HMS Charlotte was originally a mercantile schooner that the Royal Navy hired or chartered around 1796, subsequently purchasing her in 1797 and commissioning her in 1798. Although specific dimensions are not recorded, she was armed with eight 6-pounder guns and crewed by approximately 60 men during her service. The vessel was commissioned under Lieutenant John Williams, who commanded her during her active period in the Caribbean. Throughout her brief naval career, HMS Charlotte engaged in several notable actions. On 29 May 1797, she captured the French schooner Mort off Dominica, a vessel armed with four guns and a crew of 36. Later, on 9 September 1797, she captured the Dutch privateer Esle Andeneming near Surinam; this privateer was armed with eight guns and had 38 crew members. These captures demonstrate her role in disrupting enemy privateering activities in the Caribbean. Lieutenant John Thicknesse succeeded Williams as her commanding officer. Under his command, Charlotte's most significant engagement occurred on 16 October 1798, when she was captured by the French 14-gun privateer Enfant Prodigue off Cap Français, Hispaniola. During this encounter, Charlotte sustained considerable damage; her rigging was shot away, one gun dismounted, and two others disabled, leaving her with only five guns. Despite her efforts and a low casualty count—attributable to French firing high to disable rigging—Thicknesse was compelled to surrender after being surrounded by the French vessel, a smaller schooner, and armed launches. The French Navy commissioned her as Vengeur. However, her service was short-lived; on 24 November 1799, she was recaptured by the British ship Solebay off Cape Triburon while en route from Cape François to Jacquemel. At this time, Vengeur was armed with eight brass 6-pounder guns and had a crew of 91 men. Rather than recommission her, the Royal Navy chose to break her up in 1799, ending her brief but active career in the Caribbean naval conflicts of the late 18th century.

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