His Majesty's hired armed cutter Courier appears twice in the records of the British Royal Navy.
The size and armament suggests that both contracts could represent the same vessel, but other information indicates that the second Courier had been captured from the French in the West Indies.
[2] On 16 April, Courier was in company with Latona, Astraea and Cruizer when they captured the Prussian hoy Dolphin.
[5] After an hour and forty minutes of fighting, the privateer chose to take advantage of the wind and her better sailing qualities and escaped in the darkness and thick weather.
The next day Courier captured the French brig's consort, the privateer schooner Ribotteur, off the Texel.
There they captured three merchant vessels carrying sugar, wine, and brandy, and destroyed a galliot loaded with ordnance and stores.
[d] Between 11 and 12 August, Pylades, a 16-gun sloop under the command of Adam Mackenzie, accompanied by the 16-gun brig-sloop Espiegle, and Courier, attacked the former British gun-brig Crash, moored between the island of Schiermonnikoog and Groningen.
[14][e] In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue to the surviving claimants of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Schiermonnikoog 12 Augt.
[16][17] Latona, Astrea, Cruizer, Pylades, Ranger, Busy, Courier, hired armed lugger Speculator, and the hired armed cutters Fox and Diligent captured Aeolus, Jonge Picter , Vrow Alyda, Verwagting, Vinnern, and Almindeligheden.
The same British vessels were also involved in the capture of Neptunus, Sen Soskende, Bornholm, Fabius, Zee Star, and Frou Eagle.
Courier lost her master, Mr Stephen Marsh, who was killed at the start of the action, and also had two seamen wounded.
[g] In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Courier 23 Novr.
[16][17] In December 1800 Courier was obliged to quit her station between the Humber and Flamborough Head after an action with a French privateer a few days earlier.
Courier attempted to cut out the lugger but came under fire from the battery's 24-pounders and a 12-pounder field piece on shore.