thomas Heames of London, that he received letters from his correspondent Chambrelan Godfrey in Livorno, about three ships taken by the Ruby in the Mediterranean [the Postillon, St François de Paula otherwise St François de Paule, and St Laurent; attaching three papers for the Postillon marked D (examinations taken in Zante, with a translation from the Italian, E (muster roll) and F (pass) with a translation from French, 6 December 1744;
• [CP 7]: allegation of the captor, 10 December 1744;
• [CP 8-CP 12]: claim on behalf of Greek and Turkish Ottoman subjects, order in council, account of goods issued from the French Consulate at Rhodes, with translation, docket, 13 February 1745/6;
• [CP 13-CP 16]: attestation, inventory of goods, translations ox exhibits [not here];
• [CP 17-CP 19]: attestations by members of the privateers' crews, with exhibits and translations;
• [CP 20]: abstracts and translations of the 72 ship's papers.

Ship's Papers, numbered SP 1-SP 72, including:

• SP 1-SP 6: bills of lading issued at Smyrna and Malta;
• SP 7-SP 10: persona; anc commercial letters;
• SP 11-SP 15: receipts and accounts;
• SP 16-SP 21: accounts of the captain, not directly relating to the voyage;
• SP 22: charterparty;
• SP 23-SP 30: accounts, invoices and receipts;
• SP 31-SP 33: letters from Egypt to the captain and second captain;
• SP 34: bill of health issued at Marseille;
• SP 35-SP 39: receipts for loans and payments, bill from a tailor at Alexandria;
• SP 40: letter from Rose Daniel to her husband in Alexandria;
• SP 41-SP 45: financial agreements, rough notes, instructions for the captain;
• SP 46-SP 53: letters, receipts, anchorage bill, blank bill of lading, rough notes;
• SP 54: a paper in arabic script, probably Ottoman Turkish;
• SP 55-SP 62: invoices, rough notes, accounts;
• SP 63-SP 69: personal and commercial letters, invoices, accounts, bill of health;
• SP 70: empty leather letter case;
• SP 71-SP 72: account books.

[Decision: condemned, 10 December 1744, afterwards appealed by Anastasi a Greek of Sparta, Hassan Chelebee and Yussuff Chellebee of Scio, Ibrahim Mustafa and Haggi Mehemmed and Achmet Bashaw for their goods; restored. See HCA 42/45/3 for the appeal papers]