Earl Spencer (1), 1799
Type: Hired Cutter ; Armament 14
Hired : 1799 ; Disposal date or year : 1801
Notes:

28 May 1800 an Account of the Salvage arising from the recapture of the Molly, in Ballast, by HM hired Lugger Nile, and Cutter Earl Spencer will be paid their portion of the salvage arising from the recapture of the Molly.

28 Jul 1800 arrived Spithead the Earl Spencer, Lt Rye, from a cruise.

1 Aug 1800 departed Spithead the Earl Spencer, Lt Rye, on a cruise.

15 Sep 1800 arrived Spithead the Earl Spencer cutter, Lt Rye, with a neutral vessel to be investigated.

20 Oct 1800 arrived Spithead the Earl Spencer, Lt Rye, with the Earl St Vincent, Lt Lackey, from a cruise.

29 Oct 1800 departed Spithead the Earl Spencer, Lt Rye, with the Earl St. Vincent, Lt Lackey, for the coast of France.

11 Nov 1800 arrived Spithead the Earl Spencer cutter, Lt Rye, from a cruise.

23 Nov 1800 departed Spithead in quest of a privateer of the back of the Isle of Wight.

1 Dec 1800 departed Spithead the Earl Spencer, Lt Rye, on a cruise.

24 Dec 1800 arrived Spithead, the Earl Spencer, Lt Rye, from a cruise. She chased the preceding Friday, off the Start, a French lugger privateer, 16, which she would have captured had not a thick fog enabled the privateer to escape. She has detained and brought in with her the ship Martha, richly laden.

5 Feb 1801 arrived Spithead the Earl Spencer cutter, Lt Leach, with the Swedish ship Cupido, Bottcher, master from Salo and Benecarlo, bound to Altona, laden with wine and brandy, which she detained off the Isle of Wight yesterday. It is noted that the Earl Spencer was put under quarantine, so would suggest that the same rules probably applied to the Cupido.

29 Mar 1801 fell in with in lat. 42� 1' N. and long 9� 30' E. and captured the French lugger privateer Le Huron, 14 guns (6 x 9 pdrs ; 4 x 2 pdrs brass, and 4 iron 6 pdrs.), 35 men, of Bourdeaux, out 59 days. She had captured the Jersey (M'Carthy), from Cork bound to Martinique. The prisoners I have brought in here. John Stewart.

15 May 1801 the Fisgard, Hired Armed Brig Hirondelle, Lieutenant Gustavus Stupart, Commander and the Hired Armed Cutter Earl Spencer, Lieutenant James Leach recaptured the brig Victory from the French.

23 May 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound the brig Victory, John Barden, master, bound from London to St John's, taken on 1 May by a French privateer, and recaptured on the 15th, as above.

1 Jul 1801 arrived Plymouth from the Channel Fleet with several light victuallers under convoy.

15 Aug 1801 arrived Plymouth last evening the Danish brig Harbert, Warner, master, bound from Christiana to Bourdeaux with deals, detained in the Channel by the Sirius, and the cutter Earl Spencer.

21 Sep 1801, Plymouth, notice is hereby given to the Officers and Company of HM Ship Fisgard, who were actually on board at the time of the recapture from the French of the brig Victory, and her cargo, on 15 May 1801, in company of the Hired Armed brig Hirondelle, and the Hired Armed Cutter Earl Spencer, Lt Leach, that an Account of the Proceeds received for the Salvage of the said Recapture will be deposited in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty, agreeable to Act of Parliament. Edmund Lockyer, Acting Agent. Note : there were two hired vessels with this name around this period : depending on sources, one was a schooner, 16 guns, and the other a cutter, 14 guns, or, according to other sources both were cutters. But, looking at the chronology and geography of the above it looks to me as though we have one above ie the cutter, which Lt Rye states in his NBD entry was one of his commands, and the other one below, also a cutter, commanded by Lt Anthony Thompson.