This case was about the interpretation of two insurance policies taken out by Messrs Marshall, Hamilton, and Company on the ship Ceres. One of those policies covered the Ceres and its freight until the ship reached its “port or ports of discharge in the West Indies”; the other policy covered the Ceres and a subset of its freight, a load of fish, until the ship reached “a market in the West Indies.” In Spring of 1784, the Ceres sailed from Greenock, Scotland, carrying beef, coal, and dry goods. The ship went first to St. John’s, Newfoundland, where it picked up the load of fish, and subsequently to the Caribbean, where it discharged the fish. The shipmaster, George Jamieson, then began taking steps to obtain a return freight to Britain. In the course of his efforts to obtain a return freight, Jamieson sailed to Jamaica and moored the Ceres in Morant Bay. There, the ship was wrecked in a hurricane. At the time of the wreck, the Ceres still contained beef, coal, and dry goods. Based on these facts, a dispute arose between Marshall, Hamilton, and Co. and its underwriters about whether, prior to the hurricane, the ship’s outward voyage had terminated under the terms of each insurance policy.
Documents in this case (6)
- John Crawford, junior, and others v. Messrs Marshall, Hamilton, and Company — Information, 14 Apr 1786
- John Barns and others v. Mess. Marshall Hamilton and Company — Information, 15 Apr 1786
- Marshall, Hamilton, and Co. v. John Crawford, Jun. and others, and John Barns, and others — Information, 15 Apr 1786
- Hamilton — Petition, 9 Aug 1786
- Messrs Marshall Hamilton and Company v. John Barns — Answers, 23 Sep 1786
- Messrs Marshall, Hamilton, and Company v. John Crawford, junior, and others — Answers, 23 Sep 1786
People involved
- John Crawford Jr. — Suspender
- John Barns — Suspender
- Marshall, Hamilton, and Company — Charger
- John MacLaurin, Lord Dreghorn — Advocate for Suspender
- Robert Blair, of Avontoun, Lord Avontoun — Advocate for Suspender
- William Craig, Lord Craig — Advocate for Charger
- Sir Ilay Campbell, Lord Succoth, 1st Baronet of Succoth — Advocate for Charger
- John Millar Jr. — Advocate for Suspender
- High Court of Admiralty — Named in case documents
- Francis Garden, Lord Gardenstone — Lord Ordinary
- George Jamieson — Named in case documents
- William Thomson Jr. — Named in case documents
- Messrs M'Lean, Moore, and Company — Named in case documents
- Messrs Francis King and Company — Named in case documents
- John Moore — Named in case documents
- Captain Hamilton Foster — Named in case documents
- William Wood — Named in case documents
- Messrs Richard Marshall and Company — Named in case documents
This case was about the interpretation of two insurance policies taken out by Messrs Marshall, Hamilton, and Company on the ship Ceres. One of those policies covered the Ceres and its freight until the ship reached its “port or ports of discharge in the West Indies”; the other policy covered the Ceres and a subset of its freight, a load of fish, until the ship reached “a market in the West Indies.” In Spring of 1784, the Ceres sailed from Greenock, Scotland, carrying beef, coal, and dry goods. The ship went first to St. John’s, Newfoundland, where it picked up the load of fish, and subsequently to the Caribbean, where it discharged the fish. The shipmaster, George Jamieson, then began taking steps to obtain a return freight to Britain. In the course of his efforts to obtain a return freight, Jamieson sailed to Jamaica and moored the Ceres in Morant Bay. There, the ship was wrecked in a hurricane. At the time of the wreck, the Ceres still contained beef, coal, and dry goods. Based on these facts, a dispute arose between Marshall, Hamilton, and Co. and its underwriters about whether, prior to the hurricane, the ship’s outward voyage had terminated under the terms of each insurance policy.
