French Privateer 'La Comtesse de Provence' (1778)

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Recent Comments

Sir William CornwallisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1755-1807
Guadeloupe (28) 1763-1781
British 28 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1763)
Bellona (74) 1760-1814
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1760)
Aeolus (32) 1758-1801
British 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
1800 Renamed "Guernsey"
(1758)
Orpheus (32) 1780-1807
British 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1780)
Porcupine (18) 1778-1781
British 18 Gun
Privateer Snow
(1778)
La Comtesse de Provence (18) 1778-1780
French 18 Gun
Privateer Unknown
(1778)
Cleopatra (32) 1779-1814
British 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1779)
Duke (90) 1777-1843
British 90 Gun
2nd Rate Ship of the Line
(1777)
Alexander (74) 1778-1794
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1778)
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La Comtesse de Provence
Nominal Guns	18	NNF-1774
Nationality	Royaume de France
Operator	Private Owners
Keel Laid Down	1778	NNF-1774
Launched	1778	NNF-1774
Home Port	Dunkerque - Flanders	NNF-1774
How acquired	Purpose built	NNF-1774
Shipyard	Dunkerque - Flanders	NNF-1774
Constructor	Jaques DenysFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1782	NNF-1774
Category	Privateer	NNF-1774
Ship Type	Unknown	NNF-1774
Captured	11.11.1780	NNF-1774

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentNNF-1774
Burthen150Ton

Armament

1778Broadside Weight = 38 French Livre (41.0096 lbs 18.601 kg)NNF-1774
Gun Deck2 French 6-Pounder
Gun Deck16 French 4-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1778130 ref:692
9.1779120 ref:692
1780130 NNF-1774

4 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1778Capitaine de Corsaireref:6929.1779 - 1780Capitaine de Corsaireref:6921780Capitaine de Corsaireref:6921780Capitaine de Corsaireref:692

Service History

DateEventSource
1778

Took "Georges et Marguerite"

ref:692
11.11.1780Taken by , in theBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NNF-1774Alain Demerliac, Book

ref:692Jean Jacques Salein, Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 17th of June 2026 11:24

Letter from Captain Watts of the Pegasus, in Yarmouth Roads, 22 November 1780:
Please to inform the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that his Majesty’s ship under my command arrived here last night; and in case their lordships have not lately heard from Captain Murray of the Cleopatra (which I was separated from on the night of the 13th instant, in thick blowing weather) please to mention, that in company with her, on the 11th instant, we fell in with and took, a very fast sailing vessel privateer of eighteen guns, and one hundred and ten men. She is called La Comtesse de Provence, and had been out of Dunkirk near two months, without doing any other damage than taking and ransoming a brig and a sloop. [Exeter Flying Post, 1 December 1780]

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Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Wednesday 17th of June 2026 13:05	Jon Miller	Sir William CornwallisBritish Naval Sailor Service 1755-1807
Wednesday 17th of June 2026 13:02	Jon Miller	British Sixth Rate frigate 'Guadeloupe' (1763) (28) 1763-1781 British 28 Gun 6th Rate Frigate
Wednesday 17th of June 2026 12:59	Jon Miller	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Bellona' (1760) (74) 1760-1814 British 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 17th of June 2026 12:58	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Aeolus' (1758) (32) 1758-1801 British 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate 1800 Renamed "Guernsey"
Wednesday 17th of June 2026 12:50	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Orpheus' (1780) (32) 1780-1807 British 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate

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