Captured ship: Le Robuste of La Rochelle, Antoine Damien master. Details: French...

Captured ship: Le Robuste of La Rochelle, Antoine Damien master. Details: French merchant ship with a cargo of indigo, sugar, coffee and hides, on a voyage from Cap François, Saint-Domingue, to La Rochelle, when captured off Cape Finisterre on 7 October 1756 by the Exeter privateer Hawke, John Hewison commander, and taken into Topsham. She was on the final leg of a voyage which had begun at La Rochelle, carrying brandy, sea-shells and linen to the Guinea Coast, where she picked up 550 slaves for Saint-Domingue, calling at São Tomé for provisions en route. When captured she was in convoy with La Gloire, S Sibeleau master, La Concorde, François Guillot master, and Le Juste, Jean Counil master; La Gloire and La Juste were also taken by the Hawke and other privateers, giving rise to claims for joint capture. Documents (mostly from Le Robuste, but including some from other ships of the convoy) (in French): ship's papers, including: the captain's orders (no. 129); permit from the French West Indies Company to engage in the slave trade (no. 130); acquit à caution (bond-note) (no. 131); congé (clearance certificate) (no. 132); extrait des registres du Greffe (customs duties) (nos. 133 to 136); receipt for 521 slaves issued by the Principal de la Marine in his capacity as Ordonnateur at Cap François (no. 137); passport for Le Robuste to travel from Fortaleza to Santo Domingo (in Portuguese) (nos. 138 and 139). Also c125 personal and business letters from Saint-Domingue to La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Paris and other locations in France, for onward delivery, one enclosing an account of the sale of slaves from Guinea transported by the Levrette of Bordeaux, 25 July 1756 (no. 26). Also, four bills of lading (strays from letters) (nos. 142 to 145). Nos. 146 and 147 are two letters marked as carried by Le Petit Lyon, and no. 148 Le Marie Esther, not part of this convoy (no. 148 transferred to HCA 32/223/18).

See HCA 30/255 and HCA 30/256 for more papers and mail, HCA 32/240/15 for the main collection of ship's papers and court process etc, HCA 32/197/5 and HCA 32/204/15 for court papers relating to the other ships of the convoy, and HCA 32/223/18 for more letters from Le Marie Esther.

Topics

Government finances

Taxation

Trade and commerce

Caribbean

Europe and Russia

Piracy and privateering

Slavery

Food and drink

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Africa