HMS Dolphin (1801)

HMS ''Dolphin'' was 10-gun cutter that served the Royal Navy from 1793 to 1802, first as a hired armed cutter, and then after the Navy purchased her, as HMS ''Dolphin''. During her almost decade of service ''Dolphin'' patrolled the English Channel protecting British trade by capturing French privateers and recapturing their prizes.

Hired armed cutter ''Dolphin''

On 30 March 1793, the Royal Navy hired the ''Dolphin'' cutter. However, one month later, on 30 April 1793, the ''Dolphin'' cutter, Richard Norwood, master, of 92 tons (bm), six 3-pounder guns, four cohorns, and 35 men, received a letter of marque.Letter of Marque (LoM

– accessed 15 May 2011. The relationship between these two vessels, if any, is an open question.

The hired armed cutters ''Dolphin'' and '' Hired armed cutter Charlotte, Charlotte'' recaptured the ''Mary'' on 25 May 1796.

On 24 February 1797, Sir John Colleton, Bart, commanding the hired armed cutter '' Swift'', captured and sent into Dover the French privateer schooner ''Aventurier''. The capture took place about four leagues NE of the South Foreland. ''Aventurier'', of 40 tons (bm), had a crew of 11 men, armed with cutlasses and pistols. She had left Fécamp four days earlier but had captured nothing.

''Dolphin'' had earlier boarded the cutter off Dungeness, but had let her pass. Sir John had initially done the same, believing her to be an American vessel sailing to London in ballast. However, after he left her, she changed her course and headed towards France. Sir John set out after the schooner, caught up with her, and boarded her a second time. This time he examined her more closely using a spit to probe her ballast. He found eight men, armed with pistols and cutlasses, concealed there with an air-hole barely large enough for them to breathe through.

Then in the evening of 2 (or 3) February 1797, the hired armed cutter ''Lion'' was off Dungeness Point, when she took possession of a French privateer sloop. Captor and prey were astern of a convoy that ranged to eastward. The privateer was the ''Requin'', of Dieppe, armed only with muskets, and having a crew of 20 men. ''Lion'' was in company with ''Dolphin''.

Almost a year later, on 20 January 1798, ''Lion'' and ''Dolphin'' recaptured ''Search''.

Then one month later, on 28 February, the hired armed lugger ''Resolution'' was in company with ''Dolphin'' about three leagues WNW of Boulogne when they encountered and chased a French privateer lugger. They succeeded in capturing the ''Pou-Epie'' after a four-hour chase. She was armed with four swivel guns and small arms, and had a crew of 17 men. She was two days out of Dunkirk but had not captured anything. Mr. George Broad, the master of ''Resolution'', sank the lugger as she was very leaky.

His Majesty's armed cutter '' Lord Duncan'', ''Lion'' and ''Dolphin'' shared in the proceeds for the recapture of the brigs ''Triton'' and ''Search'', on 26 March 1799.

''Dolphin'', followed this service by recapturing the brigs ''Albion'' and ''Nautilus'' on 30 August, and ''John and Eleanor'' on 17 November.

''Dolphin'' was among the many vessels entitled to share in the proceeds of the Dutch fleet surrendered on 30 August 1799 in the Vlieter Incident.

On 31 May 1800 the hired cutters '' Rose'' and ''Dolphin'' sailed to reconnoitre the creeks and harbours between Cape Barfleur and Cape La Hogue at the behest of Commander Charles Papps Price on at the ÃŽles Saint-Marcouf. At 04:30 they observed a small cutter and set off in chase. An hour later they captured their quarry about three or four leagues NW of Cape Barfleur. She was the French privateer ''Risque a Tout'', armed with two 4-pounder guns and small arms, with a crew of 16 men under the command of M. Jacques Neel. She was only 10 hours out of Cherbourg and had not taken anything.

''Dolphin'' arrived at Portsmouth on 16 June with the French privateers ''Genoa'' and ''Etrusot'', which she had captured off the coast of France.

Eleven months later, on 20 April 1801, , , and ''Dolphin'' chased a privateer lugger for 10 hours before capturing it near St Aubin's Bay. The privateer was ''Renard'', of Saint Malo, and pierced for 10 guns. She apparently had been a scourge of the British coasting trade. ''Dolphin'' was also in company when ''Fortunee'' captured the French privateer ''Masquerade'' on 5 May.

HMS ''Dolphin''

The Admiralty purchased ''Dolphin'' on 3 June 1801, and commissioned her in September as HMS ''Dolphin'' under the command of Lieutenant Thomas Shirley.

Fate

The Admiralty offered ''Dolphin'' for sale on 30 June 1802. ''Dolphin'' sold in 1802 for £215.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dolphin (1801)
Hired armed vessels of the Royal Navy
Cutters of the Royal Navy