HMS Shelburne was the Americanletter of marqueschoonerRacer, built in Baltimore in 1811 and captured by the British in 1813. She served on the American coast, capturing the American brig Frolic. She also captured some merchantmen and was sold in Britain in 1817.
Letter of Marque
Racer commissioned in August 1812, under Captain Daniel Chaytor and first lieutenantThomas West. She was a trader, and made one voyage to Bordeaux, leaving Baltimore in August 1812 and returning in January 1813 with a cargo of brandy, dry goods, and the like. She sailed for Bordeaux again in March, with a cargo of coffee, cotton, and sugar.
The Admiralty bought Racer for £1,940.11.5d and the British named her for the town of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, commissioning her under Lieutenant David Hope. They also armed her with ten 12-pounder carronades and two 6-pounder guns. During 1813 Shelburne captured at least three merchant vessels.
26 August: recaptured the Eliza.
11 October: captured the Margelt.
12 October: captured the Fanny.
On 4 March 1814 and Shelburne sailed with a small convoy for Bermuda and the West Indies. Two days later they ran into a gale that scattered the vessels. Some, such as were delayed in their arrival at Bermuda. After the two warships parted ways, Epervier encountered the. The subsequent engagement resulted in the capture of Epervier. Having left Epervier, Shelburne joined the frigate Orpheus. Together, on 20 Apr 1814, they captured the 18-gun sloop USS Frolic. Outnumbered and outgunned, Frolic beat away to southward, making for the coast of Cuba. During the six-hour chase, Frolics men labored to lighten their ship. They cut away the starboard anchor and cast overboard the guns mounted on her port side. Eventually, Hope, seeing Frolic heel and realizing that she was unarmed on her port side, came up prepared to fire a broadside on Frolics unarmed side. Frolic surrendered to Shelburne as Orpheus approached; by this time the vessels were about 15 miles off Matanzas. The British took Frolic into service as Florida. She had been armed with two long 18-pounder guns and twenty 32-pounder carronades. The 18-pounder still on her turned out to be of British make and may have come fromMacedonian. The subsequent court martial acquitted Frolic's commander, Joseph Bainbridge, his officers and his crew, of the loss of his ship. Hope was promoted to commander in June, but remained with Shelburne. In October Lieutenant William Hamilton assumed command temporarily, while Hope served as an aide to Admiral Alexander Cochrane in Tonnant. Thereafter, Shelburne served in the blockade of New Orleans and assisted the Creek Indians who were British allies. In 1821 she shared in the distribution of head-money arising from the capture of American gun-boats and sundry bales of cotton at the Battle of Lake Borgne on 14 December 1814. In February 1815 Shelburne and Anaconda, which was also a former American privateer, cruised off the Florida coast north of Havana.
Fate
On 22 June 1816 Shelburne arrived at Deptford. In October 1817 she was sold to Mr. Brown for £600.
