HMS Royalist was launched in 1807. She captured many privateers and letters of marque, most French, but also some from Denmark and the United States. Her crew twice were awarded the Naval General Service Medal. She was instrumental in the capture of a French frigate. The Royal Navy sold her in 1819. She then became a whaler, making three complete voyages. She was condemned after a mishap while on her fourth.
Royal Navy
Commander John Maxwell
Commander John Maxwell commissioned Royalist in May 1807 for the Downs.
Lloyd's List (LL) reported that Royalist had detained and sent into the Downs Henry, Thompson, master. Henry had been sailing from Amsterdam to New York.
On 14 December captured the French privateer lugger Providence. Providence carried 14 guns and a crew of 52 men. At the time of the capture, Royalist had joined the pursuit and gun-brigs and were in sight. Royalist brought her into the Downs.
Royalist recaptured and sent into Dover Hope, of and from Poole, which a French privateer had captured. Hope had been carrying a cargo of pipe clay.
Next, Royalist sent into the Downs Doris and Union, which had been sailing from Rotterdam to the Baltic.
On 16 July 1808 Royalist captured the Danish privateer schooner Aristides after a three-hour chase. Aristides was American-built, pierced for 16 guns but with only six mounted; she had a crew of 41 men. She had sailed that morning from "Flodstrand". She had been provisioned for a five-month cruise off the coast of Scotland. Royalists arrival on the scene prevented Aristides from succeeding in capturing an English packet boat off Goteborg. Royalist sent Aristides, which she had captured near the Scaw, into the Downs.
On 4 March 1809, Royalist bought into Ramsgate the brig Concordia, of Sunderland. A French privateer lugger had captured Concordia the day before, but when Royalist found the brig she had been abandoned by her captor and crew.
On the evening of 1 May 1809 Royalist was some seven or eight leagues north of Dieppe when she encountered five French privateer luggers. Maxwell immediately gave chase and after two hours 15 minutes succeeded in capturing Princesse, of 16 guns and 50 men. The other four privateers made their escape as Royalist was taking on her crew as prisoners. Maxwell was pleased with his catch as Princess had cruised successfully against British trade. Royalist brought her into the Downs the next day. was in sight when Royalist captured Princess de Bologna.
In July–September 1809 Royalist was one of the many Royal Navy vessels that participated in the Walcheren Campaign. There was a distribution of prize money after 20 March 1813.
On 17 November Royalist was between Dungeness and the South Foreland where she captured the fast-sailing French privateer Grand Napoléon. Grand Napoléon was armed with 18 guns and had a crew of 75 men. Royalist sent Grand Napoléon into the Downs.
In December Royalist captured two more French privateers. On 6 December she captured the French privateer cutter Heureuse Étoile, of two guns and 15 men. Heureuse Étoile had sailed from Dieppe in the evening of 5 December and had not taken any prizes.
On 10 December Royalist captured Beau Marseille (or more correctly Bon Marcel), a privateer lugger of 14 guns and 60 men. Maxwell described her as "a very beautiful Vessel, only Three Months old, and considered one of the fastest Sailers out of Boulogne." One privateer, probably Heureuse Étoile, arrived at Dover on 8 December. Royalist brought another vessel, almost certainly Beau Marseille, captured off Dungeness, into the Downs on 11 December. The Royal Navy took Bon Marcel into service as .
Still in December, on the 31st Royalist captured François. a privateer lugger of 14 guns and 60 men. François was three days out of Boulogne and had made no captures. and the hired armed cutter Gambier were in sight on 31 December when Royalist captured François. They therefore shared in the prize money.
Royalist also recaptured two British merchant vessels. One of these two may have been Alpha, recaptured on 26 December. The other may have been Sincerity, which Royalist recaptured and sent into the Downs. Sincerity had been sailing from London to Darmouth. Francois arrived in the Downs.
On 24 February 1810 Royalist captured the privateer lugger Prince Eugène, of 14 guns and 55 men. Prince Eugène had left Boulogne that day in the company of three other privateers. She had not made any captures. Prince Eugène arrived in the Downs.