Designed by Surveyor of the Navy Sir John Henslow, the class was created to make use of shipyards that could not construct larger frigates.

Two ships were initially constructed, with a later batch of three being ordered in response to an Admiralty request for the resumption of production of proven frigate designs.

The Narcissus class of 32-gun fifth-rate frigates was designed by the Surveyor of the Navy Sir John Henslow and approved by the Admiralty on 13 January 1798.

32-gun frigates were however still designed and built in certain situations, and Henslow created the Narcissus class in response to a need to use up smaller timbers available at Deptford Dockyard.

[2] The Admiralty preferred to construct these slightly inferior ships rather than leave shipyard capacity unfilled.

Three further ships were ordered in 1805 and 1806 when the Admiralty requested that the Navy Board submit proven frigate designs for further construction, of which the Narcissus class was one of three chosen.

[6] However, with the Peace of Amiens ending the French Revolutionary Wars in March 1802, it was not considered important to quickly make the change, and eventually Narcissus was instead fully adapted to fit the 24 pounders.

[1][17] In October Fraser was replaced by Captain Ross Donnelly, under whom the ship sailed to the Mediterranean Sea in February 1802.

Narcissus then captured two French 14-gun privateers, Duguay Trouin on 19 January 1810 and Aimable Josephine on 5 February, before being paid off in March 1812.

Serving on the Jamaica Station, Narcissus captured the 12-gun brig USS Viper on 17 January 1813, and the American 12-gun privateer Revenge on 30 March.

[16][27] Captain Keith Maxwell assumed command in 1804, with Tartar's boats capturing the French 10-gun privateer Hirondelle off San Domingo on 31 July.

[16][28] In March 1805 Maxwell was replaced by Captain Edward Hawker, under whom Tartar captured the French 18-gun brig Observateur on 9 June 1806.

[16][29] Later in the month Captain Joseph Baker filled Bettesworth's place, and on 3 November he captured the Danish 7-gun privateer Naargske Gutten.

[16][30][31] On 18 August Tartar ran aground on Dago Island; the crew re-floated her but she had sprung a leak that they were unable to fix.

[34][35] After this, in August or September Edgell was replaced by Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen; Cornelia was paid off in 1813 and went into ordinary at Woolwich Dockyard.