Folios 102-117. Folios 102-105: Record of the examinations of Charles Forrest, Thomas...

Folios 102-117. Folios 102-105: Record of the examinations of Charles Forrest, Thomas Scott and Henry Migay at Lord Annalys House on 7 May 1776. Sets out the account given by Charles Forrest of: the movements of the Handcock and Adams, said to be owned by Clair McClenaghan; payments received and made in relation to the Handcock and Adams' cargo; correspondence and dealings with Mr James Lecky, Andrew Thompson, Messrs Delap of Bordeaux; instructions received from Mr McClenaghan to get ammunition and powder from Lecky and Thompson, which were ultimately not fulfilled; his current situation as not being master of any ship, having come as a passenger on a ship. Forrest recounts that the John was lost in France in the Villaine, at which time he lodged with Bernard - an old man to whom he showed his instructions to purchase ammunition; states that he repaired the John before selling her to Schweickhauzer at Nantes. Forrest further gives an account of the Expedition - its movements, its master being Henry Migay and the crew being largely French, and details of sale. Thomas Scott recollects that Charles Forrest was the master of the Handcock and Adams, that he did not discuss ammunition with him, that he knows Mr Lecky but has never corresponded with Mr McClenaghan; he is a Scotchman who has never dealt in gunpowder, knows nothing of Lecky having a cargo of gunpowder to send out. Henry Migay reports that he is arrived in the Expedition, a French ship of which he is part owner; Forrest sold the vessel to him and was a passenger abord her; she is the same vessel as was stranded in the River Villaine; acknowledged the contract made with Forrest for the sale. [Marginal notes appear to cross reference information given in this account with various documents seized and included amongst these enclosures.] Folios 106-109: Record of the examination of Andrew Thompson at Lord Annaly's House on 8 May 1776. Thompson recounts: his frequent correspondence with Blair McClenaghan a merchant of Philadelphia and Donegal man; how on 23 August 1775 he returned from Scotland to find Charles Forrest in his house to ask him to procure gunpowder for him - Thompson refused in strong terms and did not see him again until now, when Forrest went to his house at Newry and he received a letter from Mr McClenaghan seeking to purchase powder which he refused. Thompson avers that he at no time purchased, held or sent any ammunition or gunpowder. Thompson gives an account of: his knowledge of the Minerva, Handcock and Adams and John, including his belief that Forrest intended to deceive by changing the ownership and crew of the John; the advice he might have given to Forrest to change the names of the vessels; and of his dealings with Messrs Lecky, Bryan and May. He further tells of what Forrest reported to him of his progress in obtaining gunpowder and how he planned to ship it. Folio 110: Record of the examination of James Lecky at Lord Annaly's on 8 May 1776. Lecky gives an account of the chartering of the Handcock and Adams, previously known as the Minerva, which arrived in Dublin in August 1775 laden with flour and lumber. Acknowledges that Mr Blair McClenaghan wrote to him to purchase gunpowder to be shipped in the Handcock and Adams, but that he refused to be concerned with him. Believes that Forrest and Bryan would not have interacted as they hated one another. States that he did not offer Forrest the powder, knows of no one else who purchased it for Forrest and never had any powder himself. Folios 111-112: Record of the examination of Arthur Bryan at Lord Annaly's on the evening of Thursday, 9 May 1776. Bryan asserts that his only correspondence regarding the Handcock and Adams was a letter from Mr McClenaghan of Philadelphia in July last year to purchase gunpowder, which Bryan refused; he had no communication with Charles Forrest in July or August 1775. Believes Mr McClenaghan suspected him of having given information to prevent the gunpowder being shipped and so did not write to him again. Asserts that he has never had any business in gunpowder, does not know any gunpowder merchants, they get it chiefly from Bristol. [Note included at the end of the record to ask Lecky for a copy of the letter he wrote to McClenaghan in answer.] Folios 113-114: Record of the further examination of James Lecky at Lord Annaly's House, in the latter's presence on 10 May 1776. Refers to the first letter he received from Mr Blair McClenaghan on 30 June 1775, and indicates that he will bring the letter he received from Wilson his partner in the cargo of the Handcock and Adams, together with an extract from his letter book with the answer he wrote to Mr McClenaghan's letter, but refuses to expose all of his correspondence on the basis that it may contain some unguarded expression that if he were to produce it might incriminate him. States he does not know the meaning of the postscript in McClenaghan's letter and that he never applied to any person for powder. Folios 115-117: Lord Annaly's narration of the proceedings of His Majesty's Law Servants against Forrest, Thompson, Lecky et al. Summarises the facts and events leading to the granting of warrants against Charles Forrest and Thomas Scott first, and subsequently to apprehend Andrew Thompson (merchant at Newry), Henry Migny (Master of the Expedition), James Lecky, Arthur and William Bryan (Merchants of Dublin), William Barclay (merchant of Ballyshannon), and to secure the papers of James Lecky. Indicates that: Charles Forrest was examined and then committed to Newgate Goal [Dublin] for carrying on a treasonable correspondence with the 'Rebells' in America; Henry Migny was examined and committed to the Sherif, but little appearing against him it is intended to enlarge him on his giving bail; Andrew Thompson having prevaricated in his examination and in his own letters was committed to the Sherif but afterwards bailed to appear in the court of the King's Bench on the last day of the term; James Lecky (who is stated to have been a very great dealer in America) was examined and eventually committed to the Sherif upon refusal to produce his copy book of letters and his house placed under guard to prevent him taking out any papers until it was agreed by all His Majesty's Principal Servants that a search warrant might be legally granted to search the house and seize all papers relating to his American correspondence. However, upon searching Lecky's house it appeared that all the copies of his answers to American correspondents since 1775 were secreted and so it was intended to bail him with a very large security. Scott and Bryan were also examined but as nothing material appeared against them they were discharged without bail.

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