HMS Epervier (1797)

The first HMS Epervier, sometimes spelled HMS Epervoir, was the French ex-naval brick-aviso and then privateer Épervier, launched in 1788. The British captured her in 1797 and registered her in 1798 as an 18-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. The Navy never commissioned her and she was sold in 1801.

Design
Epervier was an Expédition-class "brick-aviso" (advice brig). The six members of the class were built at Saint-Malo Montmarin by Benjamin Dubois to a 3 October 1787 design by Pierre-Alexandre-Laurent Forfait and all were launched in 1788. They cost 86,000 Livre tournois each.

The British captured two other members of the class, but never added them to the navy. The two were Curieux (captured in June 1793), and Impatient (captured on May 1803), by HMS Naiad (1797).

French service
Épervier was originally armed with six 4-pounder guns. In 1792 her armament was increased to ten 4-pounders and four 12-pounder howitzers. The next year she received six more 4-pounder guns. She was in dry-dock at Rochefort in 1795. In April 1797 she was condemned, but then became a privateer. Between 1794 and 1797, she carried eighteen 4-pounders and four two-pounder guns.

Capture
Epervier was operating as a French privateer when HMS Cerberus (1794), under the command of Captain John Drew, captured her off the coast of Ireland on 12 November 1797. At the time, Epervier was armed with sixteen 4-pounder guns and had a crew of 145 men.

Epervier arrived at Plymouth on 12 January 1798, and was registered on 14 February. However, the Navy never commissioned her.

Fate
Epervier was sold on 7 September 1801.