Several cutters have served His Britannic Majesty's revenue service as HM Revenue Cutter Swallow in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In wartime each cutter operated under a letter of marque, which authorized the master to engage in offensive actions against the enemy, not just defensive. These letters provide some information. Unfortunately, because the Government did not insure its vessels, sources such as Lloyd's Register, and later, the Register of Shipping, did not list the vessels while they were on government service. Also, Revenue cutters worked with the Royal Navy. A Customs House minute of 7 July 1806 notes that the Revenue cutters Swan and Hound might replace the Revenue cutters Stag and Swallow, which were then serving with Admiral Keith. Individual cutters might even for a time serve the Navy as a hired armed vessel.
All tonnages in this article are burthens (bm). They are clearly approximate as they vary widely for the same vessel.
1784–1792
The cutter Swallow, of 24 men, was stationed at Hull and on the establishment of the Customs Board.
In 1788, the captain of the Revenue cutter Swallow boarded two Swedish ships, Aurora and Maria, then in dock in Kingston-on-Hull and seized them. The two Swedish ships had been engaged in the illegal of wool.
In 1789 Mr. Thomas Amos was master of the Revenue cutter Swallow. She had been stationed at Cowes to replace the Revenue cutter Swan, which was at Lonodon.
The Times reported on 23 June 1791 that the Revenue cutter Swallow had brought into Penzance a seizure of tea, tobacco, and 700 gallons of spirits.
1793–1815
Letters of marque
The table below shows letters of marque issued to a Swallow where there is reason to suppose that she was a revenue cutter.
Mentions
On 27 April 1793, captured the French privateer Chauvelin. That same day, the Revenue cutter Swallow, which was in company with Alarm, captured the privateer Enfant de la Patrie. Both privateers had 10 guns; Chauvelin had 54 men and Enfant had 28.
On 23 November 1793 a smuggling cutter was observed off the coast near Shoreham, Sussex. Crew from Swallow manned her galley and rowed toward the smuggler. As they came alongside, the smugglers fired small arms and a carriage gun loaded with lead at the Custom's men, wounding one mortally. The Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs offered a reward of £300 for information leading to the delivery and apprehension of the master of the smuggling cutter, and the person who fired the shot.
In April 1794 the revenue cutters Swallow and Swan captured off Brighton a smuggling lugger with 366 casks of spirits, 31 bags of snuff, and two bags of tobacco. The next day they captured another lugger, this one with tea and 400 casks of spirits.
At some point the Revenue cutters Stag and Swallow captured the Einigheit, of Lubeck for which they were awarded prize money.
The Times reported that the Revenue cutter Swallow, Captain Smith, had captured a smuggling ship off the Sussex coast. The smuggler was carrying more than 5000 gallons of brandy and geneva and resisted arrest. One smuggler was killed and two wounded; Swallow had three men wounded.
On 16 August 1796, the hired armed cutter Lion and the Revenue cutter Swallow were four leagues WSW of Beachy Head when they observed a signal from the signal post alerting them to the presence of an enemy vessel. They set out in pursuit and captured a privateer lugger and her prize, a sloop. The privateer was armed with swivel guns and small arms, and had a crew of 17 men. She was three days out of St Valory and had only captured the sloop.
HM Revenue Cutter Swallow, Mr. Amos, master, captured the French privateer Petit Diable, of six tons (bm), off Farleigh on 27 August 1796. Petit Diable had a crew of 14. Swallow brought her into Rye. One source states that Petit Diable was one of three privateers that Amos and Swallow captured within 15 days. While stationed at Shoreham Amos reportedly captured some 15 raiders of one sort or another. However, he complained that his expenses ate up most of his prize money.
On 22 December 1796 the Revenue cutter Swallow captured the French lugger privateer Diable Volant off Havre. Swallow brought her prize into Cowes.
The cutter Swallow, Thomas Amos, master, of 153 tons (bm), was listed in June 1797 as cruising as the Customs Board would direct.
In 1799 Swallow. T. Amos, master, was listed as patrolling between Gravesend and the Isle of Wight. She was described as being of 165 tons (bm), armed with 14 guns, and having a crew of 32.