Source: Bell's Weekly Messenger, No.1801, Sunday, October 3, 1830.
On Tuesday Captain Joseph Dudman, Commander of the Inglis East-Indiaman, was charged with assaulting William Allen, a sailor on board that vessel, off St. Helena, on the 1st July last, by placing him in irons, and inflicting three dozen lashes on his back.
The defendant said that the complainant had disobeyed orders by going on shore, and had made resistance when being placed in irons for so doing. A Cuddy Court of Inquiry was held, at which the Governor of the Island and several captains were present, when the complainant was sentenced to receive the lashes.
Mr. Ballantine said that no martial law was applicable on board merchant ships. If the complainant had done wrong, application should have been made to the Local Authorities of the Island.
Captain Dudman was then bound over to take his trial at the next Admiralty Sessions.
John Willis preferred a complaint against the same Captain, of having been flogged for no offence when on the High Seas, near Canton.
The defendant was not bound over in this case, his recognizances in the former been sufficient for his appearance.