Name of Vessel:

Necessity

Master of Vessel:

James Holiday

Rig of Vessel:

Brig

Date of Capture:

[June] 1777

Place of Capture:

Off Falmouth, Massachusetts [Maine]

Captor:

HM Frigate Ambuscade

Home Port:

Bermuda

From What Port:

Bermuda

To What Port:

Falmouth, Massachusetts [Maine]

Cargo:

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Into What Port:

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

[Released]

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Brig Necessity (James Holiday) was owned in Bermuda. She sailed from Bermuda bound for Falmouth, Massachusetts [Maine]. Since such a voyage was not legal Holiday gave bond to sail only to a British port. Off Falmouth he hung about, hoping to get picked up by an American warship and “forced” into port as a “prize.” A similar operation had been performed the year before when Necessity was “captured” and taken into Newburyport, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, Necessity was picked up by HM Frigate Ambuscade (Captain John Macartney) and taken into Halifax, Nova Scotia. Released from Halifax, Necessity headed back towards Falmouth, only to be captured by Massachusetts Privateer Schooner Marisheete (Commander Joshua Wing), in the service of the Continental Indian Department. Wing apparently brought her into Boston, Massachusetts. On the strength of some Halifax papers found aboard he intended to libel her as a prize. On 8 August 1777, Continental Agent John Bradford wrote to Wing, pointing out that the scheme had been used before; that the Halifax papers were there because Ambuscade had carried the brig to Halifax; and that Congress had specifically exempted Bermuda property from capture. Bradford ordered Wing to deliver the brig to Holiday, and informed Wing that he, Bradford, was going to inform Congress of Wing’s actions.

[NDAR, IX, 724-725 and 725 notes]