Cataloguing HCA Prize Papers & Captured Papers

1. Cataloguing HCA Prize Papers & Captured Papers Amanda Bevan and Randolph Cock 6 October 2014

2. A ship is stopped or captured … the ship’s papers are inspected • If it is friendly or a neutral and NOT carrying warlike stores, it may be let go • If it is an enemy ship, or a neutral carrying warlike stores, it will be taken as a prize

3. The captors • collect and inspect all papers on the ship, including mail for delivery • search for hidden papers or evidence of status • sail the ship to a friendly port with a prize crew • take senior members of the original crew to testify as to the nationality of ship and cargo

4. At the port • local commissioners ask a set series of questions - the standing interrogatories • the prize commander testifies about the capture, and as to papers taken from the ship • the captured crew testify and are paroled as prisoners of war • the answers [examinations or interrogations] and the papers from the ship are sent to the High Court of Admiralty in London

5. At the HCA, the case began • a public notice of the capture (monition) was displayed at the Royal Exchange • claims to the cargo or ship were put in by any interested parties

6. At the HCA, the papers were • assessed for relevance • translated for assessment • numbered by the court • and if valuable as evidence, put forward to the court with the legal papers – examinations, claims, attestations, allegations – for judgement (sentence)

7. …all could be numbered and assessed, if necessary

8. The HCA used these documents to prove the ‘national’ status of claimants [owners of cargo or ship] • nationality, allegiance, ‘subjectship’, ‘citizenship’ • resident in an enemy state or passing through? • any strong attachment to claimed neutral abode – where is the real domicile?

9. Clear from notes and reports that the HCA judge looked very closely at evidence

10. Examinations and ship’s papers are read Enemy ship? Enemy or warlike cargo? Yes [about 70%]: condemnation of ship and cargo as prize No or maybe: investigations into papers to assess claims to ship or cargo

11. What did they do with the papers? Working papers, on which the court based its judgement: indexed by HCA [HCA 32] Other papers (including mail) which may be of use in an appeal: not indexed by HCA [HCA 30]

12. HCA 32/722 K 1793 HCA 30/752 Danish 1790-1801 • Our brief lists used • letter of ship’s name [HCA 32] • nationality [HCA 30] • HCA 30 more inviting, and so most used – and data given back to TNA catalogue, • but HCA 32 is vital for context …

13. We aim to • create a brief listing of all captured ships • work out a simple but robust reference system • work with you to establish cross-references to any reference systems you use • identify those ships carrying mail and papers

14. Work done so far on HCA 32… Wars of 1775-1815: 19,000 ships briefly listed - by court number, ship and master. Some ‘nationality.’ No longer just K HCA 32/722/1 K1. Krone Van Breinen (master Daancker). HCA 32/722/2 K2. Krageroe (master Elieson).

15. Work in progress on HCA 32… War of 1756-1763: 1,886 ships: detailed draft list War of 1739-1748: 1,788 ships: detailed listing Wars of 1655-1723: no indexes, no detail: still to do

16. 1950s: Charles Gaskoin • War of Austrian Succession • 7 Years War • He moved associated papers from HCA 30 into HCA 32 for these wars. • Died before completing the moves • Volunteers are checking and labelling

17. Captured ship: Le Walpole: master Julien Tanquerel (previously William Jackson). History: French, formerly English, merchant ship, captured by the French privateer La Grande Biche; retaken by the Greyhound privateer; recaptured by French privateers and carried to Newfoundland; finally retaken by HMS Fly. Documents: allegation; claim; examinations; ship's papers. 1745 A ‘Gaskoin’ description

18. Captured ship:Franciscus: master Christian Lourentzen. History: Hamburg merchant ship (from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) alleged to be going to Dunkirk. Documents: allegation; claims with attestations; ship's papers, translations; examinations; master's valuation of the ship; bills of lading, correspondence from Tenerife to London, Hamburg, Amsterdam, etc; miscellaneous papers; letters from English, Irish and other merchants, specimens of cloth; a printed papal bull; violin music 1744 A ‘Gaskoin’ amalgamation of HCA 32 and HCA 30

19. Without a dollar in my pocket A film about a young Irishman living in Tenerife in 1744, and his letters about his adventures, sent home to Waterford, Ireland

20. Surveying HCA 30: captured papers

21. Surveying HCA 30: what ship? • Context has often been lost • Clues can lead to HCA 32 – or not … • Appeals also deposited unneeded papers in HCA 30

22. A clue – not always this easy!

23. HCA 30: problems • loose bills of lading, private collections of old papers, letters and ships’ logs – do not always indicate the captured ship [‘inherited’ papers] • case: Little Sally • papers of more than one ship in a box • papers of one ship split among several boxes

24. HCA 30: language • Lots of technical vocabulary • A dozen languages and counting …

25. Case: Santa Catherina HCA 30/682 Catalogue description: ‘Armenian and Spanish’

26. The translators

27. All need work … Appeals: often printed • High Court of Appeals for Prizes • Appeals from HCA in HCA 42 • Appeals from colonial Vice-Admiralty Courts in HCA 49 • Both these store ‘unneeded’ papers in HCA 30 • From there: High Court of Delegates • Appeals in DEL 2 • From there: Privy Council • Still in the process of transfer to TNA (1740s-1815)