Droits of the Crown turn pre-war captures into payments

The Dutch captures preceded Britain's declaration of war on the Batavian Republic, creating a problem for ordinary prize proceedings. Their classification as droits of the Crown allowed the proceeds to be distributed under older royal and admiralty rights. Those rights covered categories such as wreckage, salvage, forfeitures, and certain enemy ships or goods. In this explanation, the disappearance of the Dutch state the ships had served allowed their treatment as property falling within those rights. Two-thirds of the ships' value could consequently be paid to the captors. Officers and crews of Sceptre, General Goddard, Busbridge, Asia, and Swallow shared £61,731 15s 2d. The inflation estimate used here puts that at roughly £6.1 million in 2024 money, and even an ordinary sailor's share represented years of wages.