Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Administration of the Massachusetts and Virginia Navies of the American Revolution
The Massachusetts law provided that all vessels convicted of making unlawful invasions or attacks on the seacoasts or naviga tion Of any part of America should be forfeited. The Council was authorized to grant letters Of marque and reprisal to masters and owners of vessels upon their entering into bond to faithfully discharge the duties Of their Office and to observe the naval laws of the colony. Three admiralty districts embracing the counties on the Massachusetts seacoast were established. The Southern district, with the seat Of its court at Plymouth, embraced Ply mouth county and the counties to the southward; the Middle dis trict, with the seat Of its court at Ipswich, embraced the counties Of Suffolk, Middlesex and Essex and extended from Plymouth county to New Hampshire; and the Eastern district, with the seat of its court at North Yarmouth, embraced the seacoast coun ties Of Maine. The form of procedure in these courts was fixed for both captured and recaptured vessels. In the latter case sal vage was to be from one-third to one - fourth Of the selling price Of the vessel. The facts in prize cases were to be tried by twelve good and lawful men. At this time the people of Massachusetts were so enraged at the judges Of the former Provincial admiralty court that they would have universally condemned the trying of facts in prize cases by judges.
The Council soon appointed three judges Of admiralty, Nathan Cushing for the Southern district, Timothy Pickering for the Middle district, and James Sullivan for the. Eastern district. El bridge Gerry declined the judgeship for the Middle district.
Austin's Gerry, I, 94-95; Works of John Adams, X, 37. Amory's Sullivan, II, 378-79, James Sullivan to Gerry, December 25.
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