Catalogue description Captured ship: L'Ocean of Bordeaux (master André Begeaud or Bigaud). History: a French...

Captured ship: L'Ocean of Bordeaux (master André Begeaud or Bigaud).

History: a French ship (265 tons, 14 guns, 37 men), bound from Bayonne to Cartagena de Indias [Colombia] or perhaps to Martinique, laden with provisions and naval stores [Spanish trade]; taken on 10/21 March 1742 off the island of Lasago [unidentified: possibly the Portuguese Ilhas Selvagens, in English the Savage Islands or Dry Salvages] by HMS Leopard (George [Forrester], Lord Forrester commanding), and brought first into Plymouth, then into the River Thames.

Documents:-

Private papers of Captain Andre Begeaud or Bigaud, secured in pocket book:

• SP 9/1: laissez-passer for the Château Trompette, Bordeaux;
• SP 9/2: a copy baptismal certificate, from Bordeaux Cathedral (Cathédrale-Primatiale Saint-André de Bordeaux)
• SP 9/3: invoice issued to Bigeaud;
• SP 9/4-SP 9/5: licences to import a 'negro boy', called Hector;
• SP 9/6: pocket book covered with green and silver silk brocade, and lined with pink silk, which previously contained the above papers.

Extracted from the papers of L'Ocean for safe-keeping: see HCA 32/140 for the other papers from this ship.