Previously she was the French privateer Marseillaise and then naval corvette Vengeur, which the British Army captured during the battle for Martinique in 1794.

[2] Lloyd's List reported on 27 August 1793 that the French privateer Marsellois, of 22 guns and 180 men, from Dunkirk, had captured Harpooner and two Dutch vessels from the West Indies, and sent all three into Boston.

On 17 March, boats from Avenger took part in a cutting out expedition in Fort Royal Bay, which captured the French frigate Bienvenue.

[7] Bayntun remained in command of Avenger until 4 May 1794 when he was promoted to Post Captain and appointed to Bienvenue, the frigate he had captured the previous month.

[1] In 1797 Avenger was among the vessels that qualified for prize money for stores and the like captured at Martinique, St Lucia, and Guadeloupe between March and April 1794.