Révolutionnaire (or Revolutionaire), was a 40-gun of the French Navy, launched in May 1794. The British captured her in October 1794 and she went on to serve with the Royal Navy until she was broken up in 1822. During this service Revolutionnaire took part in numerous actions, including three for which the Admiralty would in 1847 award clasps to the Naval General Service Medal, and captured several privateers and merchant vessels.
French service
On 21 October 1794 the 38-gun frigate captured Révolutionnaire. Artois was part of a four-frigate squadron that encountered Revolutionnaire at daybreak about eight to ten leagues west of Ushant. She had been out of Le Havre eight days on her first cruise and was sailing to Brest. Artois outpaced the rest of the squadron and engaged Revolutionnaire, which surrendered after 40 minutes as the rest of the British squadron approached. The British had three men killed and five wounded. The French lost eight men killed and five wounded, including the captain, Citizen Antoine René Thévenard. Artois shared the prize money with the other frigates, , , and .
British service: French Revolutionary Wars
The Royal Navy commissioned Revolutionnaire in April 1795 under Captain Francis Cole. On 23 June Revolutionnaire participated in the Battle of Groix. After the battle, she towed , which the French had captured the previous November and which the British had just recaptured, back to Plymouth. In 1847 the Admiralty issued the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "23 June 1795" to all surviving claimants from the action.
In 1796 Revolutionaire was in the squadron commanded by Captain Sir Edward Pellew in . The squadron captured or sank a number of merchant vessels between 11 and 21 March. Favorite Sultana, laden with salt—captured; Friends, brig, laden with flour—captured; Brig of unknown name, in ballast—sunk; Chasse maree of unknown name, empty—sunk; Providence, chasse maree, laden with wine and brandy—captured; Brig of unknown name, laden with empty casks—sunk; Four Marys, brig, in Ballast—captured; Aimable Justine, brig, in ballast—captured; Nouvelle Union, brig, in ballast—captured. The vessels sharing in the prize money were: Indefatigable, , Revolutionaire, , , and the hired armed luggers and .
On 12 April 1796 Revolutionaire captured the French frigate Unité. Unité, under the command of Citizen Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois, struck after Revolutionnaires second broadside. Revolutionnaire had no casualties because the French had fired high, aiming for her rigging; the British fired into their quarry with the result that Unité suffered nine men killed and 11 wounded. Among the prisoners were the wife of Admiral Jean-Amable Lelarge, as well as one of his sons, who served as an officer on Unité. Pellew had them released on parole and ordered the captured ship to be commanded to England by Edward Ellicott, first lieutenant of the Revolutionnaire, who was cited by Captain Cole "for his very particular attention in keeping sight of the chase, and for his steady and manly conduct when close engaged." In July there was an initial distribution of prize money for the capture of Unité and Virginie (captured by Indefatigable) of £20,000. Revolutionnaire and Indefatigable shared this with Amazon, Concorde and Argo. The Royal Navy took Unité into service under her existing name.
On 1 October 1796, Revolutionnaire, Indefatigable, Amazon, and shared in the capture of Vrow Delenea Maria.
Later that month, after the Battle of Tory Island, the French frigates and escaped into Black Sod Bay, where they hoped to hide until they had a clear passage back to France. However, late on 15 October, a British frigate squadron under James Newman Newman rounded the southern headland of the bay, forcing the French ships to flee to the north. Pressing on sail in pursuit, Newman ordered Revolutionaire to focus on Sémillante whilst he pursued Loire in , accompanied by the brig under Commander Edward Brace. Loire and Sémillante separated to divide their pursuers; Mermaid and Kangaroo lost track of Loire in the early evening, and Sémillante evaded Revolutionaire after dark. Mermaid and Kangaroo eventually found Loire but after an inconclusive fight that left the British unable to pursue, Loire broke off the engagement and escaped.
Captain Cole died on 18 April 1798. His replacement was Captain Thomas Twysden.
Revolutionnaire shared with , and the hired armed cutter in the capture of Anna Christiana on 17 May 1798.