The Royal Navy purchased her in 1777 for use as a frigate during the American Revolutionary War, but then converted her to a storeship and receiving ship .

She saw service in North American waters and off the English port of Sheerness between 1777 and 1783, but was ultimately declared surplus to requirements and sold into private hands at Deptford Dockyard.

Greenwich was at Madeira on 15 January 1772, the Cape on 5 May, Johanna on 18 June, and Madras on 16 July.

[1] The Royal Navy purchased Greenwich in September 1777 and commissioned her under Commander Christopher Rigby for North American service.

Her first assignment was as a storeship, carrying supplies to British troops in Boston and New York; she set sail for North America on 16 March 1778 and remained there until the following year.

In April she sailed to Sheerness Dockyard where she was refitted as a 22-gun receiving ship, to collect and hold sailors gathered by press gangs operating ashore.