HMS Druid was a 32-gun Hermione-class fifth-rate frigate of the British Royal Navy, launched in 1783 at Bristol.

[3] On 31 January 1788 a boat belonging to Druid captured the smuggler's lugger Revenge in Cawsand Bay.

The lugger, under the command of a Henry Carter, belonged to Guernsey and was bringing in alcohol and other prohibited goods.

[5] Druid sailed to Jamaica in April 1792 and, with the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, returned to operate in home waters.

[6] In late 1793 Druid served in a small squadron under the command of Sir James Saumarez in the frigate Crescent, together with the brig Liberty and the hired armed cutter Lion.

As they were maneuvering to attack some French vessels resting there, which escaped, Druid hit a rock, damaging herself.

[4] King convoyed merchant ships to and from Portugal until early 1797, when Druid participated in the operations against the French Expédition d'Irlande.

[3] Ville de Lorient was a frigate, armed en flute, i.e., she had reduced armament to permit her to serve as a transport.

[14] King then moved to another ship, with command of Druid transferring to Captain (acting) Edward Codrington.

[4] On 5 November 1796 Druid was in company with St. Albans, Caroline and Alcmene when they captured the Spanish ship Adriana.

[16] The British troops landed and destroyed some sluices and locks to block gunboats and transports at Flushing from joining an invasion of Britain.

However, high surf prevented the retrieval of the troops, and the landing party suffered 60 men dead and wounded, and 1134 captured.

[17] Because Druid served in the navy's Egyptian campaign between 8 March 1801 and 2 September, her officers and crew qualified for the clasp "Egypt" to the Naval General Service Medal that the Admiralty authorised in 1850 for all surviving claimants.

[4] A period of repair and refit began in 1804 which saw her returning to service as a 32-gun fifth rate in April 1805 under the command of Captain Philip Broke.

[19] On 1 May 1806 Druid chased the French brig corvette Pandour, bound for France from Senegal, 160 miles into Rear Admiral Charles Stirling's squadron where she was brought to; Druid had to share the prize money with Stirling's entire squadron and so earned relatively little for the long chase.

However, when he heard how she had held off a French privateer off Bilbao, he recognized the crew's courage by leaving the men alone.

Then Broke chased the Guernsey privateer cutter Hope for some 76 hours before he was able to catch her and impress some seamen from her.

[23][c] Broke was then appointed to Shannon in June 1806 but his replacement, Captain John R. Bennett, came aboard Druid on 31 August.

[28] On 13 November Druid captured the French navy brig Basque, armed with 16 guns with a crew of 112 men under the command of lieutenant de vaisseaux Liscourt.