[1] Public Record Office, Admiralty, 1:3819. The writer, Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785), celebrated as a governor of Rhode Island (1755-1757, 1758-1762, 1763-1765, 1767-1768) and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was at this time governor. The letter is a duplicate bearing an original signature. It was addressed to Richard Partridge, agent in London for the colony from 1715 to 1759. He dying March 5, 1759, receipt of this letter is acknowledged by his executor, Joseph Sherwood, May 11; letter in Miss Kimball's Correspondence of the Colonial Governors of Rhode Island, II. 289. Sherwood, appointed agent as Partridge's successor, pursued the general assembly's request, but apparently without success, the Lords of the Admiralty thinking it unnecessary to appoint a register and marshal in Rhode Island, when there were already such officers in Massachusetts; ibid., II. 289, 293, 298, 304, 306.
[2] By vote of the assembly, R.I. Col. Rec., VI. 107, passed at the October session of 1757, Stephen Hopkins was instructed to write to London requesting the appointment of a vice-admiralty judge especially for Rhode Island, and recommending Col. John Andrews to be the person. He wrote to Partridge, who on May 13, 1758, acknowledges receipt of the letter, Kimball, Corr. Govs. R.I., II. 273, and on May 24 announces his success, ibid., II. 275, where also is printed the warrant of the Lords of the Admiralty to Sir Thomas Salusbury, judge of the High Court of Admiralty, to issue a commission to Andrews. Thus Rhode Island was taken out of the jurisdiction of Chambers Russell, vice-admiralty judge at Boston, who is commonly said to have been judge for all southern New England from 1750 to 1767. Andrews remained judge till the Revolution.
[3] George Gibbs, appointed marshal about 1743, ibid., I. 244.
[4] Vote in R.I. Col. Rec., VI. 174.
[5] Postmaster of Newport. His diary during his banishment thence as a Tory in 1776 has been printed in R.I. Hist. Tracts, XIII. (Providence, 1881).
[6] Captain of Fort George, Newport.
201. Notes on Commissions for Trying Pirates. March 10, 1762, August 26, 1772.[1]
Sir,
I take the Liberty to acquaint you, that in Obedience to the Directions of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, signified by your Letter of the 30th December last, I have solicited the passing of several Commissions through the proper Offices, for Trying Pirates at the following Places, Vizt.