No 2

Personally appeared before me Peter John Heywood A Master extraordinary in the High Court of Chancery and also Notary and Tabellion public dwelling in Whitehaven in the County of Cumberland William Newell late Boatswain on board the Sloop Jason of and belonging to the Port of Whitehaven the property of Samuel Martin of the same place Esquire Captain Joseph Hutchinson late Commander James Newell of Tweed Mouth in the Bishoprick of Durham late a Mariner on board the Brigantine Polly and Nancy belonging to the Port of Pool in the County of Dorset William Cantersbury late. Commander, and John Harrison of the Isle of Man late a Mariner on board the Schooner Peter belonging to the Port of Liverpoole John Mucklenow Commander who being sworn on the Holy Evangelists make oath and say, And first the said William Newell for himself saith that He sailed from the said Port of Whitehaven on the Eighteenth day of June last past in said Sloop Jason for Saint Petersbourgh in the Empire of Russia and that on Friday the Twentieth day of the said Month of June about Two o Clock in the morning the said Sloop ]ason was taken by the Lexington Rebel Privateer in Company with the Reprizal and Dolphin off the Mull of Cantyre And the said William Newell James Newell and John Harrison severally Depose and say that several Sails and Materials belonging to Sundry Vessels which the said Rebel Privateers had destroyed were put on board the Sloop ]ason and was then manned wholly with Frenchmen. That no English Irish or Scots Person was suffered to go in the said Sloop. That the said Sloop was dispatched for the Port of Nantz in the Kingdom of france where the said Sloop soon afterwards arrived and also a Snow and a Brigantine which were likewise taken by the said Privateers. That the said Deponents were continued on Board the Reprizal and declares that a large Man of War having chased her in her said voyage to Nantz Captain Wickes ordered her Guns to be Thrown over Board and four Beams sawed out which orders were executed accordingly and the said Privateer was carried into the Port of Saint Maloes in the said Kingdom of france under the directions of a French Pilot

That the said Deponents were allowed to go on shore with two or three other English Prisoners at a time in Company of Eight or Ten of the Crew belonging to the said Privateer that the said William Newell made application to a Broker who lived in the said Town of Saint Maloes and who could speak English who informed the said Deponent William Newell that he could not get clear and Return to England without an order from Captain Wickes that the said William Newell accordingly applied to the said Captain Wickes but was by him refused that the day after He had made the said- application the said Captain Wickes obtained an order for the Gates of the said City of Saint Maloes to be shut in order that no English Sailors might be admitted except such as brought a pass from the said Captain Wickes with a Seal on it which He procured and brought from the said City for that purpose, that the following Week the said Deponent and John Carson a Seaman belonging to the said Privateer (pretending to belong to an English Brig then lying at Saint Maloes) went round the said Town to the Gate which led from the Country and got in that a Soldier who could speak English advised the said Deponents to apply to the Commissary That the Deponents William Newell and James Newell applied to him accordingly and the said Commissary sent the said Deponent William Newell to the Head Linguister (with whom the said William Newell had been before) that the said Linguister asked the said William Newell what He wanted and being informed that He wanted permission and a pass to Return to England was answered by him in the English Language "You Rascal! if you dont go immediately on board the Reprizal I will Commit you to Goal," and the said Linguister immediately ordered the said Deponent William Newell and his Companions the other Deponents to be sent out of the Gates of the said City and attended himself and gave orders to the said Gate Keepers not to Suffer the said William Newell and his Companions to come in again That the said Captain Wickes knowing the said William Newell to be a Pilot in the Irish Channell made him several offers to Induce him to Continue on board the Privateer But He and the other Deponents being determined to be at Home at any Rate or Perish in the Attempt went accordingly to a small Town about half a mile distant from Saint Maloes off which place the said Privateer lay and concealed themselves in a public House where Wine was sold until it grew dark when the said Deponent William Newell swam off to a vessel which was moored just a head of the Reprizal called a Gabarre or Small Lighter and which was to take in Lumber from the said Privateers and finding the Cabin locked and that the Centries on board the Reprizal did not discover him and having carried a Knife in his mouth He Cut a small Boat loose which was fastened to another Sloop then lying near the said Lighter and brought two of his Companions namely the said James Newell and John Harrison on board the said Lighter the other Seaman John Carson being so drunk that He could not Shift for himself and they had not time to make any delay That on getting on board the Lighter the said Deponents cutt one Cable and slipt the other making sail out of the Port when being as they apprehended discovered by some persons on board two Boats, and which they believed were immediately manned and sent in Chase of them But fortunately a Fog came on and a Breeze of Wind Shott them so far out into the Offing that the said Boats gave over chasing them That the third day following the said Deponents made Portland where they procured some Refreshment of Water, Cabages and a Little Bread (for they had no money) from whence they coasted along shore and got to the Port of Parton near Whitehaven aforesaid on Sunday the Twentieth day of July Instant the Eleventh day after they had left the french Shores When He the said William Newell waited on John Jackson Esquire Receiver General of the Droits of Admiralty agreeable to the order of the said Samuel Martin Esquire late Owner of the said Sloop Jason and in obedience to the directions of said John Jackson on Monday the Twenty first day of July He brought the said Vessel round to Whitehaven where her Sails &c. were lodged in the Kings Custom House And the said Deponent James Newell for himself saith that He was taken Prisoner by the said Reprizal when sailing in the said Brigantine Polly and Nancy in their voyage from the said Port of Pool to the Port of Cadiz in Spain And the said Deponent John Harrison for also for himself saith that He was taken Prisoner by the said Reprizal when sailing in the said Schooner Peter on their voyage home from Saint Vincents to the Port of Liverpoole aforesaid And lastly these Deponents James Newell and John Harrison for themselves severally further Depose and say that they never had an opportunity of escaping from the said Privateer till the said other Deponent William Newell Imparted to them the said Scheme of Seizing the said Lighter and that the said William Newell was the person fixed on to make the said application to the said Commissary and Linguister as before mentioned. —

Sworn at Whitehaven aforesaid the
Twenty fifth day of July One
thousand seven hundred and Seventy
seven. 

Before. Pet^r Jn^o Heywood
A Master Extry in the High Court
of Chancery & a Notary Public