Hired armed cutter Telemachus
His Majesty's hired armed cutter Telemachus served the Royal Navy from 17 June 1795 until 15 January 1801. She was of 128 5⁄95 tons (bm), and carried fourteen 4-pounder guns. During her five and a half years of service to the Royal Navy she captured eight French privateers as well as many merchant vessels.
On 5 August 1796 she was under the command of Lieutenant John Crispo when off The Needles she sailed in pursuit of a sloop and a cutter, which fled to the east. At 11am Telemachus caught up with the sloop, recapturing John. John, William Ayles, master, was of Weymouth and had been sailing with a cargo of coal when the enemy cutter had captured her. Crispo quickly took charge of John and then sailed in the pursuit of the enemy cutter. Telemachus caught up with the cutter off the Owers Bank at half-past two in the afternoon, and fired a shot, at which point the cutter struck. She proved to be the French privateer Marguarita, armed with four guns and four swivels, and had a crew of 40 men. She was three days out of Cherbourg but her only capture was the John. Crispo stated that by taking Marguarita he had saved five other vessels from being captured.Lloyd's Marine List gave the privateer's name as Margaretta, and described her as being armed with six guns.
On 14 August, Telemachus captured Pomona.Pomona, Robinson, master, was an American ship that had been sailing from Bermuda to London when a French privateer lugger captured her off St Albans. Telemachus sent Pomona into Portsmouth.
Then, on 27 August, behind the Isle of Wight, Telemachus captured a small French privateer armed with four swivels and carrying a crew of 22 men. The privateer turned out to be Requin.Telemachus also captured a smuggling vessel there that same day.
Telemachus captured the Spanish ship Gertruda on 6 October 1796. This may have been the Spanish ship from "the Carracas" carrying cotton, cocoa, coffee, and indigo that Telemachus was reported later that month as having sent into Gibraltar.
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