Name of Vessel:

Christian

Master of Vessel:

Avery

Rig of Vessel:

Sloop

Date of Capture:

[2] December 1775

Place of Capture:

Hampton Roads, Virginia

Captor:

Virginia Navy Schooner Liberty

Home Port:

From What Port:

Norfolk, Virginia

To What Port:

Glasgow, Scotland

Cargo:

Wheat, staves

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Archibald Govan of Virginia

Prizemaster:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Hampton, Virginia

Into What Port:

Hampton, Virginia

Date Arrived:

[2] December, 1775

Date Tried:

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Virginia Navy Schooner Liberty (Captain James Barron) made her first recorded capture by capturing sloop or ship Christian.  Christian (Avery), owned by Archibald Govan, with a cargo of wheat and staves, had sailed for Glasgow, Scotland, but met with a storm and ran back into Hampton Roads. There, between 2 and 8 December 1775, she was captured by a party of minute-men under Captain James Barron and taken to Hampton. A number of anti-American letters from Norfolk were found aboard, but none by her owner. This was the third time this vessel had been forced back by bad weather. On 21 December Govan petitioned the Virginia Convention regarding the Christian. Govan claimed she had been loaded in agreement with the Continental Association. As there was no market for the cargo in Virginia, he offered her cargo to the colony for the use of its army. He also offered the sloop for use as a naval vessel. His petition was referred to a committee. She was laying at Hampton on 30 December 1775.

[NDAR, II, 1309 and note; III, 117-118, 197, 309]

Revised 10 August 2009