Between 1789 and 1798 Sparrow made several voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery.

Sparrow stopped at Cowes and on 19 September sailed from there for the Southern Fishery but with Clark as master.

[4] Sparrow, built in Bombay, was admitted to registry in Great Britain on 15 February 1796.

[4] Captain Michael Humble, snr., who replaced Mather, acquired a letter of marque on 31 August 1799.

[9] Lloyd's List reported in February 1806 that Sparrow, from Newfoundland to the Mediterranean, was among the vessels that the Rochefort Squadron had captured and burnt.

[10] The entry for Sparrow, Gilmore, master, in the Register of Shipping for 1806 carried the annotation "Captured".