Hired armed cutter Constitution
Two vessels have borne the designation, His Majesty's hired armed cutter Constitution. The first served the British [{Royal Navy]] during the French Revolutionary Wars. The second served briefly at the start of the Napoleonic Wars and was sunk in 1804. The two cutters are similar enough that may have been the same vessel; at this juncture it is impossible to know.
This vessel served on a contract from 6 November 1796 to 7 November 1801. She was of 121 61⁄94 tons (bm) and carried twelve 4-pounder guns.
On 7 November 1798, Constitution, under the command of Lieutenant John Whiston, was among the vessels that participated in the capture of Minorca. Commodore Duckworth, the naval commander, mentioned Whiston's services in the letter Duckworth wrote on the campaign. She also shared in the prize money for the capture.
Constitution detained Zum Gutten Ensbrick, Wevers, master, which had been sailing from Rotterdam to St. Andero. The prize arrived at Plymouth on 24 April 1799.
When Unicorn captured the French brig St Antoine, on 9 June 1799, Constitution, was entitled to share in the proceeds.
On 31 August, the Danish ship Denmark, Kaften, master, arrived at Plymouth. She had been on a voyage from Havana to Hamburg with a cargo of sugar, coffee, indigo, and cotton, supposedly Spanish property, when Constitution detained her.
Constitution and the hired armed cutter Penelope shared in the proceeds of the capture of the Danish brig Neptunus.
Two French privateers, each of 14 guns, captured Constitution on 9 January 1801 off the Isle of Portland. Constitution, and her crew of some 40 men was under the command of Lieutenant W.H. Faulknor. After an engagement that left Constitution's rigging cut to pieces, the French boarded and captured her. Constitution suffered eight men killed or wounded; French casualties were 26 men killed or wounded. (One French vessel had a crew of 95 men and the other 85.) Although the French took Constitution's crew on board their two vessels, they left Faulknor aboard her. That same evening Harpy and the revenue cutter Greyhound recaptured Constitution. The subsequent court martial of Faulknor for the loss honourably acquitted him.
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