What's in a Prize?

Fish, fish oil and salt to preserve itWhat exactly did people find in captured ships? Fish, fish oil and salt to preserve it. The fish banks of Newfoundland attracted a large number of fishermen from in and around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The fishermen, in turn, attracted their share of privateers.

In supply vessels, the content was more varied than on fishing vessels. Such was the case of the prize captured by François Aubert de Millevaches, a privateer during King William's War. The hold of his prize, an English brigantine named La Marguerite, contained the following:

[.] button, snuffbox, sailcloth, pin, playing cards, knife, fork, white canvas, grey canvas, blue canvas, white wool sweater, 20 reams of heavy paper, cloves, nutmeg, women's shoes, women's clogs, five English pounds bound in calfskin [etc.]

ANQ-Q, TL5, D2581/2, 1697.

Such cargo had a high resale value. In other cases, however, the prize contained only ballast—made of stones.

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The Privateers' Booty

Privateer ship: Le Trompeur
August 1712
Captain: Jacques François Morin
Home port: Quebec City

After having captured two English vessels, La Mutine and La Gaillarde, Jacques François Morin, captain and owner of the vessel Le Trompeur, returned to Quebec City in the spring.

Shortly after his arrival in May 1713, the sale of the prizes was announced with drums beating in all the public places of the lower town. Despite the winter, which had spoiled almost all the captured cod, there were buyers for both the ships and the half-rotten fish!

The La Mutine and the cod from the La Gaillarde were sold to Morin himself. The La Mutine contained nothing but ballast! He paid 3,510 livres for the boat and 10 sols for every handful of cod, a total of 101 livres and 10 sols for all the cod.

Privateer La Grange and his Prize

Privateer ship: Joybert
June 1704
Captain: Jean Léger de La Grange
Homeport: Quebec City

The expedition led by Jean Léger de la Grange was a great success. La Grange and his men attacked the port of Bonavista in Newfoundland, destroying three ships and capturing the Pembroke Galley, an armed British ship loaded with cod.

Three Quebec City merchants were particularly happy to see the return of La Grange and his prize. Claude Pauperet, Louis Prat and Antoine de la Garde had all invested money in the raid.

Besides the cod and a little salmon, the booty included an array of weapons. Roughly 6 pistols, 18 rifles and 18 sabres were found in a gun case. The raid was extremely profitable, and one of the shipowners, Louis Prat, had an ex-voto painted to show his gratitude for this success.

Sale of a Black Slave at Louisbourg

By order of Intendant Raudot, the purchase of slaves had been legal in New France since April 13, 1709. There was thus nothing to prevent the sale of a slave, whether Black or American Indian.

This is precisely what occurred on November 2, 1756, at Louisbourg. Sieur Milly la Croix had just brought back a prize with a Black man on board. For privateer outfitters, this was merchandise just like any other. To make a good return on their investments, they sold the black slave alongside all the other merchandise on board the captured ship.

[...] he had it published throughout the city that there would be sold, by us, a "negro" from the prize of the English schooner of Captain W. Wells, captured by said Sieur de La Croix. [.]

LAC, MG6-A2 Charente-Maritime departmental archives group, 02/11/1756