LEGAL DOCUMENT

Case: Robert Flowers etc. vs Ship Alexander and Cargo
Citation: 1 Rec. V.A. Ct. (R.I.) 161
Court: Rhode Island Vice Admiralty Court
Jurisdiction: Rhode Island
Decision Date: 1742-07-30
Docket Number: 
Pages: 161–163
Volume: 1
Reporter: Records of the Vice-Admiralty Court of Rhode Island, 1716-1752

Parties: Robert Flowers etc. vs Ship Alexander and Cargo

Robert Flowers etc. vs Ship Alexander and Cargo
The HonbIe Samuel Pemberton Esqr D Judge
Present: Joseph Fox Depy Regr Wm King Dep. Marsh1
The Court being Opened the Libel read and Allowed Cap4 Bull Attorney for Cap4 Richardson Master of said Ship entered his Plea, and several Papers were lodged in Court and then Philip Webster was Sworn and his Evidence taken, the Court is adjourned to 3 aClock P.M — The Court being Opened According to Adjournment, William Dunbar, Gideon Bragden were Sworn and their Evidences taken The Court is adjourned until to Morrow 8 aClock A: M
Whereas the Ship Alexander William Richardson Master bound from Jamaica to London, took in her Load of Sugars etc. from Savanna La Marr and went from thence to Bluefields and after being Sometime there found that the Said Ship had Sprung a Leak, And at the Request of Said William Richardson, Cap4 William Marshall of the Ship Sheldon, and Cap4 John Tedball of the Ship Georges, upon a Survey by them made Declare That the Said Ship Alexander made no more Water in half an hour Than what was pumped out in three Minutes, Yet Notwithstanding She made then so little, The Mate and other Officers of the Said Ship Alexander Protested against the Said Ship and refus’d to Putt to Sea, w4h their said Cap4 But after-wards upon Severall perswasions of their Said Cap4 they Consented to go to Sea with Said Ship, and Accordingly proceeded with Said Ship in Company with the above named Cap4 William Marshall and Cap4 George Arthur under the Convoy of Cap4 Robert Flower of the Sloop Bonetta, Cap4 John Rous of the Belinder Young Eagle, and Cap4 William Wilkinson of the Sloop Mary, Three English Privateers, And that the Said Ship when at Sea made more Water than when at an Anchor at Bluefields, and upon putting in at the Grand Caimainas, at the Request of the Said William Richardson Was held a Further Survey on the Said Ship Alexander, by these Captains, Wm Marshall George Arthur, Robert Flower, John Rous and William Wilkinson, Who all Declare that the Said Ship Alexander may very Safely proceed on her Voyage, and was Determined so to Do, by the Advice of the aforesaid Capts and the Consent of the Said Cap* William Richardson, and was to have been assisted w*h more men from Cap* Robert Flowers, Cap* John Rous and Cap* William Wilkinson, But in the Night being the Twenty Ninth Day of July 1742, John Young Chief Mate of the Said Ship Alexander (whereof Said Wm Richardson is Master) w‘h John Steward Boatswain and Nicholas Holmes Gunner, Did hoist out one of the Boats of the Said Ship Alexander, while the Cap* was asleep, and with them went Thomas Traiswarner, Alexander Webb Joseph Walker and the Cabbin Boy belonging to the said Master and Likewise robb’d the said Ship of Sundry Small Arms, Cutlasses and provisions, and feloniously ran away with Said Ship’s Boat and things above-mentioned, and Left the Said Ship, in the Utmost Distress to have Sunk, And About four o’ th’ Clock in the morning a hard Squall of Wind Came Down and the Ship Drove out to Sea having parted her Cable, The aforesaid Cap* Wm Richardson being left in this Distress and not knowing in what manner to proceed, but must intirely have perished Ship and Cargoe, by being Distress’d the abovementioned John Young, John Stewart, Nicholas Holmes, and the rest of the beforementioned in the manner above related, The Captains of the aforementioned Privateers, Seeing the Said Ship Drive out to Sea in that Distress, Did then Send off Men, on board the Said Ship, to take Care of her, and by Consent of the Said Wm Richardson, Did take possession of Said Ship, but the Men belonging to The Said Privateers, which would have proceeded in the Said Ship Alexander wth Said Cap* William Richardson, Did now Actually refuse to proceed in the Said Ship, by reason of the Said John Young and the others abovementioned running away from the Said Ship, Therefore the abovenamed Cap* William Richardson Doth now Protest against the Said John Young and all the others aforementioned, for Loss of the Said Ship, which would have been prevented had they remained on board have Done their Duty, And now the Said Cap* William Richardson, not knowing in what manner to Proceed, for the Safety of the Said Ship Alexander and her Cargoe, but by making Application to Cap* Rob* Flowers, John Rous and William Wilkinson, for the Interest of the Owner, of the Said Ship and freighters, to take the Said Ship into their possession and Care to Conduct her Safely into Some port belonging to his Majesty of Great Britain, the Danger of the Seas and Enemy Excepted, Allowing them a Proper Salvage as is Customary in all Such Cases, Which was Agreed upon between the Said Cap* William Richardson and the afores3 Captains Robert Flower John Rous, and William Wilkinson, And Further the Said Cap* Wm Richardson Did go on board the Ship Sheldon, and Did then and there Con- suit with the Said Cap‘s Marshall, and Arthur What to Do with the Said Ship and Cargoe, and after Consulting Sometime and they Considering that there was no possibility of any relief, to be had here and that the Said Ship must intirely, Sink and perish The aforementioned Privateers would have assisted them wth Some men, but Could not with a Ships Company, and all his Officers was run away, there was none of the Privateers men would Stay wtl1 him, Notwithstanding the Said Captains of the aforesaid Privateers would have used all the perswasions they Could with their people to have Stay’d Therefore the Said Cap* Wm Marshall and Cap* George Arthur Did Advise the Said Cap* Richardson to make Application to the aforesaid Captains of the Privateers and Deliver the Said Ship into their hands and Possession as aforementioned being the Only Way they Could advise him to, for the Safety of the Ship and Cargoe.
Given under Our hands at the Island of Grand Caimainas the 30th Day of July 174J2]
Wm Marshall Wm Richardson
George Arthur
George Filer
Cap* William Richardson Acknowledged in Open Court that the Name William Richardson above subscribed was his own hand Writing.