Built for the Crown, Saint Michel was originally manned by officers of the French East India Company.

During the War of the Austrian Succession, Saint Michel was part of a squadron under Admiral de Rochambeau; on 17 August 1744, she captured the 20-gun HMS Solebay near Gibraltar.

[1] During the American Revolutionary War, Saint Michel took part in the Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778,[1] under Mithon de Genouilly.

[6] He landed his troops to reinforce the Dutch Cape Colony against a possible British attack, and on 2 May he sailed to Isle de France (Mauritius), where Saint-Michel and Illustre arrived on 31, the transports following a few days later.

[2] Saint Michel carried out another mission to the Indian Ocean in 1787 before returning to France to be hulked the next year.