Name of Vessel:

Hannah

Master of Vessel:

William Wilkinson [Wilkenson, Wilkson]

Rig of Vessel:

Schooner

Date of Capture:

[15 December] 1776

Place of Capture:

Captor:

New York Navy Sloop Montgomery

Home Port:

Liverpool, England

From What Port:

Halifax, Nova Scotia

To What Port:

New York, New York

Cargo:

Woolens, Irish linen, cheese, porter, provisions, cordage, hardware

Tonnage:

60

Battery:

Crew:

4 [total]

Owners:

Prizemaster:

Prizecrew:

Ordered Into:

Baltimore, Maryland

Into What Port:

Baltimore, Maryland

Date Arrived:

7 January 1777

Date Tried:

10 February 1777

Date Sold:

[March] 1776

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Schooner Hannah (William Wikinson), had sailed from Liverpool for Halifax in late 1776. At Halifax she picked up a varied cargo of woolens, Irish linen, cheese, porter, provisions, cordage and hardware for delivery at New York and St. Augustine. She sailed in late November 1776. Traveling aboard her were the owner and his wife. After a stopover at Halifax, she was en route to New York when she was captured by New York Navy Sloop Montgomery (Captain William Rogers), about 15 December 1776. Brigantine Minerva (John Winning) was captured about the same time. Montgomery took both prizes into Chesapeake Bay, arriving at Hampton, Virginia on 3 January 1777. Hannah was warped into Hampton River, while Rogers traveled up to Williamsburg. On 7 January 1777 the prizes sailed up to Baltimore, Rogers paying a hefty pilotage fee for the Hannah’s pilot. Rogers was quite pleased with the Hannah: a sixty-ton, double-decked vessel, stuffed full of assorted goods. To expedite trial and condemnation, Rogers suggested appointing a local agent to help, or sending Tom Pierson, the agent in New York Meanwhile, New York Delegate to the Continental Congress and Marine Committeeman Francis Lewis interested himself in the case. By 31 January he had obtained and filed libels on the two vessels with trial set for 10 February 1777. Part of the schooner’s perishable cargo was to be sold under care of Maryland's Continental Agent, William Lux, and other parts reserved for the use of New York. The perishables were sold on 4 February 1777.

Meanwhile the master of the Hannah, “Wilkson,” became ill, and died at Baltimore. The crew of three were paid their wages. On 20 March 1777, Rogers was reimbursed by agent William Lux for all the expenses relating to the Hannah. According to Rogers the Hannah sold for £11000 (Maryland). Francis Lewis notified the Council of Safety on 31 May 1777 that the delayed accounts of the sloop’s Baltimore stay would be soon forwarded, along with the captor’s share of the prize monies.

[NDAR, VII, 100, 857, 974 and note, 987, 1071-1072, 1106, 1190-1192; VIII, 158-159, 933-934; IX, 41-43]

Posted 29 July 2011

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