Harris to Portland - 25 July 1723

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Letter of Comm. Barris Harris to Duke of Portland — 23 July 1723

Letters – Harris to Portland - 25 July 1723

SP 42/17/292

Copy of a Letter from Capt:n Harris, Captain of the Falkland, and Comander in Chief of his Maj:tys Ships at Jamaica, to his Grace the Duke of Portland, Dated at Port Royall the 25th of July 1723.

My Lord

I nere one this Morning received Your Graces Letter of Yesterday, by which apprehend Capt:n Laws of his Maj:tys Ship Mermaid [captain negotiating with Richard Taylor of pirate Cassandra] to be a prisoner in Spanish Town by your Graces Directions, occasioned by Some Words of histo your Grace, that you believe was insulting you in your house, and trampling upon all Authority, and your Grace leaving it to my Judgment what is to be done, and what Such an Indignity deserves, I can only Say there's Such a vast Disproportion between Words & a Prison that I cannot undertake to Determine any thing in the matter, but believe if what he Said affected your Graces Honour, Your making hin a Prisoner affected the Honour of his office as being Captain of one of his Maj:tys Ships more, I shall very justly represent the case to the Lords Comiss:rs of the Admiralty, (whose Honour is likewise concerned in this affair) in the Same light it came to me; in the mean time, that his Maj:tys Service may not Suffer by Capt:n Laws being detained from his Duty, I desire your Grace will please to direct his being Set at Libery and believe me to be with very great respect

My Lord Yo:r Graces most &ca.