British Pensacola

Pensacola was under British control from 1763 until 1781.

History

British acquisition

British West Florida in 1767

Great Britain came into possession of Pensacola, and the rest of Florida, as a result of the Treaty of Paris (1763), which ended the French and Indian War, the North American component of the wider Seven Years' War. Britain organized its new holdings into two territories: East Florida, which comprised modern Florida east of the Apalachicola River, with its capital at Saint Augustine; and West Florida, which comprised the portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida that laid south of the 31st parallel and between the Mississippi and Apalachicola Rivers. In 1764, the British moved the northern boundary up to 32° 22′ north, absorbing the southern thirds of modern-day Mississippi and Alabama.

Revolutionary War

In the early 1770s, British colonists in North America began to rebel against Britain, eventually declaring their independence as the United States of America in 1775. Britain, determined not to lose its valuable colonies, attempted to regain them by force, initiating the American Revolutionary War. In 1778, hoping to undermine British world power, France entered the war on the side of the United States.

In 1779, France and Spain signed Treaty of Aranjuez. Although Spain did not recognize the United States, it agreed under the terms of the treaty to aid France in its war against Britain.

Spain takes Pensacola

On March 9, 1781, Spanish Field Marshal Bernardo de Gálvez began an amphibious siege of Pensacola. The siege lasted for two months before Gálvez took the town on May 8. Later that year, British forces under General Charles Cornwallis surrendered to American forces at Yorktown, essentially ending the land war, although British and French naval forces continued to battle at sea. The war officially ended with the Treaty of Paris (1783), at which time Britain ceded East and West Florida to Spain.

Citizens

See also: Category:Citizens of British Pensacola

Shortly after the British surrender on May 10, 1781, Spanish occupational forces made a record of British householders to be kept "en caso de reclaman" — "in case of claims." This list likely does not constitute a proper census, as it does not include dependents or attempt to enumerate a total number of citizens.

• =William Clifton, Chief Justice
• =James Bruce, Counseller
• =David Hodge, "
• =John Stephenson, "
• =Captain Johnstone, Military Gentleman of the Council
• =Captn. Rainsford, "
• =Edmund Rush Wegg, Attorney General
• =Elihu Hall Bay, Prove. Secy. &Judge Admty.
• =Alexr. Macullagh, D. Pro. Marshal Genl.
• =J. Allen Martin, Comptr. & Clk Pleas
• =John Morison, Atty. at Law
• ===[Jo]hn Bay, "
• ===Miller, Magistrate
• Arthur Strother, "
• George Gauld, "
• +John Lorimer, "
• William Marshall, "
• John Mitchell, "
• Robert Tait, "
• Arthur Neil, Officer of Ordance [sic]
• +William Wilton, "
• James Amos, "
• +Joseph Purcell, D. Surveyor Genl.
• +William Garden, Commissary
• +Peter Swanson, Merchant
• James Fairlie, "
• +John Falconer, "
• Robert Donald, "
• John Finley, Schoolmaster
• Alexr. Moore, Planter
• +Patrick Strachan, "
• James Kirk, "
• Richard Carr, "
• John Stokes, Baker
• +John Simpson, Tavern Keeper
• John White, Carpenter
• +Isaac White, Taylor
• Thomas Pashley, "
• +Leonard Wisner,
• Vincent Corona, Retail of Liqui=
• George Watson, Ship Carpent[er]=
• +James Oneil, Shop Keeper
• +Stephen Shakespear, "
• Richard Seamark, "
• +Thomas Underwood, House Keeper
• John Moore, barman
• William Duncan, Court Cryer
• James Griest, Pilot
• William Johnson, "
• Jesse Brashier, Yeoman
• +John Glover, Master Carpenter
• Phenix Stephens, Constable
• William Burns , Pilot
• Charles Grant, Carpenter
• +James Aird, "
• William Testard, "
• +Abd=====e, "
• =========rove, "
• Barthw. Besly, "
• James Traviss, "
• Henry Legg, "
• +James Irving, "
• +Barnd. Richardson, "
• +John Amer, Ordnance do. [sic]
• Thos. Kirton, Goaler
• Isham Safford, Depy. Surveyor
• +Mattw. Arnold, Brick layer
• John Hannay, Taylor
• Wm. Walters, Yeoman
• Mrs. Farmar, Widow
• Mrs. Bell, "
• ===[Ca]ptn. Chrystie, Military Housekeeper
• =====Ogden, "
• =====Ramsay, "
• David Halley, "
• +Serjt. Wadman, "
• +Serjt. Burns, "
• +Serjt. Jaisen, "
• +Serjt. Drassen, "
• +Serjt. Porter, "
• +James Murray, Genl. Clerk
• +Leonard Wisner, Black smith
• +Willm. Whissell, "
• +Mary Crozer, Widow

Notes: = indicates damage to the document that may have rendered some portion illegible. + was a marginal notation next to many of the names, the significance of which is unknown.