Hired Armed Cutter Adrian

Two vessels named His Majesty's Hired armed cutter ''Adrian'' served the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars as hired armed vessels.

First ''Adrian''

The first ''Adrian'' was the cutter ''Industry'', of 84 tons (bm). She was armed with eight 12-pounder carronades. She served under contract from 21 August 1804 to 25 August 1805. During her service she was renamed ''Adrian''. ''Adrian'' was in company with the frigate when on 1 and 2 June 1805 ''Adrian'' captured the chasse-marées ''Marie'' and ''Sophie''. At the time ''Adrian'' was under the command of Lieutenant Joseph Bain Bett, who apparently transferred from the hired armed cutter ''Rhoda''. ''Marie'' was one of three chasse-marées that on 1 June he observed sailing to Brest. ''Adrian'' succeeded in first driving ''Marie'' ashore, and then capturing her. However, as the prize crew was retrieving her, a musket ball killed ''Adrian''s mate. ''Marie'' had been carrying a cargo of wine and brandy from Bordeaux to Brest. The other two chasse-marées escaped.

Before her contract with the Navy, ''Industry'' may have been the cutter ''Industry'', William Johns, master, of 85 tons (bm), that received a letter of marque on 20 June 1803. This ''Industry'' was armed with six 1, 1, and 2-pounder guns, and four swivel guns, and had a crew of 36 men.

Second ''Adrian''

Although the second hired armed cutter ''Adrian'' captured several enemy merchant vessels, the usual sources carry no information about the vessel herself; we have no information regarding her dimensions, size, or armament. We have the names of two of her commanders covering about three years of some five years or more years of service, but no information on the duration of her contract with the Royal Navy.

At some point in 1807 ''Adrian'' was under the command of Lieutenant John Forbes.

On 28 July 1807 ''Adrian'' was under the command of Lieutenant John Carter when she took the Danish ship ''Thetis'', Peder Belousen, master.

On 30 January 1808 the schooner was reconnoitering the harbour at Brest when she hit the sunken Parquette Rock. , ''Adrian'', and the cutter all tried to get her off, but their efforts were in vain. The vessels in attendance were able to save ''Capelin''s crew.

On 26 October 1809, Lieutenant Charles Marsh Cumby was appointed to command ''Adrian'', a command that he held for 10 months. While on ''Adrian'', Cumby captured 14 merchant vessels, and "greatly annoyed the enemy's coasting trade."

On 9 November ''Adrian'', , , ''Christian VII'', ''Milford'', ''Naiad'', ''Unicorn'', and the hired armed cutter ''Nimrod'' were all in sight when captured the French brig ''Modeste''.

On 4 January 1810 ''Adrian'' captured ''Fortune''.

On 24 March, the brig ''Julie'' came into Plymouth. ''Adrian'' had captured ''Julie'' as she was sailing from Nantz to Brest, on 6 March.

On 29 April, ''Adrian'' was in company with ''Armide'' and at the capture of ''Aimable Betzie''. (''Monkey'', a brig, was part of the force blockading Lorient when she was wrecked on 25 December.) also shared in the proceeds of the capture of ''Aimable Betsie''.

In May 1811 ''Adrian'' apparently sailed to the West Indies. She was still listed as serving the Royal Navy in 1812–13.

Citations

References

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*Leyland, John ed. (1902) ''Dispatches and Letters Relating to the Blockade of Brest, 1803-1805''. Volume 2; Volume 21. (Navy Records Society).
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Adrian, Hired armed cutter
Hired armed vessels of the Royal Navy