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COURIER
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Hired cutter
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Hired cutter with twelve 4-pounders and 40 men. |
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- 1799 Lieut. Thomas SEARLE, North Sea.
While off Winterton on the coast of Norfolk on the 12 May 1799 COURIER came across a large brig attacking a British merchant sloop.
Lieut. SEARLE immediately intervened and, after an hour and a quarter so damaged the brig that she took advantage of her superior sailing qualities to escape as soon as she had the advantage of the wind.
COURIER had 5 men wounded in the action.
The following day she took the French privateer schooner, RIBOTTEUR (6) a consort of the brig, without resistance.
Head money and prize money for her hull and stores were paid at Yarmouth in May 1800. - On 10 July 1799 COURIER assisted in the capture of three merchant vessels near the island of Ameland and the destruction of a galliot loaded with ordnance stores.
PYLADES, ESPIEGLE and COURIER formed part of a light squadron under Captain Frank SOTHERON in LATONA off the coast of Holland during the summer of 1799 and on 11 August they attacked a captured British gun-brig, CRASH, in the passage between Schiermonikoog and the mainland.
COURIER started the action but CRASH would not surrender until the two sloops came up. - On 21 November 1799 COURIER sailed from Yarmouth and on the afternoon of the following day saw a suspicious sail bringing-to a bark.
He hauled his wind and, on passing the bark, was told that the other vessel was an enemy.
He gave chase and came up with her the next morning 30 miles off Lowerstoft.
After a close action of 50 minutes he captured the French privateer cutter GUERRIER mounting fourteen 4 pounders. She was commanded by Felix Lallermand and during her five days out of Dunkirk had captured the NILE collier from London. - COURIER's master, Mr Stephen MARSH, was killed at the start of the action and two of her seamen were wounded.
The French had four killed and six wounded.
SEARLE was promoted to commander on 23 November. - COURIER was obliged to quit her station between the Humber and Flamborough Head after an action with a French privateer brig at the beginning of December 1800.
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