Valiant

His Majesty's hired armed lugger Valiant served the Royal Navy on a contract from 5 May 1794 to 10 November 1801. She was of 109 tons (bm), and was armed with eleven 3-pounder guns. Lieutenant Thomas Baker commanded Valiant from 20 May 1794 until he moved to in November as her acting-captain. At the time, Valiant served in the Channel as part of the forces under Rear-Admiral John MacBride. On 8 June 1794 Valiant played a small part in a striking encounter between a frigate squadron under the Guernseyman Captain Sir James Saumarez, and a larger, stronger French squadron. On 6 June, Saumarez received an order from Admiral Macbride to take his frigate, the 36-gun , the 32-gun frigate , the 24-gun post ship , and six cutters and luggers (Valiant and Cockchafer among them), to Guernsey and Jersey, and then to reconnoiter the French coast around Cancale and Saint Malo for signs of the French fleet. The squadron sailed on 7 June and on 8 June they were some leagues northwest of Guernsey when Saumarez sighted six sails in the distance. He did not think they were French, but he sent Valiant to investigate. As Valiant approached, the vessels hoisted French colours and fired on her. The French squadron sailed between the cutters and luggers on the one side and the three British ships on the other, so the small vessels fled back to Plymouth.