Spéculateur
Spéculateur was a lugger from Saint-Malo, commissioned in 1806. She made six cruises against British merchant shipping until the British Royal Navy captured her in 1813. Career. For her first cruise "Spéculateur" was under the command of Captain Joseph Pardère-Niquet, who commanded her between 1806 and 1 February 1807, when he took her out of commission. Under his command she captured three prizes: "Elisabeth", "Ariel", and "Falmouth". "Lloyd's List" reported that the lugger privateer "Speculaton" had taken "Alert", Foresban, master, as "Alert" was sailing from Mogador to London. The privateer "Active", of Guernsey, had recaptured "Alert , which then sailed to Baltimore, Ireland. Between 1808 and 1809, Spéculateur" was under the command of Captain Jean Gaillebeau. On her second cruise she captured "Todos los y animals". For her third cruise she was under the command of Captain Alexandre-William Black, with 64 men and 6 guns. This took place after her commissioning in October 1809 and ended in April 1810. Captain Pierre-Claude Martin sailed "Spéculateur" on her fourth cruise from September 1810 to February 1811. She was armed with four guns and had a crew of 63 men. She captured several prizes: "Deux amis", "Grinder", "Falmouth , Belle Cancella", and "Leander". On 1 November 1810 "Spéculateur" encountered "Leander". An engagement of about a half-hour followed during which men from "Spéculateur" boarded "Leander". On "Leander", Captain Main, two mates, and a seaman were killed, and six men were wounded. On "Spéculateur" of her crew of 55 men, one was killed and two wounded. "Leander" was reportedly taken into Figuerra. A report a week later stated that "Leander" had been lost on her way into Tréguier, Côtes du Nord. A third report about a month later confirmed that it was "Leander" that had been captured and lost near  Lorient. "Spéculateur"s fifth cruise lasted from November 1811 to April 1812. She was armed with six guns and had a crew of 69 men under the command of Captain Pierre Cormier. He captured three prizes: "Falmouth", "Sidbourg", and "Sedbury". Fate. Capture cut "Spéculateur"s sixth cruise short. On 22 November 1813 captured the French 14-gun privateer lugger "Spéculation" in the Channel. She was 5 days out of St Malo but had taken nothing. "Spéculateur" had a crew of 72 to 80 men (including 42 Portuguese), under the command of Captain Guillaume-Marie Angenard. Before she struck Angenard was gravely wounded  but survived his injuries. Citations and references. Citations References