Thos. Miller.[3]
[1] The document is not dated; the date may be supplied from [doc. no. 188], [p. 550], infra.
[2] Metal? The valuation indicates alloyed gold. The slanting mark after 8 is for shillings, and the shilling in this account is the New York shilling, equivalent to 12½ cents.
[3] Thomas Miller was a nephew of Jasper Farmer; C.F. Billopp, History of Thomas and Ann Billopp Farmer, pp. 45, 46.
187. Deposition of Don Felipe Ybañez.[1] September 2, 1758.
Province of New York.
Court of Vice Admiralty.
The Deposition of Don Phelipe Ybanes being before Sworn and now Examined on the part of our Lord the King on the Lybel of William Kempe, Esqr.[2] his Majes'ys Advocate General for this Province of New York Against Thomas Miller and Sampson Simpson[3] Defendants.
1st. This Deponent saith that his Name is Phelipe Ybanes Aged thirty seven years Born at St. Lucar[4] in Old Spain by Ocupation a Mariner and subject to the King of Spain.
2ly. That his first knowledge of Richd. Haddon and the Schooner Peggy was on the sixth or Seventh Day of December 1756. That he first knew the Schooner called the Virgin of the Rosary and Santo Christo in the year 1756 when he bought her in Jamaica. That she belonged to Port Trinity[5] on the Island of Cuba immediately before the 6th and 7th Days of December 1756. He this Depon't being then Commander of said Schooner having his Resident in the Havana with his Family. That he was on board said Schooner on the 6th and 7th days of December 1756 as Commander and Owner. That said Schooner was not then Equipped to use Force in any manner but only as a trading Vessel. That she had on board three small Guns unloaded and Six Swivel Guns, three of which were Loaded with Ball in Case of Necessity to make Signals but all in the Hold for Ballast, and fourteen Hangers,[6] which was all the Arms on board. That he this Deponent was sole Owner of said Schooner at that time. That when he this Deponent was met with by Richd. Haddon on the 6th or 7th Day of December 1756, he[7] came from Port Trinity but last from Port Banes[8] Eight Leagues from the Havana in the same District where he touched and took in for Jamaica, where he was Bound, two Passengers both Eng'h Subjects named Henry Myerhoffer[9] and Willm. Abbot[10] Beside which he took in Eight Spaniards. That they then made to the Number of Sixteen Spaniards on board and two English, seven of which were Mariners. The Names of the Spaniards were Don Phelipe Ybanes Capn. and Owner, Don Francisco Garcia, Pasqual de Cordova, Don Geronimo de la Cal, Cayetano Peres, Pablo Antonio Corea, Marcelino Marero, Silvestre Manuel de Castro, Miguel de Fuentes, Henry Myerhoffer, and Wm. Abbot English Passengers, Juan Lorenso Boatswain, Matheas Antonio, Antonio Malacallo, Bedro Valderama, Antonio Gonis, Bernardo Martines, Antonio Navarette, Mariners. That the Spanish Passengers were Residents at the Havana with their Families and so were the Seamen Except one who is a Resident at St. Agustin. That the motive of the Spanish passengers going in said Schooner was to trade at Jamaica. That said Schooner had no more Mariners on board than is Customary nor so many as is quite Necessary for such a Vessel. That there was no such person on board said Schooner as Francisco Raphel[11] at the time she was taken by Richd. Haddon nor any French Subjects.
3ly. That all the Papers was the Licence and some Letters for some Merch'ts at Kingston in Jamaica. That said Licence was for said Schooner to go from Port Trinity to Port Mansanillo[12] which Licence and said Papers was taken from said Don Phelipe Ybanes by said Richd. Haddon by Force. That he this Deponent as soon as he came on board the Privateer shewed Richd. Haddon his Licence.