Title
Sheppard v. Taylor, 5 Peters 675 (1831): Deception on the High Seas and the Quest for Lost Wages
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2014
Keywords
1831, admiralty, assignees, bankruptcy, Buchanan, Florida treaty, Oliver, seamen’s wages, smith, Spain, Sterett, wages
Abstract
This Article follows the case of the ship Warren, which set sail in 1806 to take part in illicit trade with the Spanish colonies, unbeknownst to all on board except for the supercargo. After dealing with the suicide of the captain and capture in Concepcion Bay, Chile, the crew languished for years in Spanish prison. After trying for almost 20 years the proceeds of the ship were finally returned to the owners, and the crew filed petition. Not until 1831 was their libel upheld, and wages from their voyage 25 years earlier to be paid to the crew. This article traces the lead up to the Supreme Court case, and the arguments made, and how the court decided, as well as the aftermath and the difficulty still in recovering what was owed.
Disciplines
Admiralty | Contracts | Law | Legal History
Digital Commons Citation
Zerhusen, Steven, "Sheppard v. Taylor, 5 Peters 675 (1831): Deception on the High Seas and the Quest for Lost Wages" (2014). Legal History Publications. 47.
https://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mlh_pubs/47