[7] The moidore is here reckoned at 44s. New York money; it is reckoned above at 135s. New England money.
147. Petition and Complaint of John Freebody. November 5, 1741.[1]
At a Court of Admiralty holden at Boston before the Hono'ble Robert Auchmuty, Esq'r., Judge of said Court, December the Seventh, Anno. Dom. 1741.
| Province of the Massachusetts Bay SS. | To the Hono'ble Robert Auchmuty, Esqr., Judge of Vice Admiralty in Boston. |
The Petition and Complaint of John Freebody of Newport, Merchant, in behalf of himself and Benjamin Norton, Owners of a Privateer Sloop Called the Revenge, and as Agent for and in behalf of the Officers and Mariners Belonging to sd Sloop, Humbly Sheweth to your Honour that the Said Vessell, Under the Command of said Benjamin Norton, Manned With Sixty Men, Officers and Marriners, Sailed Out on a Cruize from Newport in Rhode Island Against the Spaniards in June last, and in the Latitude of Thirty Degrees North, About Twenty Leagues from the Havannah, near the Island of Cuba, they met with a Spanish Privateer of Six Carriage Guns and ten Swivel Guns, with men Answerable, On or about the 26th day of September last, which Privateer had About Fourteen days before that taken a Briganteen called the Sarah, with her Cargo, Consisting of Ten Hogsheads of Barbadoes Rum, Sixteen Hogsheads of Brown Sugar, Sundry Bales of Cotten, Being in all about One Ton and a half, together with Ten Barrells of Sugar and About Twenty barrells of Limes, Altogether of the Value of Five thousand Pounds in Publick Bills of Credit Usually Current here, which Vessell was Owned by John Tyler and Thomas Lee, Subjects of the Crown of Great Britain and now Resident in this Place, as was also part of the said Cargo as Enumerated, the Rest belonging to Other Subjects Liveing also at Boston but Unknown to the Complainant, and the said Sloop Revenge Engaged and took the said Spanish Privateer and at the Same time Retook the said Briganteen And Cargo and Redeemed the master, whose name is Thomas Smith, and his Hands, from the Power of the Spaniards, and for that the said Briganteen And Cargo had been at Such time a fortnight in the hands of the Spaniards as their Prize, the said Benjamin Norton put one of his hands aboard and Order'd the said Vessell to proceed directly to Newport To be Restored to the Owners upon paying as Salvage One Moiety of said Briganteen and her Cargo, pursuant to an Act of Parliament Made and Passed in the 13th year of the Reign of his Present Majesty King George the Second Entituled an Act for the more Effectual Secureing and Encourageing the Trade of His Majesties —— British Subjects to America and for the Encouragement of Seamen to Enter into his Majesties Service,[2] Whereby Amongst Other things It is Provided and Enacted to the following purpose and Effect, vizt. that the Vessells and Goods of British Subjects Surprized and Retaken from the Enemy, if by a Private man of War Commissioned properly thereto, In Case the Vessell and Cargo had been Above Ninety Six hours in the Possession of the Enemy that took the same, then to be Adjudged To be Restored to the Owners, they paying for and in Lieu of Salvage One full Moiety or half part of said Vessell and Goods so taken And Restored, without any deduction Whatsoever, as in and by the said Act, Reference thereto being had, more fully may Appear. Now So it is that notwithstanding said Briganteen and Cargo had been taken as A Prize by said Spanish Privateer and in their possession as such For twelve or Fourteen days before she was Retaken by the said Benjamin Norton, who was properly Commissioned thereto in said Sloop Revenge, yet the said Thomas Smith, to Defeat the said Act And deprive the said Compl't[3] together with said Norton and Crew of their Right and due as Abovesaid, Contrary to the mind of One Jeremiah Harman who was on purpose left in said Briganteen to Proceed therein and Assert their Right that Surprized and Retook her, Yet the said Thomas instead of Proceeding to Newport as intended Came in said Vessell and with the Aforesaid Cargo to this Port of Boston, Where they Arrived in Safety in said Briganteen and with the Aforesaid Cargo on or about the 23d day of October 1741, and haveing turned the Said Jeremiah on shore have Unladed and Delivered the said Briganteen Of her Cargo and Effects and is now Preparing to send with the Owners Consent Or go with the said Briganteen on a New Voyage Directly, without haveing Obtained Any Decree of this Court as the Act directs or made Application therefore, nor will the said Master Thomas Smith and Owners, tho' requested, pay and give the said Moiety of the Vessell and Cargo so Retaken or any part thereof to the Complainant For the Uses and purposes abovesaid. Wherefore this being of a Maratime nature and regarding a Vessell and Cargo retaken on the High Seas, Expressly falls within the Jurisdiction of this Hono'ble Court. It's therefore pray'd your honour will cause the said Vessell and Cargo so Retaken to be Seized and Kept in the hands of the Marshall till a final Decree may be made on the premises Pursuant to Said Act, and that the said Thomas Smith, John Tyler and Thomas Lee may be Summoned in Case they or any of them see fit to Appear and Answer this Complaint, and that the Complainant may Obtain for the Uses and Purposes aforesaid your Honours Decree for One Full Moiety or half part of said Brigantine and her Cargo or be Otherwise Relieved in the Premises, as your Hon'r shall Judge meet. And as In duty Bound the Complainant shall always—
John Freebody for himself and Benja. Norton, Owners, and as Agent for and in behalf of said master, Officers and Seamen belonging to the Sloop Revenge.
1741 Nov'r 5th filed and Allow'd and Ordered that the Vessell and Cargo be Arrested and Kept in the Marshalls Custody untill Security be given to Abide the Event of the Case, and that the Aforesd Owners and Master Be Cited to Answer this Libel on Monday next at three aClock p.m.
Rob't Auchmuty, Judge Ad'y.
[1] Records of the Admiralty Court held in Boston, "vol. V.", kept in the Suffolk County Court-house. These supplement effectively the papers given to the Massachusetts Historical Society by Professor Norton.
[2] 13 Geo. II. ch. 4.