Hired Armed Cutter John Bull

His Majesty's hired armed cutter ''John Bull'' served the British Royal Navy under contract between 5 May 1804 and 26 November 1806. She then became a privateer. She detained numerous vessels before she herself fell prey to a French privateer in 1809. She then became a French privateer. Her ultimate fate is currently unknown.

Hired armed cutter

On 14 October 1804 ''John Bull'' delivered dispatches from Plymouth to Admiral Nelson in the Mediterranean. She left for Plymouth that same day.
On 4 November ''John Bull'' arrived from Gibraltar with dispatches from off Toulon.

''John Bull'' arrived at Port Royal, Jamaica, on 28 March 1805 after a 38-day voyage from Plymouth. She was carrying dispatches, and the news of the commencement of war with Spain, though the order that Spanish vessels be detained was already known.

On the way out ''John Bull'' had encountered , which a gale had caused to separate from the convoy that ''Acasta'' she was escorting to Jamaica. ''Acasta'' intended to search for the convoy for a day or two.

From Jamaica ''John Bull'' sailed on to Barbados where 10 vessels of the convoy had arrived before she left.

While on the Jamaica station, and prior to 1 June, ''John Bull'', under the command of Lieutenant Kortwright, captured the French schooner ''Elizabeth'', which was carrying a cargo of sundries.

In mid-September ''John Bull'' detained and sent into Plymouth two vessels: ''Palinurius'', Merrehew, master, from New York, and ''Sirene'', Horkendorf, master, from Bordeaux.

On 8 March 1806 ''John Bull'', under the command of Lieutenant George Broad, captured the Spanish vessels ''Legero'' and ''Los Animos''. On 2 May ''John Bull'' arrived with dispatches from Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren concerning the British victory at the action of 13 March 1806

Between 18 and 21 June, Admiral Warren and a squadron were off Madeira. ''John Bull'', , and arrived at Madeira on 18 June and they sailed from Madeira to join the squadron on 21 June.

Privateer

On 9 December Captain Michael Till received a letter of marque for the cutter John Bull."Register of Letters of Marque against France 1793-1815"; p.70.

In mid-January 1807 the privateers ''John Bull'' and ''Busy'' detained ''Vrow Anna'', a Dane, which had been sailing from Marennes to Gothenburg. A few days later ''John Bull'' detained and sent into Plymouth ''John Adams'', which had been sailing from Alicante to Cochin.

In early February ''John Bull'' detained the American vessel ''Henrietta'', Nichols, master, which had been sailing from Leghorn. A few weeks later ''John Bull'' detained and sent into Plymouth the Danish vessel ''Provistina Jacobsen'', which had been sailing from Alicante.

The privateers ''John Bull'' and ''Indefatigable'' sent the Danish ship ''Little Catherine'', Beorne, master, into Plymouth on 24 June. ''Little Catherine'' had left Bengal on 1 February and St Helena on 28 April. When she left St Helena she left there the frigate ''Sir Edward Hughes'', eleven home-bound East Indiamen, four whalers, and a vessel returning from Botany Bay.

On 24 July ''John Bull'' sent into Dartmouth the Danish vessel ''Aurora'', Pedersen, master, which had been sailing from Lisbon to Antwerp. A day or so later ''John Bull'' detained and sent into Plymouth ''General Walterstof'', Groot, master. ''General Walterstorf'' had been sailing from Saint Croix to Copenhagen.

At the end of August ''John Bull'' detained ''Froe Secolitas'', Sursen, master, which had come from Saint Thomas's. ''John Bull'' also detained ''Flask'', Erickson, master, from Lisbon to Tonningen, and ''Neord'', Tyson, master, from Oporto to Tonningen. ''John Bull'' sent all three into Plymouth.

At the beginning of October ''John Bull'' detained and sent into Plymouth, ''Indogheten'', Johnson, master, coming from Cette.

On 10 October a small privateer captured ''Cornelius'', Hussey, master, as ''Cornelius'' was sailing from Liverpool to Newfoundland. That same day ''John Bull'' recaptured ''Cornelius'' and sent her into Plymouth.

Early in January 1808 ''John Bull'' detained ''Johanna'', Suraisson, master, and sent her into Plymouth. ''Johanna'' had been sailing from Archangel to Oporto.

On 17 August the Spanish schooner ''Diligente'' arrived at Plymouth. The privateer ''John Bull'' had detained her as ''Diligente'' was sailing from St Sebastian to St Andero.

Early in September 1809 the letter of marque cutter ''John Bull'' captured the Spanish vessel ''N.S. Aransia''. She had been sailing from Cadiz to Seville and ''John Bull'' brought her into Plymouth.

Fate

In September the French privateer ''Pourvoyeur'', of Dieppe, captured the cutter ''John Bull'' and carried her into that port.''Lloyd's List'' №4393.
/ref> Apparently ''John Bull'' and ''Pourvoyeur'' exchanged fire, and then the French boarded ''John Bull'' and took her in hand-to-hand combat. The French reported having lost one man killed; British casualties were 14.''Journal de Paris'' (7 December 1809), p.1031.

On his 20-day cruise, Balidar, captain of ''Pourvoyeur'', gathered four prizes , including ''John Bull'', that he sold in Dieppe. The other three prizes were: ''Little Arthur'', ''Exchange'' (of Wells), and ''Suckey''. He grossed 447,862 francs.

''John Bull'' was commissioned in August 1810 as a French privateer with ten 12 or 18-pounder carronades.

Notes, citations and references

Notes

Citations

References
*
*
*Nelson, Horatio, (1st Viscount) (1845) ''The dispatches and letters of vice admiral ... Nelson, with notes by sir N.H. Nicolas Harris Nicolas, G.C.M.G.:May 1804 - July 1805.'' Vol. 6. (London: Henry Colburn).
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:John Bull (hired armed cutter)
1800s ships
Hired armed vessels of the Royal Navy
Privateer ships of the United Kingdom
Captured ships
Privateer ships of France