Hired Armed Cutter Albion

During the period of the Napoleonic Wars, the British Royal Navy twice employed a vessel named His Majesty's hired armed cutter ''Albion'', though these are probably the same vessel:

First contract

''Albion'', of six guns and 79 tons ( bm), served under contract from June 1803 to February 1808.

On 24 June 1803 she was under the command of Lieutenant Mayson Wright when she captured the 4-gun privateer ''Marengo''. ''Albion'', with a crew of 27, was employed in raising men for the Royal Navy. Late in the afternoon she came upon a French privateer in the Channel and gave chase. By 5p.m. pursuer and quarry were within 50 yards and opened fire on each other. An hour and twenty minutes later, the privateer struck. She had had three men wounded; ''Albion'' had no casualties though she had taken some shots to her hull and had a gun dismounted. The privateer turned out to be ''Marengo'', of four guns and a crew of 26 men under the command of "John Sieur Granger". Wright believed ''Marengo'' was a new vessel; in any case she was two days out of Cherbourg, and had made no captures. She had "Fly of Cowes" painted across her stern. ''Albion'' sent ''Marengo'' into Portsmouth.

Around the end of July ''Albion'' sent into Portsmouth ''Freunde'', Haab, master, which had been sailing from Naples to Hambro In its next issue, ''Lloyd's List'' reported that ''Albion'' had sent into Portsmouth ''Friends Hope'', from Naples to Hambro. The ''Naval Chronicle'' reported that ''Trende Haab'', prize to ''Albion'', Lieutenant Mayson Wright, had arrived at Portsmouth on 29 July.

On 15 January 1804, ''Albion'' under the command of Mason icWright, captured three gunvessels: ''Marengo'', ''Tureen de Naab'', and ''Mercurius''.

On 24 November 1804, ''Albion'' joined in when the hired armed cutter ''Duke of Clarence'' sighted a large French lugger and set off in chase. The lugger's crew ran their boat on shore near Granville, Manche. ''Duke of Clarence'' sent a boat in to examine the lugger, which turned out to have a cargo of oysters and cider. As ''Duke of Clarence'' awaited her boat's return she hit a submerged rock with the result that she started to fill with water. Clements gave up on any attempt to recover the lugger as ''Albion'' came up to rescue him, his officers, and crew.

At some point in 1807 Wright left ''Albion'' to take command of the gun-brig .

Early in December 1807, ''Albion'' detained ''Martia Elizabeth'', Betts, master, sailing from Lisbon to Hambro, and sent her into Falmouth. ''Albion'' also towed ''Lucy and Alida'' into Falmouth. Then on the 16th, ''Albion'' sent into Falmouth ''Vrow Seida'', Sohoon, master, from Villaviciosa, Asturias.

In February 1808, ''Albion'' sent into Falmouth, ''Active'', King, master, which had been sailing from St Ube's to Philadelphia.

Second contract

''Albion'', of six guns and 79 tons (bm), served under contract from May 1808 until June 1812. Mr. Alexander Watson was ''Albion''s commander and she was based on the Jersey station.

By 1809, however, ''Albion'' was on the North Sea station. On 25 July 1809, under Watson's command, ''Albion'' captured Danish schooner No.3, Jergen Fast, master. That same day ''Albion'', , and were in company when ''Albion'' captured ''Maria Catherina''. On 1 August ''Catherine'', a prize to ''Albion'', arrived at Leith. Then on 3 September ''Albion'' captured the Danish schooner ''Fortuna'', J.P. Anderson, master.

From 1810 to the end of her contract ''Albion'' remained under the command of Alexander Watson on The Downs station.

On 11 July, ''Albion'' captured ''Hoffnung'', Folkert Placeg, master.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Albion, Hired armed cutter
Hired armed vessels of the Royal Navy
1800s ships