Volume 2 of 'Letters of Agency', compiled by the registry of the British New York...

Volume 2 of 'Letters of Agency', compiled by the registry of the British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Each transcript of these letters of attorney lists the names of the naval crew appointing prize agents, and notes any use of a mark instead of a signature, providing an overview of men serving in these waters, and levels of literacy. Other vessels give names of owners and masters.

Prize agents:- William Bayard senior of New York; Thomas Blane merchant of New York; John Bremner merchant late of East Florida, now of New York: George Cherry purser of HMS Eagle; William Crowder; Joseph Davies secretary to Admiral Howe; James Dick secretary to Admiral Gambier, and/or purser of HMS Ardent; Philip Dumaresqe; Andrew Elliott of New York; Alexander Forteath merchant of New York; William Fowler of New York; Frederick William Geyer of New York; James Gilchrist, merchant late of Virginia and now of New York city; George Graves; Francis Green of New York; William Green secretary to Admiral Arbuthnot; John and George Inman merchants of New York; Samuel Kemble merchant of New York; Archibald Kirby merchant late of Virginia and now of New York city; John Marr purser of HMS Daphne; Evan Nepean secretary to Admiral Lord Shuldham; William Paget secretary to Admiral Rodney; Miles Sherbrooke merchant of New York; Walter Spense merchant of New York; John Tench of New York; Alexander Wallace of New York; Hugh Wallace of New York; William Wanton of New York; Henry White merchant of New York city; Edward Winslow.

Transcripts of letters of agency appointing prize agents for:-

• 1) HMS Savage, 12 Oct 1778: Kemble;
• 2) HMS Amazon, 1 Oct 1778: Kemble;
• 3) HMS Diligent, 1 June 1778: Kemble;
• 4) HMS York, 3 Nov 1778: Dick;
• 5) HMS Rose, 20 July 1778: Dick and Gilchrist;
• 6) HMS Haarlem, Nov 1778: Dick and Gilchrist;
• 7) HMS Ardent, 4 Dec 1778: Dick and Geyer;
• 8) HMS Diligent, 5 Jan 1779: Dick;
• 9) HMS Raleigh, 23 Dec 1778: Dick and Kemble;
• 10) HMS Pearl and her tender, 20 Aug 1778: J and G Inman;
• 11) HMS Nautilus, 25 Aug 1778: Kemble;
• 12) Lieut George Turnbull, North British Fusiliers, and his men, late on board the armed ship Lord North (George Ross), 14 Feb 1777: Kemble: for the rebel brigantine Rogers
• 13) HMS Volcano, 15 Aug 1778: Kemble;
• 14) Captain William Yeo of HMS Ardent, 21 Dec 1778: Dick and Geyer;
• 15) Captain Samuel Witteronge Clayton of HMS Ardent , 21 Feb 1779: Dick and Geyer;
• 16) HMS Diligent, 3 April 1779: Geyer;
• 17) HMS Grafton, 9 Nov 1778: White;
• 18) owners of the letter of marque brigantine Tryon (George Sibbles), 1 Aug 1778: F Green;
• 19) officers and seamen of the letter of marque brigantine Tryon (Sibbles), 17 Aug 1778: Geyer;
• 20) Admiral John Byron, Commander in Chief of HM ships in North America, 9 Nov 1778: White;
• 21) officers and seamen of the letter of marque ship General Vaughan (Francis Hill), 13 May 1779:Hiil, the captain; for the ship Deane (Margolle);
• 22) HMS Daphne, 2 June 1779: White and H Wallace;
• 23) HMS Galatea, 3 June 1779: White, Gilchrist and Marr;
• 24) HMS Delaware, 2 May 1779: White;
• 25) HMS Virginia, 20 Nov 1778: Kemble and Dick;
• 26) HMS Camilla, 13 April 1779: Kemble;
• 27) HMS Romulus, 29 June 1779: Kemble and John Stephens, purser of the Romulus; for the sloop America's Friend and the ship Friendship
• 28) HMS Keppel, 4 Nov 1778: Dick and Geyer;
• 29) HMS Otter, 12 May 1779: Kemple and Spense;
• 30) HMS Cornwallis, 1 May 1779: Kemble;
• 31) HMS Delight, 25 Sept 1779: Kemble;
• 32) HMS Blonde, 30 July 1779: White;
• 33) HMS Raisonnable, 1 Sept 1779: Kemble;
• 34) HMS Rainbow, 1 May 1779: Kemble;
• 35) HMS Camilla, 25 May 1779: Kemble and Fowler;
• 36) HMS Renown, 12 Oct 1778: Kemble;
• 37) HMS Delight, 27 Oct 1779: White and Elliott;
• 38) Alexander Hood, Treasurer of the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich, 29 Oct 1779 [sworn in London]: Elliott;
• 39) HMS Iris, 8 April 1780: Kemble;
• 40) HMS Swift, 20 July 1779: Kemble;
• 41) HMS Romulus, 1 Nov 1779: Kemble: for the schooner Orient and the privateer sloop Revenge;
• 42) HMS Romulus, 15 Aug 1779: Kemble and John Stephens, purser of the Romulus: for the brigantine Bee and sloop Hope;
• 43) HMS Raleigh, 26 Aug 1780: F Green and Geyer;
• 44) HMS North, 18 Jan 1779: Dick and Geyer;
• 45) HMS Prudent, 9 June 1780: Kemble, H Wallace and Graves; for Le Farges;
• 46) HMS London, 12 June 1780: Kemble, H Wallace and Graves; for Le Farges, a French East India Co ship, a joint capture by Resolution, Bedford, Prudent, Royal Oak, America and Amphitrite, 8 June 1780;
• 47) HMS Pearl, 7 June 1780: Bayard;
• 48) HMS Bedford, 12 June 1780: Kemble, H Wallace and Graves; for Le Farges;
• 49) HMS Alcide, 14 Sept 1780: Paget and Wanton;
• 50) HMS Alcide, 13 Oct 1780: Paget and Wanton;
• 51) HMS Richmond, 1 July 1780: W Green and White;
• 52) Admiral Sir George Rodney, 21 Sept 1780: Blane;
• 53) HMS Adamant, 19 Oct 1780: Bayard;
• 54) HMS Royal Oak, 12 June 1780: Kemble, H Wallace and Graves; for Le Farges
• 55) HMS America, 10 June 1780: Kemble, H Wallace and Graves; for Le Farges
• 56) HMS Romulus, 14 May 1780: Kemble;
• 57) HMS Thames, 9 Feb 1780: Kemble and Wanton;
• 58) HMS Avenger, 16 April 1780: Kemble;
• 59) HMS Resolution, 12 June 1780: Kemble, H Wallace and Graves; for Le Farges
• 60) HMS Iris, 16 Sept 1780: Kemble;
• 61) HMS Virginia, 26 October 1780: Kemble and W Green;
• 62) HMS Guadeloupe, 10 July 1780: Crowder and White;
• 63) HMS Intrepid, 25 Sept 1780: Kemble;
• 64) HMS Cyclops, 12 Sept 1780: Kemble;
• 65) and 67) Commissioners of the Admiralty, 5 Sept 1780: John Jackson, as Receiver General of Rights and Perquisites of Admiralty [sworn in London];
• 66) HMS Triton, 20 May 1780: White and Crowder;
• 68) HMS Raleigh, 1 Nov 1780: Geyer; entered in error;
• 69) Admiral Sir George Rodney, 7 Nov 1780: White and Blane;
• 70) HMS Orpheus, 27 Feb 1781: Bayard;
• 71) HMS Fowey, 1 Dec 1780: Kemble and W Green;
• 72) HMS America, 11 Oct 1780: Kemble and Wallace;
• 73) HMS Amphitrite, 16 Nov 1780: Kemble and W Green;
• 74) HMS Charlestown, 17 Jan 1781: Kemble;
• 75) HMS Hope, 30 Dec 1780: Kemble and W Green;
• 76) HMS Vulture, 28 April 1781: Kemble;
• 77) HMS Greyhound, 1 Oct 1780: Kemble;
• 78) HMS Swift, 21 Dec 1780: Kemble and Graves;
• 79) HMS Virginia, 10 April 1779: Kemble;
• 80) HMS Charon, 10 Nov 1780: White;
• 81) HMS Assurance, 8 May 1781: Geyer and W Green;
• 82) HMS Roebuck, 1 April 1781: Kemble;
• 83) HMS Halifax, 1 Oct 1780: Kemble and W Green;
• 84) HMS Garland, 20 April 1781: Bayard;
• 85) Captains of HM ships employed in the reduction of Charleston, 12 May 1780: W Green;
• 86) HMS Bonetta, 1 May 1780: W Green;
• 87) HMS Romulus, 13 May 1780: W Green;
• 88) HMS Loyalist, 15 Dec 1779: W Green.

These are the records described by Charles M Andrews, Guide to the Materials for American History, to 1783, in the Public Record Office of Great Britain, Vol II (Washington, 1914), p 330, no 1824.

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