Admiralty Final Record Books, Key West, 1829-1911

by Craig R. Scott, CG 

The Southern District of Florida was created as part of the Territorial court system in Florida in 1828. When Florida became a state in 1845, the entire state was considered one Federal judicial district. Court continued to be held in Key West, even after the creation of the southern district in 1847.

An admiralty court is concerned with prize, ransom, salvage cases, ownership, maritime contracts and torts. Maritime contracts relate to charter, passenger transportation, baggage, loading and unloading, salvage, seaman’s wages and the care of injured seamen. Maritime torts relate to collisions, loss or damage of cargo, and claims of personal injury.

The southern district court, unlike other district courts, was open year-round. It was the major prize court during the Civil War. Prize cases for 1861-1865 appear in Volumes 6, 7, 8, and 9. Those from the Spanish-American War appear in Volumes 16 and 17.

More information is provided by NARA in a PDF descriptive pamphlet for this series: M1360.

Images in each Admiralty Final Record Book volume consist of copies of documents files in each case, in chronological order from the beginning libel to the final judgment. The records may include libels, answers, briefs, motions, declarations, transcripts of testimony and affidavits, bonds, orders, reports of special commissioners, juries, trustees, and judgments.

Petitions, libels, answers, and briefs

Edward Elwell, late master of the British brig Ben Cushing, filed a petition in the court to obtain a judgment to allow the sale of the cargo salvaged from the wreck of his vessel. The Ben Cushing was sailing from Havana to Portland, Maine, when it struck a Florida reef and foundered.

Judgment

It was the judgment of the court that the parties responsible for the salvage of the material from the brig were entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the cargo. The court dismissed the suit of the US concerning smuggled cigars and the US Marshal was ordered to sell them at auction.

Bill of sale

The third image shown at right is the accounting of the sale of materials and the eleven cases of cigars from the Ben Cushing, dated December 30, 1862.

Search or browse the Admiralty Final Record Books of the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida (Key West), 1829-1911 here.

These records are scanned from the National Archives microfilm publication, M1360, Admiralty Final Record Books, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, Key West, 1829 – 1911. The original records are located in Record Group 21, Records of the District Courts of the United States in the National Archives Southeast Region (Atlanta).