King's Cutters and Smugglers 1700-1855

by E. Keble Chatterton

LIST OF CRUISERS EMPLOYED IN THE CUSTOMS SERVICE FOR THE YEAR 1784

Name.	Number of Crew.	Where Stationed.	Remarks.
Lively and Vigilant	14	London	These vessels were the property of the Crown. The Lively cruised in the winter half-year, but in the summer her crew did duty on board the Vigilant.
Defence	16	Gravesend	On the Establishment.
Success	23	Rochester	On the Establishment.
Otter	13	Rochester	Moored in Standgate Creek to guard the Quarantine.
Active	18	Eaversham	On the Establishment.
Sprightly	30	Sandwich	Employed by Contract from May 27, 1784.
Greyhound	17	Sandwich	Employed by Contract from January 27, 1784.
Scourge	30	Deal	Employed by Contract from January 27, 1784.
Nimble	30	Deal	Employed by Contract from April 23, 1784.
Tartar	31	Dover	On the Establishment.
Assistance	28	Dover	Employed by Contract.
Alert	16	Dover	Employed by Contract from April 22, 1784.
Stag	24	Rye	On the Establishment.
Hound	30 & 24	Rye	Contract. Crew reduced to 24 on October 9, 1784.
Surprise	28	Newhaven	Contract. Crew reduced to 24 on October 9, 1784.
Enterprise	18	Shoreham	Establishment in 1784, but afterwards on Contract.
Falcon	18 & 28	Chichester	Establishment.
Roebuck	21	Portsmouth	Establishment.
Antelope	11	Portsmouth	Establishment.
Rose	30	Southampton	Establishment.
Speedwell	31	Weymouth Cowes	She was on Contract at Weymouth but was removed to Cowes on June 10, 1784.
Swan	23	Cowes	Contract from March 6, 1784
Laurel	20	Poole	Contract from March 6, 1784
Diligence	32	Poole Weymouth	Contract. Removed from Poole to Weymouth, March 2, 1784.
Alarm	26	Exeter	Contract. Removed from Poole to Weymouth, March 2, 1784.
Spider	28	Dartmouth	Contract. Removed from Poole to Weymouth, March 2, 1784.
Ranger	21	Plymouth	Establishment.
Wasp	20	Plymouth	Contract.
Squirrel	20	Looe	Contract.
Hawke	18 & 26	Falmouth	Contract.
Lark	20	Falmouth	Contract.
Lurcher	30	Penryn	Contract.
Tamer	25	Scilly	Contract.
Brilliant	30	St. Ives	Contract.
Dolphin	26	St. Ives	Contract.
Brisk	19	Milford	Contract.
Repulse	33	Colchester	Establishment.
Argus	24	Harwich	Establishment.
Bee	16	Harwich	Contract.
Hunter	25	Yarmouth.	Establishment.
Experiment	18	Boston	Establishment.
Swallow	24	Hull	Establishment.
Mermaid	24	Newcastle	Establishment.
Eagle	24	Newcastle	Establishment.

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APPENDIX III

LIST OF CRUISERS EMPLOYED IN THE CUSTOMS SERVICE FOR THE YEAR 1797
(up to June 27)

Vessel.	Commander.	Tonnage.	Guns.	Men.	Extent of Cruising Station.
Vigilant Yacht Vigilant Cutter	Richard Dozell	53 82	6 8	13 10adl.	To attend the Honourable Board. In the winter season the cutter with ten additional hands cruised on the coasts of Essex, Ken, and Sussex
Diligence	William Dobbin	152	14	32	Milford to Solway Firth, or as the Board should direct.
Swallow	Thomas Amos	153	10	32	As the Board should direct.
Lively	Du Bois Smith	113	12	30	As the Board should direct.
Defence	Geo. Farr (Acting)	76	6	18	Gravesend to Dungeness.
Ant	Thomas Morris	58	4	15	Gravesend to the Nore.
Fly	Thomas Gibbs	52	4	15	Gravesend to the Nore.
Success	William Broadbank	74	6	24	Rochester to North Sand Head.
Otter	John Matthews	68	—	13	Rochester to the Buoy of the Woolpack.
Active	Thomas Lesser	75	8	18	Mouth of Medway to N. Foreland, round the Longsand and up the Swin to Leigh.
Swift	J. Westbeech (Tide Surveyor)	52	—	8	Downs to the Longsand.
Nimble	William Clothier (Acting)	41	2	15	Between the Forelands.
Tartar	B.J. Worthington	100	10	23	The Gore to Beachy Head.
Stag	John Haddock	153	14	32	Dover to Brighton, but extended on special circumstances.
Hound	J.R. Hawkins	111	12	30	N. Foreland to Isle of Wight.
Falcon	Charles Newland	131	12	33	Beachy Head to Isle of Wight.
Roebuck	John Stiles	104	12	27	Round the Isle of Wight.
Antelope	John Case	97	10	26	Round the Isle of Wight, and from Needles to Swanage.
Rose	William Yeates	114	12	32	From Lool to Lyme.
Swan		[Building at this date]			Beachy Head to Lyme.
Greyhound	Richard Wilkinson	200	16	43	Beachy Head to the Start.
Alarm	Andrew Dealey	130	12	36	Between Portland and the Start.
Ranger	Nathaniel Cane	80	8	25	Land's End to Cape Cornwall.
Busy	Alexr. Fraser (mate)	46	—	11	Plymouth Sound and Lawsand Bay.
Hinde	Gabriel Bray	160	12	41	Portland to St. Ives and Scilly.
Dolphin	Richard Johns (Junr.)	139	14	32	St. Ives to Padstow, round Scilly; Land's End to Helford.
Racer	James Wood (mate)	40	—	9	Chepstow to Ilfracombe.
Speedwell	John Hopkins	[Building at this date]			Holyhead, Bristol Channel, and to the Land's End.
Endeavour	Thomas Peregrine	34	—	11	The whole port of Milford.
Repulse	G.G.H. Munnings	143	14	43	North Yarmouth to Portsmouth.
Argus	John Saunders	135	14	32	Buoy of the Middle[25] to Lowestoft.
Hunter	Thomas Ritches	143	14	32	Harwich to Cromer.
Bee	A. Somerscalls (mate)	28	—	9	Humber, York, and Lincoln, and to guard Quarantine.
Eagle	George Whitehead	[Building at this date]			Tynemouth to Yarmouth.
Mermaid	John Carr	112	10	30	Berwick to the Spurn.
Viper	John Hudson (mate)	28	—	9	Isle of Anglesea to St. Bee's Head occasionally.

[25] i.e. doubtless the channel better known as Swin Middle, leading into the estuary of the Thames.

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