The Subscriber of Lawfull Age Testify & Say, That being Commander of the Schooner Brittania belonging to Isaac Smith Esqr. of Boston I was captured by a Brittish Privateer & Carried into Jamaica, from whence I took passage for the Continent of America the 11th. of May last on Board the Schooner Hope then Commanded by Capt Amos Hilton—1 That on or about the 20th. of May aforesd. said Schooner fell in with a Brittish Man of War belonging to the King of Great-Brittain;2 Upon w'h Mr. Wm. Bardin, who was a Super Cargo on Board said Schooner, threw all the Papers overboard relative to the Cargo of said Schooner, some of w'h papers being Letters directed by Capt. Benjamin Wright to Mr. Aaron Lopez then residing in some part of the United States not in possession of the Enemy—That I understood that the Property on Board the said Schooner belonged to the said Aaron Lopez—That said Schooner was on the 7th. of June instant Captured between Block Island & the Main by three Whaleboats3 & Carried into New London where I went on Shore & returned the same day to said Schooner, when returning upon inquiring where Mr. Bardin was, Mention was made that he was gone to Mr Lopez Aforesaid, who I told the Captors would claim said Schooner & I supposed recover her, upon which one of the Captors named Brooks4 said that if the sd. Schooner was not Condemned he would set fire to her—
Middlesex Ss, June 24. 1778. Jacob Allen of Manchester in the County of Essex the subscriber to the within written Deposition appeared before me a Justice of the Peace, for the said County of Middlesex, & after due Examination & Caution to Testify the whole Truth, relating to a suit now pending in the Maritime Court in the State of Connecticutt, &c to be tryed at Hartford in that State (above thirty Miles distant from Medford in sd County of Middlesex) on the fourteenth day of July next, in w'h suit Brooks & Griffith are Libellants against the Schoonr. Hope, as it is said, made Oath in Behalf of Aaron Lopez Claimant of sd. Schoonr. & Cargo—The adverse party was not present, being not notified, they not living, or being within 20 Miles of Medford aforesaid—
Edward Brooks