[Appendix D(7) 1792 Report of Commissioners of Inquiry]

N° 7.

(COPY.)

JUDGMENT of the WATER BAILIFF of the ISLE OF MAN, C CREBBIN vice WILSON.

[ In Lieutenant-Governor Shaw’s Letter of the 17th of November 1791, marked (B).]

At an Admiral Court, holden at Peele, the 10th of March 1791;

UPON hearing the matter of this petition in the presence of the parties and their attornies, and in consideration of what was otherwise pleaded, argued, and alledged by the said attornies respectively, and of a parchment writing produced by the attorney of Senhouse Wilson, Esquire, being an order from the Judge of His Majesty's High Court of Admiralty in England to the said Senhouse Wilson, Esquire, to sell ninety casks of rum and geneva found and taken up floating at sea, and brought to the port of Douglas in this island, and to remit the whole amount of what the said ninety casks of rum and geneva would sell for to the registry of the laid court, without mentioning any allowance to the people who saved and brought on shore the said ninety casks of rum and geneva, for their great risqué and trouble in saving the said casks :

It is the statute law of this island, and baa always been the custom and practice, that the salvers of any kind of goods taken up at sea and brought on shore, and delivered to the proper officer, get one half of the value thereof; as it has been proved by the oaths of Robert Kneal, John Quine senior, and John Quine junior, witnesses produced ; and on behalf of the petitioners, that they, along with other men in the boat, whereof the petitioner John Oates is master, took up floating at sea, and about a mile from the shore, thirty-seven casks of rum,. being a part of the ninety casks of rum and geneva above mentioned, and that the said casks were delivered to Anthony Proctor, who acted for Senhouse Wilson, Esquire. As the casks above mentioned were taken up about a mile from the shore, and far within the limits and jurisdiction of this island which extends three leagues from the land, I am of opinion that the petitioners would have one half of the money that the aforesaid thirty-seven casks full of rum, and one cask about half full of rum, were sold for.

I do therefore hereby order and decree, That Senhouse Wilson, Esquire, do pay unto the petitioners, William Crebbin and John Oates, the one half of the money that the said thirty-seven casks full of rum, and one cask half full of rum, were sold for.

(Signed). GEO. SAVAGE.