''British Tar'' was built in 1797 in Plymouth (probably Plymouth, Massachusetts). She never enters ''
Lloyd's Register'' under that name, suggesting that she may have been an American vessel that only came to Bristol, and was renamed, shortly before she sailed from Bristol in 1805. In 1805 she made a
slave trading voyage during which the French captured her. She became the privateer ''Revanche'', out of Guadeloupe. ''Revanche'' fought an inconclusive
single-ship action
A single-ship action is a naval engagement fought between two warships of opposing sides, excluding submarine engagements; called so because there is a single ship on each side. The following is a list of notable single-ship actions.
Single-shi ...
in 1806 with . The British captured ''Revanche'' in 1808.
Slaver
''British Tar'' appears in the Bristol Presentments for 1805 and 1806, but not before or later. Captain James Gordon received a
letter of marque on 14 November 1805.
''British Tar'', Gordon, master, sailed from Bristol on 30 December 1805, bound for West Africa.
[Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – ''British Tar'' voyage #18269.]
/ref> She was reported "well" in the River Gambia on 13 May 1806 and was expected to leave in a few days. A second report has her "all well" at Goree on 26 July, and expected to sail for the West Indies on 26 July. However, the next report has a privateer of ten guns and 70 men capturing ''British Tar'', of Bristol, on 18 July and taking her into Guadeloupe.
French privateer ''Revanche''
The French commissioned ''British Tar'' as the privateer ''Revanche'' in Guadeloupe in September 1807 under Captain Alexis Grassin
Alexis Grassin (Nantes, 1 April 1776 — 24 June 1823) was a highly successful French privateer, who operated during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Career
Born to Michel-Antoine Grassin, a naval surgeon, and Anne Denis, Alexis Gra ...
. She made a second cruise between November 1807 and January 1808 under Captain Vidal.
On 3 December 1807 ''Revanche'' encountered . Rather than fleeing, ''Revanche'', which was more heavily armed than ''Curieux'' (British records), or less heavily armed (French records), decided to give battle. The ensuing engagement was sanguinary but inconclusive. ''Revanche'' suffered two men killed and 13 wounded; ''Curieux'' seven killed and 14 wounded.
Fate
''Revanche'' made a third cruise in 1808. On 5 December 1808 captured ''Revanche'', of six 12-pounder guns and 44 men, and described as a letter of marque brig. ''Revanche'' was taking provisions from Bordeaux to Guadeloupe when she encountered ''Belette''. Captain Sanders described ''Revanche'' as having been "a very successful Privateer all this War, and was intended for a Cruizer in those Seas." ''Belette'' sent ''Revanche'' into Antigua.''LL'' №4325.
/ref>
''British Tar'' was still listed in ''Lloyd's Register'' and the ''Register of Shipping'' until at least 1812, but with long stale data.
Citations
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:British Tar (1797 ship)
1797 ships
Age of Sail merchant ships
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Bristol slave ships
Captured ships
Privateer ships of France