From ———: The Substance of Standing Interrogatories of George III to Commanders of Captured Ships (unpublished)

The Substance of Standing Interrogatories to be administered on behalf of our Sovereign Lord Geo: the 3d. by the Grace of God &ca. To all Commanders Masters Officers Mariners & other persons found on board any Ship or Vessell which hath been or shall be seized or taken as prize by any of His Majesty’s Ships & Vessells of War, concerning such captured Ships Vessells or any Goods wares or Merchandize on board the same, are to such persons who shall be brought to be examined as Witnesses in preparatory, in consequence of [an edict?] passed in the present Session of Parliament prohibiting all Trade & Commerce with the Colonies of New Hampshire &ca & Georgia during the Continuance of the present Rebellion within the said Colonies. Let each person be interrogated to every of the following Questions & their Answer to each severally be written down.

1st. Where were you born, & where liv’d for seven years just past? Where do you live now & how long have you liv’d there? To what Province & what State, or to whom are you or have you ever been subject? And at what Cities or Towns have you been admitted [illegible] and at what time?

2d. Were you present at the taking & seizing the Ship lading &ca? If not, how when & where were you first made acquainted therewith? Had the Ship any Commission? what & from whom?

3d. In what place & at what time was the Capture made, and upon what pretence or reasons? Where was it carried? Under what Colours did the Ship sail? Was any Resistance made? By whom? How many Guns were fined? By whom? By what Ship or Ships taken? was it Vessell of War or Ship acting you believe without Commission?

4. What is the Masters name of the Ship taken & how long have you known him? Who appointed him to the command? When did he take it? Who delivered the possession? Where is the Masters fix’d abode; where does he reside? How long liv’d there? Where born? to whom now subject? Whether married, & where wife & Children reside?

5. Of what burthen is the Capture? What number of Mariners? of what Country? taken on board at one or different ports? Who ship’d & hired them? and when & where?

6. Had you or any of the Crew any Interest in Ship or lading? & what? Did you belong to Ship when taken? & in what Capacity? How long known the Ship? where first seen her? where build?

7. What Ships name? & how long so? What other names? Any passport or Sea Brief on board; and from whom? What Ports touch’d at? where voyage began? & where to be ended? What Cargoes has the Ship formerly carried; & where delivered?

8. What lading when first setting sail? what when taken? When sent on board? Different quality & Quantity of each?

9. Who Owners when Ship seized? How do you know this? Of what Nation & Residence are they? Where their Families reside? To whom subject?

10. Any Bill of Sale to such Owners? & the time? when last seen & what became of it?

11. Lading at one time & port; or not? What ports & what Quantitys of Cargo shipd at each Port?

12. What name of Laders Owners or Consigners of such Goods? of what Country & residence & whence trading? When Goods to have been delivered? & for whose risque or account? Can you swear whose, both at loading & now? and whither if at the destined Ports, the Goods did or would belong to the same & none others?

13. How many Bills of Lading were signed? Were they false or [illegible]? or were any sign’d different form those taken? what were the Contents of such others & what became of them?

14. Are those bills of lading, instruments &ca. in Great Britain? Where are they? what are they? in whose possession? who brought them?

15. Was there any charter Party signed? When where & between whom made? what the Contents? What became of it?

16. What papers were there on board when She took her departure from last Port? Were any destroyed, concealed, or attempted to be so? By whom? And who present?

17. Has the Ship before been a Prize? In what Port so carried? By whom & by what authority so condemned?

18. Have you sustained loss by this Capture? and how computed? Have you been indemnified, or promised Indemnity? and when & from whom?

19. Is the Ship or Cargo in any part insured? By whom? At what Premium? When? & in what Country?

20. At unlading at destined Port, would the Cargo have belong’d to the Consigner or others? & whom? or was the Lader for a Market? In case of Recapture of Ship Goods hostage or Ransom bill, is this British or Foreign in Kings Service, besides the above Interrogatories, Interrogate;

21. What place & Circumstances of Capture & Recapture? so as to show number of hours in the Enemies Custody & their treatment of Hostages, particularly let the Hostage be examined. And in case of Ransom

22. What the hostages can inform about reasons & conditions of Ransoms. Be very circumspect as to number of Prisoners released? the place where Ship discharged, quality of Cargo & time of Release? and the necessity for releasing Prisoners

Additional Interrogatories.

1. Of what [growth] Product & manufacture as to place & Country, was the lading or any part?

2. Was all the Cargo or any part taken from the Shore or Quay, or brought by water thither in Boat Bark vessell or Ship? From what place or bottom, to what place or bottom; & when & where was the same done?

3. Are there in any Country besides Great Britain or in any other Vessell, documents relative to the Vessell in question? or her Cargo?

4. Were any Papers delivered & carried away from vessell in any manner? When, by whom, & to whom? and in whose Custody or possession do you believe they now are?

5. Was Bulk broken during the Voyage or since the Capture? And when, where, by whom, by whose orders, for what Purpose, & in what manner?

Notation: Interrogatories
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