Captured ship: Diamant or Diamond of Martinique (master Jean De Puy or Dupeaux)....

Captured ship: Diamant or Diamond of Martinique (master Jean De Puy or Dupeaux).

History: a French merchant ship (120 tons) bound from Martinique to Bordeaux, laden with sugar, cocoa; taken on 20/30 October 1696 in latitude 43°30'N by HMS Falkland (Robert Hancock commanding), who intended to take the ship into Bermuda, but bad weather forced them into New Providence, Bahamas. The case was sent into the High Court of Admiralty after complaints about the procedure initiated by Nicholas Trott, Governor of the Bahamas.

Documents:-

Ship's papers numbered SP 181-SP 272 from the larger bundle of SP 1-SP 272, all in folder HCA 32/1867/18; descriptions of the Diamant's ship's papers are continued from HCA 32/1867/18F:

• SP 181: memoir of sugar sent to France; [undated];
• SP 182: bill of exchange to Silva le jeune; Martinique 1 September 1696;
• SP 183: letter from P. Combaud Comp. de Jesus [Jesuits]; he asks for 'potin', wine and cloths; Martinique 22 July 1696;
• SP 184: invoice for sugar loaded on Le Diamant on account of Compagnie de Guinée; Martinique 30 August 1696;
• SP 185: letter from Vallance Cattier to Pierre Testas, merchant in Bordeaux; business matters; he sent rocou on l'Enflammé and cocoa on Le Diamant; Martinique 20 July \ 1 September 1696;
• SP 186: list of merchandises to send to Lacoste;
• SP 187: letter from Lacoste to Mivamond; business matters; he sent sugar on l'Enflammé; he sends a list of merchandise he would like to receive; Martinique 1 September 1696;
• SP 188: letter from Alart to Aquart; Alart received the cloth Aquart sent him but it was in a poor state; he is surprised the cloth were not in chests to protect them; he suffered important losses as a result; Martinique 1 September 1696;
• SP 189: letter from Banchereau to Demotz; business matters; he sends good on Le Diamant; news of Cattier’s death; Cattier’s family and friends are much afflicted; Banchereau could not send cocoa as Le Diamant is full; he suggests to network with merchants from Holland to send cocoa to St Thomas; he sends sugar and all the letters he received from France addressed to him; Martinique 3 September 1696;
• SP 190: letter from Vallance Cattier to Miss Trahan; she assures her that she will not be ungrateful and will endeavour to deserve her esteem; she includes a list of goods to send her; undated;
• SP 190A: list of merchandise (different kinds of fabrics, cloves and cinnamon) for Miss Trahan to send to Vallence Cattier; Cattier shares the news that her husband died; she has never been more afflicted; her pain is extreme; nothing can console her;
• SP 191: Extract from the registry of Admiralty of Martinique; 18 October 1695; Jean Blaise Busquet, captain of the ship Le Pont d'Or de La Rochelle, affirmed that on 20 April he arrived to Guadeloupe; He had to wait in the harbour due to disease on board; there was a hole in the hull and water was coming in; one crew member and a black man put a led plate to fix the hole, but water was still coming in; the ship officers decided to careen the ship as it was not in a state to go back to France; however, some ropes broke due to their bad quality and the foremast also broke; despite attempting some repairs, the ship can no longer sail;
• SP 192; bill of lading;
• SP 193: invoice for good loaded on Notre Dame de Grace (Captain Sebastien Martin) on account of Benoist frères;
• SP 194: letter from Benjamin da Costa Dandrade [a Sephardic Jew] to Manoel Gracia, merchant in Martinique; business maters; Amsterdam, 9 February 1696; [in Spanish]
• SP 195: invoice for good loaded on L'Inconnu (Captain Robin) on account of Aquart; Martinique 15 September 1696;
• SP 196: invoice for goods loaded on L'Inconnu (Captain Robin) on David Poyen account; Martinique 12 September 1696;
• SP 197: invoice for goods loaded on L'Inconnu (Captain Robin) on account of Mathieu Clarmons; Martinique 22 August 1696;
• SP 198: wanting;
• SP 199: invoice for goods loaded on Le Diamant on account of Louis Mendez Dacosta Rodriguez Silva; Martinique 28 July 1696;
• SP 200: bill of lading;
• SP 201: letter from Cafté to Couturier; business matters; he sent sugar on L'Amitié (Captain Thomas) and Le Diamant; Martinique 8 June / 2 September 1696;
• SP 202; bill of lading;
• SP 203: bill of lading;
• SP 204: letter from Duroy to Pierre Lanjol, merchant in Bordeaux; business matters; he sends sugar on Le Diamant; Martinique 31 August 1696;
• SP 205: letter from Banchereau to Trahan (cousins); Le Diamant was almost captured on its departure from Martinique by an English men of war of 52 cannons; however, the ship was able to come back to the harbour; there is no wind at the moment so the ship cannot leave; Banchereau sent on ship L'Inconnu a memoir of all merchandise he sent him; he drew some bills of exchange on Trahan account and would be obliged for him to pay them; Martinique 14 September 1696;
• SP 206: invoice for goods loaded on ship La tonne de Victoire (Captain Joseph Touras) on account of Pierre Tomié; Martinique 18 December 1695;
• SP 207: letter from [signature illegible]; business matters related to payment of bills of exchange; Martinique 25 August 1696;
• SP 208: bill of exchange; Martinique 2 September 1696;
• SP 209: bill of exchange;
• SP 210: letter from G. Gillet to Pierre Toffad, merchant in Bordeaux; business matters; he sends sugar on Le Diamant and asks to sell it as advantageously as possible; Martinique 30 August 1696;
• SP 211-SP 272: all bills of lading.