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Pennsylvania Privateer Brigantine Ariel |
| Ariel | (1) Commander Matthew Lawler |
| Sloop-of-War [Sloop/Brig] | 28 August 1780- |
| Pennsylvania Privateer Brigantine | (2) Commander Peter Miller |
| Pennsylvania Privateer Brig | 8 March 1781- |
| Commissioned/First Date: | 28 August 1780 |
| Out of Service/Cause: |
| Owners: | (1) Robert Lawler; and Samuel Inglis & Co., all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; (2) Samuel Inglis; and George Ord & Co., all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Tonnage: |
| Battery: | Date Reported: 28 August 1780 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 16/ Total: 16 cannon/ Broadside: 8 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: 8 March 1781 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 14/ Total: 14 cannon/ Broadside: 7 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: 8 May 1781 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 14/ Total: 14 cannon/ Broadside: 7 cannon/ Swivels: |
| Crew: | (1) 28 August 1780: 101 [total]
|
| Description: |
| Officers: | (1) First Mate Philip Brown, 8 March 1781- |
| Cruises: |
| Prizes: | (1) Ship Susanna (George Parker), 30 September 1780
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| Actions: |
Comments:
Pennsylvania Privateer Brigantine Ariel was commissioned on 28 August 1780 under Commander Matthew Lawler of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was listed as being armed with sixteen guns and having a crew of 100 men. Her $20000 bond was executed by Matthew Lawler, and owners Robert Lawler and George Ord, both of Philadelphia.1
Ariel soon proceeded to sea. On 30 September 1780 Ariel captured2 the 300-ton3 ship Susanna (George Parker), bound from Cork, Ireland to Charleston, South Carolina with a cargo of provisions. She was ordered in to Philadelphia. Susanna safely arrived at New Castle before 28 October 1780.4 She was libeled on 30 October 1780 with her trial set for 11 November.5 On 12 October Ariel spoke with a prize taken by the Pennsylvania Privateer Brig Holker, inward bound to Philadelphia.6 Ariel returned from her cruise on 27 October, arriving at Philadelphia.7
Susanna had been condemned and sold by 16 January 1781, when a newspaper advertisement informed the public that the court was ready to distribute the sale proceeds to the agents.8
Ariel sailed again, perhaps in late November 1780. She captured a sloop,9 the 50-ton Polly (John Campbell),10 with a cargo of salt, bound from New York, New York to Charleston. She was sent into Philadelphia, where she arrived about 1 December 1780.11 Polly was libeled on 5 December 1780, with her trial set for 6 December.12 Polly had been condemned and sold by 16 January 1781.13
Ariel dropped down to the area off Charleston and then, probably, to the West Indies. On her return she captured the Cornwallis Galley, owned in Charleston, off that port.14 Lawler removed various items of munitions and gear from the Cornwallis Galley and then released her. The munitions and tackle was taken into Philadelphia and sold there on 13 April 1781.15 Ariel also captured the brig Chance16 (Alexander Wiley), bound from Lisbon, Portugal to Charleston, with a cargo of lemons, raisins, figs and other items. Chance was sent into Philadelphia, where she arrived on 8 February 1781.17 Chance was libeled on 10 February, with her trial set for the 14th.18 A schooner, bound from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Charleston, was also captured. Two British frigates finally observed Ariel and chased her off. Off Cape Henry, Virginia, four vessels were sighted by Ariel. One gave chase but broke off when Ariel began firing her stern chasers. Ariel arrived at Philadelphia on 14 February 1781.19
Ariel was re-commissioned on 8 March 1781 under Commander Peter Miller of Philadelphia, with her rig altered to a brig. Philip Brown of Philadelphia served aboard as First Mate. Her battery was decreased to fourteen guns and her crew increased to 110 men. Ariel's $20000 bond was executed by Inglis and Ord.20
Miller took her to sea. One prize is known from this cruise. The ship Resolution21 [Restoration]22 (Waterburgh) was bound from Dominica to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with a cargo of sugar and coffee. She was captured by two British privateers out of Charleston, the Hetty and the Cornwallis. Not long after the Restoration was re-captured by the Maryland Privateer Schooner Antelope (Commander Frederick Folger) and the Maryland Privateer Schooner Felicity (Commander Thomas Cole) of Baltimore. After parting from these two, Restoration was again captured, by the British privateer Revenge, out of London. Finally, Restoration was again re-captured by the Ariel. She was in the Delaware River by 8 May23 and arrived at Philadelphia on 10 May 1781.24 As the Resolution she was libeled on 11 May, with her trial set for 2 June 1781.25 Ariel had preceded her into port by a few days.
Although Resolution was duly condemned, an appeal was made to the Court of Appeals. It was 26 February 1782 before the crew’s portion of the sale proceeds was distributed.26
Ariel was re-commissioned a third time on 8 May 1781, with the same commander, battery and crew.27
__________1 NRAR, 230
2 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, October 28, 1780
3 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, October 31, 1780
4 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, October 28, 1780
5 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, October 31, 1780
6 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, October 28, 1780
7 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, October 28, 1780
8 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, January 16, 1781
9 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, December 2, 1780
10 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, December 5, 1780
11 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, December 2, 1780
12 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, December 5, 1780
13 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, January 16, 1781
14 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, February 17, 1781
15 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, April 7, 1781
16 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, February 17, 1781
17 The American Journal And General Advertiser [Providence], Saturday, March 3, 1781, datelined Philadelphia, February 14
18 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, February 10, 1781
19 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, February 17, 1781
20 NRAR, 230
21 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, May 22, 1781
22 The American Journal And General Advertiser [Providence], Saturday, June 2, 1781, datelined [Philadelphia], May 16
23 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, May 8, 1781
24 The American Journal And General Advertiser [Providence], Saturday, June 2, 1781, datelined [Philadelphia], May 16
25 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Tuesday, May 22, 1781
26 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Thursday, February 28, 1782
27 Claghorn, Naval Officers of the American Revolution, 208