From Liverpool Privateers by Gomer Williams:
Mary, Captain Bonsall, was a vessel of 130 tons, 16 guns, and 40 men, belonging to Messrs. Drinkwater & Co. of Liverpool.
In December 1778, the Mary arrived from a cruise, bringing in with her another
prize, called L'Equité, bound from St.Domingo [now
Haiti, then a French colony] for Bordeaux. Her cargo
consisted of:
239 hhds, 5 teirces, 9 barrels first white Sugars,
68 hhds, 58 tierces, 184 barrels, 118 bags of coffee,
2 hhds, 3 tierces, 1 barrel, 3 ankers indigo,
16 bales, 10 bags cotton,
2 barrels cocoa,
1 barrel tortoise shell.
The newspaper of December 11th, describes how the prize, coming into port, was run aground, on the Dove, "and coming round the Rock, beat off her rudder, which was washed away; when very bad weather coming on, no boats could be got to tow her into the dock. A temporary rudder was sent off to her, but after cutting three cables, being three times ashore, and losing three boats, she at length was run ashore near the New Ferry, with one anchor and cable at her bow, which were never let go. 'Tis to be feared the ship will not be got off, but the materials and greatest part of her cargo are saved." Such were some of the difficulties of navigation prior to the advent of those powerful steam tug-boats which have rendered incalculable services to the shipping of the port.
But L'Equité's dramatic career was not yet closed. What followed is related by Troughton as an instance of the daring depravity of the inhabitants on the Cheshire coast. A number of lighters were employed to take out the cargo. On the second day, the people from the country, assembling in their hundreds, swooped down upon the vessel, threatening destruction to all who opposed them, forcibly seized and carried off great quantities of the cargo, in consequence of which lawlessness, it was found necessary to call in the aid of the military. Application was accordingly made to the Mayor of Liverpool, and the commanding officer of the Leicestershire Militia stationed there, both of whom declined interfering, the transaction being in another county. The owners of the privateer then sent over arms to their people, for the defence of the vessel. On the following night a numerous mob again assembled, and in spite of the entreaties of the four men who guarded the property, proceeded to renew their depredations. The guard then fired several times over the heads of the most desperate of the plunderers, and at last, for the preservation of their own lives, fired directly upon them, killing one man. This resistance, however, only exasperated the mob, and in the end, to prevent further bloodshed, the men upon guard took to their boat, and left the prize to the robbers.