Speedwell, <-1799->
Type: Hired Armed Schooner � ; Armament 16
Acquired I know not how or where circa <-1799 ; Disposal date or year : 1799->
Notes:

Note : during the period this vessel was under hire, and whilst under the command of Lt. Tomlinson, the Speedwell is variously described as a schooner, an armed brig and simply a brig, and a lugger &c......so am taking it that since Lt. Tomlinson and Speedwell are common factors I'll use the description given, but the reader can ignore it if he wishes ! 8 Jul 1799 departed Plymouth Sound the Speedwell schooner, Lt. Tomlinson, on a cruise.

5 Dec 1799 after a chase of 6 hours, with the Valiant in company, and Island of Guernsey 15 miles to the S.E., captured the French lugger privateer Heureuse Esperance, of St. Maloes, 14 guns, 8 thrown overboard, and 24 men remaining.

6 Dec 1799 after a chase of 9 hours, with the Valiant in company, and the Swin Islands about two miles to the south captured the French brig privateer Heureuse Speculateur, of Granville, 14 guns, and 58 men, Citizen Louis Joseph Quoniam, Commander.

7 Dec 1799 arrived Plymouth Sound, the Speedwell schooner, 16, Lt. R. Tomlinson, and the Valiant lugger, 14, with the French brig privateer Speculative, and the French lugger privateer, Esperance.

31 Dec 1800 departed Plymouth, Lt Tomlinson, with dispatches for the Straits.

10 Feb 1801 letters dated the 10th, received from Gibraltar, confirm the safe arrival of the Speedwell, Lt Tomlinson, with dispatches from Plymouth, having had a severe contest with a number of Spanish gun-boats, but managed to eventually effect her escape, although 2 men were wounded and the sails and rigging were badly damaged.

1 Mar 1801 letters received at Plymouth from the Speedwell lugger, of 16 guns, Lt Tomlinson, dated Gibraltar, the 10th ult. state, that in the Gut he fell in with, engaged, and beat off several Spanish gun-boats, though much shattered. The Speedwell had two men wounded.

23 Apr 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound the Speedwell armed schooner, Lt Tomlinson, from Rhodes, with dispatches, which were landed at Mount's Bay, with Lieutenant Tomlinson, who set off express for London. He touched at Mahon, and brought passenger Lieutenant Jump, late of the Sprightly cutter, sunk by Gantheaume's squadron in the Straits before the Speedwell left Minorca.

27 Apr 1801 by private accounts received at Plymouth from Minorca, brought by the Speedwell, it appears that the dreadful slaughter on board L'Africaine, 44, captured by the Phoebe, of 36 guns, Captain Barlow, was owing to an obstinacy in the French troops refusing to go below during the action, pour l'honneur de pavilion, by which means the upper decks were crowded without a possibility of being of any service in the Battle. The Phoebe kept on the quarters of L'Africaine during the whole action, and her steady, cool, raking fire did her business effectually.

29 Apr 1801 landed 10,000 letters from Egypt, Malta, and Mahon, from the Speedwell schooner, Lt. Tomlinson, having been fumigated by the Officers of Health.

8 Jun 1801 the Vidette and Speedwell brigs, with the cutter Drake departed N. Yarmouth on a cruise. See Valette for Vidette.

2 Jul 1801 came into Plymouth Sound the Harmony and Recovery, two brigs from Oporto, with 600 pipes of port wine, for the merchants of this town. They left Oporto the 19 Jun., under convoy of La Constance, of 24 guns, Captain Zachary Mudge, and a schooner with 82 sail, all deeply laden with Port Wine. Captain Mudge dispatched the Speedwell schooner, with 36 sail on the 2d inst, off the chops of the Channel, for Bristol, Liverpool, &c. The very great activity of Captain Mudge in convoying out safe from Falmouth on the 3d of April, the outward bound ships for Lisbon and Oporto, and also collecting at Vienna some ships with brandy, for the latter Port, without which the wines could not have been got ready to come home with the convoy, received the thanks of the British Consul and the Factory, at both Lisbon and Oporto, for his promptness in preserving the commerce of old England.

1 Aug 1801 departed Plymouth Sound the Speedwell, armed brig, Lieutenant Tomlinson, with dispatches for Admiral Lord Gardner for Cork, to order a division of the Baltic Fleet there to sail to join Rear-Admiral Sir J. Saumarez.

24 Aug 1801 warped down to the lower moorings, the Speedwell, of 16 guns, Lt Tomlinson, at Plymouth.

7 Sep 1801 departed Plymouth Sound, the Speedwell, Lt Tomlinson, supposedly for the Channel Fleet.