DUNBAR, ROBERT [SSNE 5397]
Text source
Robert Dunbar was a privateer who ownd a ship called The Fox/De Fux. On 22 November 1692 he brought two English prizes, The Friendship and The Tyral into Bergen. The king of Denmark ordered the magistrates in Bergen to temporarily confiscate the English ships and cargo and have them sealed by customs until it could be established under what or whose authority Dunbar operated. There were two enclosures with this letter, one to Mister Greg in Bergen, and the other in French relating to how the French often bring prizes into Bergen. From that the editors of the collection of letters believe Dunbar must be French, although he was actually a Jacobite Scot working for the French. By 24 December, the Bergen authorities were ordered to release the two English ships, although it is not clear if this meant back to Dunbar, or that they were free to leave Bergen. In any case there was a huge dispute between various burgesses of Bergen over three prize ships lying in the city. One of these, the Anne de Worthington was set on fire. It is not known if these were ships taken in by Dunbar, but on 29 April 1693, the king ordered Hans Nilsen to sort out the trouble.
R. Fladby (ed.), Norske Kongebrev (6 vols., Oslo, 1962), V, pp.180-182, 186, 205
Service record
- FRANCE, BERGEN, NORWAY
- Arrived 1692-11-12, as CAPTAIN
- Departed 1693-04-29, as CAPTAIN
- Capacity PRIVATEER, purpose NAVAL