Hired armed cutter Lurcher
Encyclopedia
The Hired armed
cutter Lurcher was a 12-gun cutter that served the Royal Navy
from 15 August 1795 until 15 January 1801 when a French privateer captured her in the Channel. Lurcher was armed with 12 3-pounder guns and had a crew of 40. She was of 10269/94 tons burthen (bm
).
On 19 June Lurcher came into Plymouth from Brest
, with damage that she had sustained in an engagement with a French cutter. Lurcher had succeeded in cutting out the French cutter from the Penmarks.
On 13 November 1800, the hired armed cutters Nile and Lurcher, under the command of Lieutenant Richard Forbes, captured the French brig
Prothee. Five days later they captured a French privateer brig of 14 guns. Prize money was due to be paid on 10 July 1801 in Plymouth.
Two weeks later, on 23 November, Captain Sir Richard Strachan in Captain
chased a French convoy in to the Morbihan
where it sheltered under the protection of shore batteries and the 20-gun corvette Réolaise. Magicienne was able to force the corvette onto the shore at Port Navale, though she got off again. The hired armed cutter Suworow
then towed in four boats with Lieutenant Hennah of Captain and a cutting-out party of seamen and marines. Nile and Lurcher towed in four more boats from Magicienne. Although the cutting-out party landed under heavy fire of grape and musketry, it was able to set the corvette on fire; shortly thereafter she blew up. Only one British seaman, a crewman from Suworow, was killed. However, Suworow's sails and rigging were so badly cut up that Captain had to tow her.
On 7 December 1800, Nile discovered a convoy of 15 or 16 small vessels coming round the point of Croisic near the mouth of the river Vilaine in Quiberon Bay. Lurcher joined Nile and together the two cutters captured or destroyed nine vessels at a cost of only one man wounded on Lurcher, despite fire from shore batteries. The three vessels that fell to Lurcher were all sailing from Nantes to Yannes with wine from Nantes. The three vessels were:
In 1801 Lurcher was still under the command of Lieutenant Forbes when a 16-gun French privateer captured her.
Hired armed vessels
right|thumb|250px|Armed cutter, etching in the [[National Maritime Museum]], [[Greenwich]]During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Royal Navy made use of a considerable number of hired armed vessels...
cutter Lurcher was a 12-gun cutter that served the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
from 15 August 1795 until 15 January 1801 when a French privateer captured her in the Channel. Lurcher was armed with 12 3-pounder guns and had a crew of 40. She was of 10269/94 tons burthen (bm
Builder's Old Measurement
Builder's Old Measurement is the method of calculating the size or cargo capacity of a ship used in England from approximately 1720 to 1849. It estimated the tonnage of a ship based on length and maximum beam...
).
- On 6 June 1793, the cutter Lurcher, of 100 tons burthen, eight 3 and 4-pounder guns, and under the command of Christopher Heayott, received a Letter of MarqueLetter of marqueIn the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government licence authorizing a person to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale...
.
Naval service
Lurcher shared, with many other British warships, in the capture of the French privateer Aimable Victoire on 29 January 1799. The actual captor, after a chase of eight and a half hours, was . Aimable Victoire was armed with 16 brass 8-pounder guns and two iron 6-pounder guns, and had a crew of 86 men. She was on her first cruise, was one day out of Cherbourg, and had not captured anything.On 19 June Lurcher came into Plymouth from Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, with damage that she had sustained in an engagement with a French cutter. Lurcher had succeeded in cutting out the French cutter from the Penmarks.
On 13 November 1800, the hired armed cutters Nile and Lurcher, under the command of Lieutenant Richard Forbes, captured the French brig
Prothee. Five days later they captured a French privateer brig of 14 guns. Prize money was due to be paid on 10 July 1801 in Plymouth.
Two weeks later, on 23 November, Captain Sir Richard Strachan in Captain
HMS Captain (1787)
HMS Captain was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 26 November 1787 at Limehouse. She served during the French revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars before being placed in harbour service in 1799...
chased a French convoy in to the Morbihan
Morbihan
Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
where it sheltered under the protection of shore batteries and the 20-gun corvette Réolaise. Magicienne was able to force the corvette onto the shore at Port Navale, though she got off again. The hired armed cutter Suworow
Hired armed cutter Black Joke
The hired armed cutter Black Joke was a cutter of ten 6-pounder guns and 9886/94 tons burthen that served the Royal Navy from 12 January 1795 to 19 October 1801...
then towed in four boats with Lieutenant Hennah of Captain and a cutting-out party of seamen and marines. Nile and Lurcher towed in four more boats from Magicienne. Although the cutting-out party landed under heavy fire of grape and musketry, it was able to set the corvette on fire; shortly thereafter she blew up. Only one British seaman, a crewman from Suworow, was killed. However, Suworow's sails and rigging were so badly cut up that Captain had to tow her.
On 7 December 1800, Nile discovered a convoy of 15 or 16 small vessels coming round the point of Croisic near the mouth of the river Vilaine in Quiberon Bay. Lurcher joined Nile and together the two cutters captured or destroyed nine vessels at a cost of only one man wounded on Lurcher, despite fire from shore batteries. The three vessels that fell to Lurcher were all sailing from Nantes to Yannes with wine from Nantes. The three vessels were:
- Maria Joseph, Martin Beroist, master, of two men and eight tons. Lurcher captured her.
- Eponine, Yine Le Frank, of three men and 13 tons. Lurcher drove her on shore on Houat with the loss of her cargo.
- Bon Secour, Yine Nicolane, of two men and eight tons. Lurcher sank her at anchor, but after saving her cargo.
In 1801 Lurcher was still under the command of Lieutenant Forbes when a 16-gun French privateer captured her.