Defender John Douglas provided an insurance policy to pursuer John Steven and Company for a shipment of goods on the Belfast Trader. The planned shipment route was from Belfast to Greenock or Port Glasgow. Before the ship set sail, however, merchants in Stranraer requested that the ship transport some goods from Belfast to Stranraer. The owner of the Belfast Trader agreed to transport these goods. In the course of trying to reach Stranraer, the ship encountered a storm and sank off the coast of Girvan in Ayrshire. Douglas refused to reimburse Steven and Company. Douglas claimed that the voyage taken by the Belfast Trader was different than the voyage provided for in the insurance policy. Steven and Company sought reimbursement, arguing that the voyage to Stranraer on the way to Greenock or Port Glasgow was not a significant deviation from the original route.
Documents in this case (4)
- John Steven and Company v. John Douglas — Map, 7 Aug 1772August 7, 1772 Sketch from John Watt's Map of the Frith of Clyde, detailing coastal locations and voyage markers.
- John Steven and Company v. John Douglas — Petition, 7 Aug 1772August 7, 1772 Information of the petitioner, arguing that the vessel sailed from Belfast on a voyage to Stranraer and Clyde, not merely to Clyde as insured, and thus the policy was not breached by deviation.
- John Steven & Company v. John Douglas — Complainers' Case, 18 Feb 1773Complainers' Case in the process John Steven & Company Merchants in Glasgow against John Douglas Merchant there, asserting that the insurer cannot be held liable for a voyage that deviated from the policy's terms to Str…
- John Steven and Company v. John Douglas — Condescendence, 2 Jan 1773January 2, 1773 Condescendence of John Douglas, Merchant in Glasgow, Defender, against John Steven and Company Merchants in Glasgow, Pursuers, denying the goods were on board and asserting the voyage was altered without…
People & places in this case
People involved
- John Douglas — Defender
- John Steven and Company — Pursuer
- Sir Ilay Campbell, Lord Succoth, 1st Baronet of Succoth — Advocate for Defender
- Robert Bruce, of Kennet, Lord Kennet — Lord Ordinary
- William Stewart — Agent
