HMS Advice was originally constructed as the mercantile cutter Brilliant at Itchen Ferry, intended for conversion into a Royal Navy armed advice schooner. The Royal Navy purchased her in 1796 while she was still under construction. Commissioned in November 1796 by Mr. S. Wilson, Advice was based at Plymouth and initially served as an armed vessel. In 1797, she was converted to a cutter rig, enhancing her sailing capabilities, and underwent repairs for defects between June and August 1799 at Plymouth. Throughout her service, Advice functioned primarily as a tender to larger naval vessels. Around 1798, she was attached to Royal William at Portsmouth, serving as a tender to flagship commanders such as Admiral Sir Peter Parker and Admiral Mark Milbanke, the Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth. Her operational record includes notable captures: on 15 June 1798, she captured the Stadt Emden; on 31 May 1799, along with the tender Ann, she captured Rosalio and Betty; and on 30 April 1800, she, again with Ann, captured Embden. The later years of Advice’s career are somewhat uncertain. Some sources suggest she was commanded by Lieutenant Joseph Nourse in 1802 and sailed to Trinidad to serve as a tender there, while others claim Lieutenant John Salter commanded her in 1804 before she was lost in the West Indies. However, these accounts are inconsistent and are contradicted by records indicating that she was last listed in August 1799. Official records do not document her loss or disposal after that time, implying that she was likely laid up at Portsmouth. The name "Advice" was subsequently reassigned to a larger vessel, built later, and the original Advice was offered for sale in April 1807. In summary, HMS Advice was a small, initially schooner-rigged vessel involved in early naval operations, notably capturing enemy vessels during the late 1790s, but her ultimate fate remains unclear. Her service exemplifies the use of small tenders in supporting larger naval efforts during the period.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.