Captured ship: L'Ocean of Bordeaux (master André Begeaud or Bigaud). History: a French...

Captured ship: L'Ocean of Bordeaux (master André Begeaud or Bigaud).

History: a French ship (265 tons, 14 guns, 37 men), bound from Bayonne to Cartagena de Indias [Colombia] or perhaps to Martinique, laden with provisions and naval stores [Spanish trade]; taken on 10/21 March 1742 off the island of Lasago [unidentified: possibly the Portuguese Ilhas Selvagens, in English the Savage Islands or Dry Salvages] by HMS Leopard (George [Forrester], Lord Forrester commanding), and brought first into Plymouth, then into the River Thames.

Documents:-

Court Papers [a contested cause]:

• [CP 1-CP 3]: attestion and two claims of the master, May 1742;
• [CP 4-CP 13]: two sets of standing interrogatories, three examinations taken at Portsmouth, two commissioner's affidavits, attestation as to the perishing nature of the cargo, two wrappers, June 1742;
• [CP 14-CP 19]: four exhibits annexed to the above interrogatories, a certificate of baptism, certificate of marriage, invoice and muster roll, all with translations;
• [CP 20-CP 27]: seven affidavits on behalf of 35 individuals, with an annexed inventory of clothing and personal effects aboard L'Ocean, brought into court July 1742;
• [CP 28-CP 31]: four attestations, brought into court July 1743;
• [CP 32-CP 73]: allegation, wrapper, 19 annexed exhibits, including letters, insurance papers, bills of lading and customs papers, brought into court November 1742;
• [CP 74-CP 79]: four sets of additional interrogatories, envelope, scrap paper;
• [CP 80-CP 85]: attestation, two appraisements, two notices for sale of the ship's goods, docket, brought into court January 1743;
• [CP 86-CP 87]: allegation, attestation as to the perishing nature of the cargo, February-March 1743;
• [CP 88-CP 102a]: letter of attorney, allegation with attached commission, notes relating to articles of examination, seven examinations, commissioner's affidavit, commission, April 1743;
• [CP 103-CP 108]: four releases, attestation with annexed exhibit, April-August 1743;
• [CP 109-CP 121]: papers relating to examinations taken at Bayonne; commission and substitution with French translations, additional interrgatories, examinations, related French legal papers, translations, envelope, August-September 1743;
• [CP 122-CP 137]: papers relating to examinations taken at Bordeaux; commission and a substitution with French translations, allegation with French translation, examinations, related French legal papers, translations, three envelopes, October 1743;
• [CP 138-CP 139]: commission of appraisement, attached inventory, December 1743-February 1744;
• [CP 140-CP 141]: attestation as to papers, abstracts and translations of the 11 ship's papers in Bundle A.

Ship's Papers [includes a master's archive and other personal archives]:-

• Bundle A, numbered SP A/1-SP A/11: muster roll, letters to Captain Begeaud, customs papers, bill of lading, envelope;
• Bundle 1, numbered SP 1/1-SP 1/8: extracts from French church registers, account book, two sets of navigation exercises, navigation journals for previous voyages of the ships L'Ocean, Le Jazon and La Belle Louise;
• Bundle 2, numbered SP 2/1-SP 2/12: notebooks, leather wallet, 'Memoires d'un voyage de L'Amerique', collections of songs in French, navigation exercises (SP 2/2 not here);
• Bundle 3, numbered SP 3/1-SP 3/91: letters addressed to members of the crew, predominantly the second pilot Jean Formentin, while at Bordeaux, Bayonne, Martinique, Fort Royal and Panage [?]; includes a small number of receipts and other papers;
• Bundle 4, numbered SP 4/1-SP 4/70: letters addressed to André Bigeaud at Bayonne, but with a small number to other members of the crew; further letters to Martinique and Saint Domingue;
• Bundle 5, numbered SP 5/1-SP 5/64: letters addressed to André Bigeaud and Jean Formentin while at Bayonne; further letters to San Sebastian, Martinique and Saint Domingue;
• Bundle 6, numbered SP 6/1-SP 6/52: letters addressed to Jean Formentin and others at Martinique, Bayonne and Cadiz; further papers include receipts, songs, accounts and a bill of lading;
• Bundle 7, numbered SP 7/1-SP 7/57: letters to and from Bayonne, a number addressed to Jean Baptiste Labastide; ship's papers for previous voyages, including muster rolls, navigation calculations, receipts, medicine lists, customs papers and cargo lists (SP 7/28-7/30, 7/48 not here);
• Bundle 8, numbered SP 8/1-SP 8/14: scrap paper, envelopes, blank bills of lading, illustration of a compass.
• Further personal papers of Captain André Begeaud or Bigaud, in a silk wallet [6 total], have been extracted to HCA 65/22.

[Decision: restored as neutral, with costs and damages; papers retained for an appeal still pending, 7 July 1744. Appeal papers, see HCA 42/43/1]

See also IND 1/9022, f194 HCA 65/22

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