ABSTRACT
Near the end of March 1757, the Two Sisters of Dublin, en route to its home port from Bordeaux, was captured by the Caesar privateer based in Bristol. The capture occurred on March 25, at a point 18 leagues south of Ushant, the prominent island at the western tip of Brittany. The Two Sisters carried papers that caused its captain to feel safe, and eventually it was released by the High Court of Admiralty. But French merchants were plainly apprehensive. The most shocking news had come in mid-July 1755 before war was declared. National security trumped legal niceties. Orders issued by the Admiralty on August 6, 1755, directed Royal Navy ships – only navy ships, no privateers – to intercept French merchant ships, particularly those returning from across the ocean, and convey them to English ports. Assignment to a situation where prize-taking would be likely could be hoped for, but merit without personal connection rarely yielded such a favor.
