HMS Swallow (1781)

Swallow first appeared in LR in 1797; It showed her origins as a "King's Yard" (i.e., a navy yard), in 1782. Her master was M'Iver, her owner M'Dowall, and her trade London–Martinique.^[3]

Captain John McIver acquired a letter of marque on 28 June 1796.^[4] In January 1797 MacGiver acquired a letter of marque against Spain. In December 1796 he had received a letter that shows that the government had hired Swallow and that MacIver was to sail her to Santo Domingo and there put her under the orders of Captain Richard Lane of the 44-gun frigate HMS Acasta.^[1]

While cruising off Léogâne to intercept supplies destined for the French, MacIver captured a large brig and schooner that were carrying supplies from the United States. Swallow also captured a number of other prizes. Lastly, she prevented the capture of Fame, of Liverpool, which had gotten separated from the homeward-bound convoy.^[1]

Swallow was last listed in 1799 with unchanged information. She was last listed in the Register of Shipping in 1801 but with stale data and no trade.

• Williams, Gomer (1897). History of the Liverpool Privateers and Letters of Marque: With an Account of the Liverpool Slave Trade. W. Heinemann.
• Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.