Part 129s – Smith Robertson Genealogy - 1802 The Times Article – Going Out On A Plank

Early Morning and early Thanksgiving,

I found this article on a search of The Times of London, England dated 27 December 1802…

Sources: The Times, London England; 1788-1833 

and Ancestry.com, Historical Newspaper Collection

As the available Historical Newspaper Collection is offered for the years 1788 through 1833 I thought I may take a chance and see if I may find something about ggg-grandfather James Smith.

My criteria for a search were the following: James; Smith; Grenada; and Carpenter all together. (As a side note you need to know that an ordinary hit on an exact search for the name “James Smith” on Ancestry.com brings up 1,307,801 hits.)

Well you could imagine my surprise when I chanced upon this short 1802 article in The Times that contained all four words. The image copy is not that great and I definitely cannot venture at this time to state that this has anything at all to do with ggg-grandfather James Smith. As the saying goes, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” And who knows this may just be an errant piece in the “treasure map” to discovering something about him.

The following is the article that I snagged from the page –

And here’s my attempt at transcribing the article.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, DEC _4
SITTINGS BEFORE LORD _____ _____
LUNDERBERG _____ SMITH?

This action was _____ _____ ______ _____ _____ of the Plaintiff. _____ _____ _____ the _____ _____ _____.

The Plaintiff was a S____ S____, a_____ _____ a_____ __red to _____ with Captain Smith?, while _____ _____ _____ was lying at Laʃbow. He was _____ ______ _____ _____ during the voyage ______ _____ _____ _____ ______ _____ ______ and from thence home to _____ _____ _____. It appeared that he was much _____ ____ _____ was often intoxicated during the voyage, _____ _____ _____ to do his duty, _____ _____ _____ when _____ _____ go to Grenada, where the _____ _____ _____ to have ʃeveral Negroes, paying them _____ _____ a day to do his work. The Defendant?, not? Being? able to in-duce him to do his _____ _____ _____ _____ the ship’s cargo, procured a G_____ _____ the _____, and? continued him in a p_____ _____ _____ _____; after? which? he was taken on board again, and behaved very well during the remainder of the voyage.

James Smith was the _____ evidence to _____ the Plaintiff’s miʃconduct; he was brother to the Defendant, and Carpenter of the Veʃʃel. He pretended he had heard frequent diʃputes between the Captain and Lunderberg, though (by the bye, he was to deaf? that the queʃtions put to him were loudly _____ before he could understand them. The Mate of the ʃhip, who had ʃeen the Plantiff’s conduct, could not be brought forward, being out of England.

The Learned JUDGE did not _____ have sufficient? proof had appeared to warrant the ʃtoppage of the Plaintiff’s wages, the Jury thereto gave a verdict in his favour, deducting part? and his pay for the pay-ment of the Blacks that had been _____ to do his duty.

One note the symbol ʃ is called a long-s and should be translated as s. Therefore ʃhip could be translated to be ship, Veʃʃel as Vessel.

I am in no way saying that this article refers, in some way, to ggg-grandfather James Smith, but there are certainly a number of coincidences.

Any ideas?

Anyone who may have a chance at visiting the British Library in London certainly would be invited to see if they may obtain a better copy of the same article.

Enjoy,

Jim