2004-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004
The vessel was captured (illegally) by a British Privateer registered in "…Rhode Island in North America" August of 1747 and those merchants were seeking, through legal means, to receive compensation for their loss. Total of 4 large 7½ x 12 sheets beautifully penned by a court scribe. One side of each sheet in Dutch language; reverse of each a full English translation, all penned at the same period and attested to in November of 1758 with the bold original signature of noted Newport, Rhode Island merchant acting as "Registrar of the Vice Admiralty Court in Newport," Thomas Vernon. The documents themselves are actually attested and warranted in that very year of 1758 that they are "translated from the Dutch original by Zachar Polock" (a well known 18'th century Jewish name of many of that same family residing in both New York and Newport, R.I.]. The first two sheets concern the actual claim first filed in January 25, 1748 and the appearance before the authorized court of the West India company in Curacao. The claimants: "JACOB HENRY MOREN &SOLOMON LEVY MODURO OF THE JEWISH NATION, INHABITANTS OF THIS ISLAND…WHO UNDERWROTE THE SLOOP 'CATHERINE'…WHICH BY A CERTAIN ENGLISH PRIVATEER WAS TAKEN AND CARRIED TO RHODE ISLAND AND THERE DEEMED A GOOD PRIZE…AND APPOINTED JACOB RODRIGUEZE RIVERA [father-in-law of the famous Rhode Island Jewish merchant Aaron Lopez and president of the historic Touro Synagogue] HE, THE LATTER RESIDING IN NEW YORK…" Document then describes how the illegal capture of the "Catherine" by that British privateer "Defiance" of Rhode Island…contrary to the Treaty of Marine…between the King of Great Britain and the Lords of the States General of United Provinces…[the law] passed…in the Isle of Curacao." SECOND SET OF TWO SHEETS IS ANOTHER "1758" DATED COPY OF A 1746 DOCUMENT, FILED THE SAME TIME AS THE THREE MERCHANTS SOUGHT RESTITUTION. This set describes in further detail how the british privateer took illegal possession of the "catherine" and the reason it was illegal and demand for full restitution, etc. Pages all clear and readable in very neat hand. Some large brown spotted areas. The first set has a small piece out in the upper right corner, causing loss of a few words at end of top sentences…The second set sound with few nicks out of bottom corner with loss of finial letters of few words only. A fascinating group of authentic "1758" documents. Typical handwriting and aging of that era and superbly illustrates the close associations between those Jewish merchants in the West Indies and those in the important colonial American trading center of Newport, Rhode Island.
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