Name of Vessel:

Lucy

Master of Vessel:

Nathaniel Watson

Rig of Vessel:

Brig

Date of Capture:

19 May 1777

Place of Capture:

Captor:

Continental Navy Sloop Providence

Home Port:

From What Port:

Cork, Ireland

To What Port:

Quebec, Quebec

Cargo:

Clothing, provisions, recruits

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Prize master:

Lieutenants Adam W. Thaxter and Esek Hopkins, Je.

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Boston, Massachusetts

Into What Port:

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

Yes

Comments: British Transport Brig Lucy (Nathaniel Watson) was bound to Quebec, Quebec from Cork, Ireland with a cargo of provisions, clothing and thirty-six recruits for the British Army in Quebec. Other sources indicate as many as fifty soldiers were aboard. Armed with twelve or fourteen guns and having a British privateer commission, Lucy was being used as part of the escort for a small convoy bound to New York, New York. When Continental Navy Sloop Providence (Captain Jonathan Pitcher) was seen dogging the convoy on 19 May 1777, Lucy was ordered out to capture the Providence. Pitcher decoyed her out of sight from the convoy, then put about and attacked. A fight of four and a half hours (“nine glasses”) followed before Lucy surrendered.  At least seventeen prisoners were removed to the Providence, but the officers were put aboard a vessel bound for France. An invoice found aboard indicated the value of the cargo was at least £10000. Lucy was ordered to Boston, Massachusetts with Lieutenant Adam W. Thaxter and Lieutenant Esek Hopkins, Jr. aboard as prize masters. Lucy was re-captured on 5 June 1777 by HM Frigates Amazon (Captain Maximilian Jacobs) and Juno about forty-five miles from Nantucket, Massachusetts. The prisoners were kept on the Amazon and later, the Juno, and were not well treated. Lucy was sent into Halifax, Nova Scotia. The prisoners were landed at Halifax on 23 July 1777.

[NDAR, IX, 109 and note, 141-143 and 143 note; XI, 228-229 and 229 notes]