The Royal Navy Court Martial Reports of Captain Anthony James Pye Molloy (1754 – 1814)
A collection of original handwritten manuscripts that offer captivating first-hand accounts of Captain Molloy and twelve selected crew members. These documents were presented as evidence during the court martial in 1795, in response to charges of misconduct levied against Molloy during the 'Glorious First of June' conflict with the French in 1794.

As commander of the leading warship HMS Caesar, Molloy was accused of disobeying orders and failing to give his "utmost endeavours to pass through the enemy’s line," which led to condemnation from Lord Howe and other ship captains. To clear his name, Molloy requested a court-martial, which was conducted in May 1795 with the Admiralty's agreement.

The court-martial was conducted over sixteen days and after final deliberation, the members concluded that the charges against Captain Molloy had been proven. However, they also noted that Molloy's personal courage had been unimpeachable in previous actions. Despite this, the court ultimately adjudged him to be dismissed from the command of His Majesty’s ship Caesar. Despite the praise for his bravery, the court martial's findings effectively ended Molloy’s career in the Royal Navy, and he never held another command.

The testimonials, written in a clerk’s hand, comprise Captain Molloy (8 pages), Lieutenant Ebdon (2 pages), Lieutenant Bennett (4 pages), Lieutenant Dickson (4 pages), Lieutenant Dickinson (4 pages), Lieutenant Hodder (2 pages), Lieutenant Jones (3 pages), Lieutenant Whitty (3 pages), Lieutenant Cleverly (4 pages), Thomas Hopper (4 pages), Captain Driffield, Captain of the Marines (2 pages), Ship’s Master Mr. Luckey (4 pages), and Ship’s Carpenter Mr. Holmes (1 page).

Excerpts from Captain Molloy’s account include: (after describing the already perilous condition of the ship due to damage following two hours of conflict on the 29^th/30^th May)

At Dawn of Day on the 1^st of June we saw the enemies fleet in line upon our lee beam at about 4 leagues distance … In running down the three van ships of the enemy opened their fire upon us and cut us very much. The Officers upon that sent to me repeatedly for permission to fire which I refused telling them that she was not yet near enough when she was properly placed I would let them know and they might then fire away as fast as they would. We continued bearing down upon them for a full quarter of an hour we hauld up, and we then tried our broadside into the 2^nd ship of the line, back’d the maintopsail, and shot up abreast of the van ship with which we began a brisk and heavy fire which was at first as briskly returned after having been for some time engaged I could not see our opponent for smoak, I ordered the firing to cease, and when it cleared up I found that both the van ships had their jibs up and had edg’d away and considerably increased their distance from us.

Our mizen mast was at this time shot through in two places the mizen yard shot away and the cross jack and mizen topsail yards and the quarter masters at the wheel immediately called out to me that some accident had happened to the rudder for that the wheel was immoveable. I went myself to the wheel with the Master and tried to move it, but could not, it was at this moment the Marine Officers and people stationed on the poop to observe signals call’d out to me that our signal was flying on board the Bellorophon to come to close action. I immediately said, I am sorry for it, but cannot help it answer the signal, which it was, but was not haul’d down.
…
In less than 20 minutes the van ship bore round up before the wind extremely shatter’d in her hull and starboard quarter, we then rak’d her, and bore up after her, by which means our broadsides was presented to the head of the 2^nd ship and we gave her our fire, right into the bows and she bore away also as much as shatter’d in her hull as the other. In wearing round we fired a broadside at the 3^rd ship when her foremast went, and at the near broadside her main and mizzen masts went also. The Leviathan then came close down to the demasted ship and lay close under the stern firing broadsides into her but the ship would not strike. I attempted to haul to the wind after the two van ships who had haul’d close up on the starboard lack with a great deal of sail lost, but having no after sail whatever to set and not being able to set the mainsail the stay having again been shot away together with the spring stray, and most of the main shroudes, I found it impossible.

In this action we had 15 men kill’d and 61 wounded, 8 guns disabled and two bower anchors five large shot in the main mast the maintops and main*** very badly wounded. The mizen topsail yard and cross jack yards shot in two, mainstay springstay and almost all the fore and main rigging together with the running rigging and every sail that was bent was cut to pieces. Our main topmast shott off in the head and most of the booms cut to pieces and yet it has been cruelly and malignly said that the Caesar was not in action and that the loss she sustained in men was solely owing to her guns having burst Whereas one gun only did burst And that was before splintered by the enemies shot and two men only were killed by it, Vig’t George Chambers and John Morrison.

I am censur’d in Lowe Howes Supplemental Letter for not having kept to the wind on the 29^th of May. I fully admit I did not, and for the best of all reasons, I could not, having not only been disabled in a smart action we had been in for two hours and upwards prior to the signals being made to tack and pass through the enemies line but from the leaky state of the ship, was absolutely in distress yet we kept up a very heavy in that condition as we passed along the line.
No idea is given to the public or impressions made on these minds that the Caesar had been engaged when the signal was made to pass through the Enemys line which vey signal gives the Captain to whom it is addressed a discretionary power of acting and the Conduct of the leading ship is by no means a guide for others, as the orders specifically say that ships are not to be misled by the Leader, for in the event of their not keeping their station either from inability or neglect, the others are to proceed to execute the specified movement.

Several crew members appear to be in strong support of Molloy's leadership - e.g. Thomas Hopper, who begins his deposition with 'To the truth of this I can swear, but not to particular words to any time, as I never took any remarks - for Heaven knows I never expected to have any occasion for it.'

Provenance: Originally purchased as part of an archive from Booths Solicitors, London.

[i] Stevenson, William (1817). Lives of the British Admirals: Containing an Accurate Naval History, From the Earliest Periods. The Naval History Continued to the Year 1779. London: C. J. Barrington, p. 342.

[ii] Chester Chronicle, 22 May 1795, Friday, p. 2

Condition Report

Reports all fragmenting at the left-hand edges, with losses and small tears - but the pages are all still secured together at the top-hand left corners and the interiors of the documents are in a good, clear condition and still very legible with wide margins around the interior text.
The exterior fronts of all testimonies are inscribed with the witness's name and position, further titled 'Report of the Caesar' and named to Booth solicitors on the lower right-hand front corners.

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