Name of Vessel:

L’Aimable Reine

Master of Vessel:

Paul Berthelot

Rig of Vessel:

Brigantine

Date of Capture:

[August] 1777

Place of Capture:

Captor:

British Privateer Ship Swan

Home Port:

[St. Pierre, Martinique, French West Indies]

From What Port:

St. Pierre, Martinique, French West Indies

To What Port:

Dunkerque, France

Cargo:

Sugar, coffee, rum, indigo, tobacco

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Ruste de Rezeville Frères of St. Pierre, Martinique, French West Indies (or Dunkerque, France)

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

New York, New York

Into What Port:

New York, New York

Date Arrived:

1 October 1777

Date Tried:

2 December 1777

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: The brigantine L’Aimable Reine (Paul Berthelot) was owned by Ruste de Rezeville Frères of St. Pierre, Martinique, French West Indies. She sailed from Dunkerque, France in October 1776 and proceeded to St. Pierre, Martinique. L’Aimable Reine sailed from St. Pierre on 16 July 1777 with a cargo of sugar, coffee, rum, indigo and tobacco, bound for Dunkerque. En route she encountered a “convoy” of eleven British transports en route to New York with supplies for the British army. The British Privateer Ship Swan (William Medows), stopped the L’Aimable Reine and searched her. Medows informed Berthelot that the indigo and tobacco were contraband, seized the French vessel and took her into New York as a prize. The “convoy” and prize arrived on 1 October 1777.  Berthelot received “very rough treatment in that country.” The Admiralty Court condemned the tobacco and indigo, but restored his brigantine. Berthelot filed a formal protest and then sailed from New York on 19 December. L’Aimaible Reine arrived at Dunkerque on 20 January 1778. The owners of the cargo protested to the French Minister of Marine, who forwarded the protest to Count de Vergennes, the French Foreign Minister. The owners of the brigantine sent a formal protest to Vergennes on (or before) 6 February 1778. The matter had been presented to Lord Weymouth, the British Foreign Minister by 6 February.

[NDAR, XI, 971-975 and 976 note, 979-982]