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. On the first contract the captain and crew were awarded clasps to the Naval General Service Medal, one for a boat action and one for a single ship action in which they distinguished themselves.
First contract
The first contract for Courier was from 6 June 1798 to 1 November 1801. She was of 116 tons (bm) and carried an armament of twelve 4-pounder guns. She had a crew of 40 men.
In 1799 she was under the command of Lieutenant Thomas Searle, in the North Sea. On 15 April he recaptured the Nelly from the French privateer Vengeur. On 16 April, Courier was in company with , and when they captured the Prussian hoy Dolphin.
Then on 2 May, , with Courier in company, captured Vreeda.
On 12 May, while off Winterton on the coast of Norfolk, Courier engaged a French 16-gun privateer. The French brig was attacking a British merchant sloop when Courier intervened. The brig was armed with 16 guns, mixed 6 and 9-pounders. 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. Courier tried to chase her but lost her after midnight. Courier had five men wounded in the action. Latona and Ranger assisted in the action.
The next day Courier captured the French brig's consort, the privateer schooner Ribotteur, off the Texel. Ribotteur had a crew of 26 men and was pierced for six guns but carried four 3-pounders, having thrown two overboard during the chase. Ribotteur did not resist. During the action Courier observed another privateer, a lugger, in the distance, that remained aloof from the action.
On 26 June Courier and captured Twee Gesisters.
On 1 July, Courier captured the brig Frederick. Then on 10 July Courier was a part of a small squadron consisting of Circe, , , and the hired armed cutter Nancy, all under the command of Captain R. Winthrop of Circe. The boats of the squadron rowed for 15 or 16 hours into the Watt at the back of Ameland. There they captured three merchant vessels carrying sugar, wine, and brandy, and destroyed a galliot loaded with ordnance and stores.
Between 18 July and 1 August, Courier, Circe, Pylades, Espiegle, and Nancy captured Marguerita Sophia, Twee Gesister, Twee Gebroders (Master, Vink) Twee Gebroders (Master, Nolholt), Jussrow Maria Christina, Vrow Henterje Marguaritha, Stadt Oldenburg, Vrow Antje, Vrow Gesina, Endraght, and Frederick.
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 , moored between the island of Schiermonnikoog and Groningen. Courier started the action, which resulted in Crash surrendering after the two sloops joined in. Pylades lost one man killed and two wounded. Crash had a crew of 60 men and was armed with 12 carronades. The British also captured a schooner, which MacKenzie armed with two carronades and named Undaunted. The boats of the squadron, now including boats and men from Latona and , then attacked the 6-gun Dutch schooner Vengeance and a battery on Schiermonnikoog. The British were able to burn the schooner on the second attempt and to spike the guns of the battery. The squadron's boats also captured a number of Dutch schuyts. During the attack Courier grounded and was only saved with some difficulty. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue to the surviving claimants of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Schiermonnikoog 12 Augt. 1799".
Latona, Astrea, Cruizer, Pylades, Ranger, , 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.