Folios 319-320: Wilson Rathborne, Regulating Officer, North Shields. Responding to...

Folios 319-320: Wilson Rathborne, Regulating Officer, North Shields. Responding to the letter of 4 November and sends a report on the case of Thomas Ranson. Thomas Ranson was pressed by Lieutenant Flinn at North Shields on 19 October and detained for the service as having been an Apprentice and upwards of 3 years at sea. His indenture to Mr John Cram of North Shields is dated 16 January 1807 to serve a term of 6 years. He ran away from his Master. At Regulation he acknowledged only 1 voyage to Greenland, whereas the Protection states he had made 3 voyages. Captain Rathborne considers the Protection was obtained by fraud, and that Ranson should not have gone on another voyage to Greenland, being an Indented servant to Mr John Cram. Thomas Ranson, Able Seaman, appears to be about 20 years old, a stout healthy mas well suited to service.

Folios 321-322: enclosure with folios 319-320. Petition dated 1 November 1811 from Thomas Hall, Stepney Causeway to the Admiralty. Thomas Ranson, a Boatswain belonging to the Britannia Greenland ship of the Port of London, owned by the Petitioner, was illegally pressed at Shields. He was given security by the Commissioners of Customs at the Port of London, for a voyage to Greenland on the Britannia next season with the usual Protection, and is therefore exempt from pressing. Requests his discharge.