The hired armed cutter Norfolk, of eight guns, served the Royal Navy from 1807 to 1812, during which time she captured a privateer. She was sometimes referred to as the "hired armed defence ship" Norfolk.
Service
At 8am on 26 January 1807, six or seven miles off Flambro Head Norfolk, under Commander William Richan, sighted a lugger pursuing some merchant vessels. Norfolk gave chase and after almost four and a half hours succeeded in catching up with and capturing the French privateer Adolphe. Adolphe, under the command of Jacques Francis Leclerc, was armed with 14 guns and had a crew of 39 men. She had thrown two guns, 14 carriages, her boat and her ports overboard during the chase. She had sailed from the Dunkirk Roads on 21 January and two days later near Dogger Bank had captured the Leith Packet, which was carrying a cargo of hemp from Tonningen to London. The packet's master, five crew members and three passengers were aboard the Adolphe.
There is a story that Richan was also a smuggler and used Norfolk for smuggling forays. Mr. Robert Pringle, Collector of Excise, found a pretext on which to board and search Norfolk. When he did so he found that even her guns were loaded with tea and tobacco. The Excise then seized the ship. Richan was permitted to retire from the Navy.