Name of Vessel:

Polly

Master of Vessel:

Richard Wells

Rig of Vessel:

Sloop

Date of Capture:

4 July 1777

Place of Capture:

Chincoteague, Inlet, Maryland

Captor:

HM Brig Tender Stanley and HM Schooner Tender Delaware

Home Port:

From What Port:

[Chincoteague Inlet], Maryland

To What Port:

Martinique, French West Indies

Cargo:

Ballast

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

William Burdett

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Into What Port:

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

[burned]

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Sloop Polly (Richard Wells) was owned by William Burdett. On 4 July 1777 she was anchored in Chincoteague Inlet, Maryland, in ballast. She was bound for Martinique, French West Indies. Anchored in the inlet with Jenny were schooner Polly (John Ellis), Mary (William Le Frame), sloop Sally, an unknown sloop (William Earles), brig Hero (William Paul), brig Sally (Anthony Hill), sloop Liberty (Ez. Wellicutt) and sloop Jenny (Robert Tuille). HM Brig Tender Stanley (Lieutenant Richard Whitworth) and HM Schooner Tender Delaware (Midshipman Rogers), both tenders to HM Frigate Roebuck (Captain Andrew Snape Hamond), came too off the entrance to the inlet and hoisted French colors. Properly deceived, pilots went out to the British and were seized. The British got into the inlet and burned four vessels (sloop Polly [Wells], sloop Mary, sloop Sally, and the unknown sloop) and brought out the other four as prizes. By 14 July all the prizes had been brought into New York, New York, along with forty prisoners.

[NDAR, IX, 216, 285-286 and 286 notes, 295-296; “The following is a List of Vessels seized as Prizes, and of Recaptures made, by the American Squadron, between the 27^th of May and 24^th of October, 1777, according to the Returns received by Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Howe,” in The London Chronicle, Tuesday, December 2, to Saturday, December 6, 1777]