ARGO was built at Howden docks in 1781     

  Under 1782 Captin Butchert sailed with her to the West Indies. In the summer of the same year she captured the French DAUPHIN (64), but armed with flute with 26 guns.     

  The ARGO was captured between Tortola and Antigua 16th Feburary 1783, after a five hour battle by the French figates NYMPHE and AMPHITRITE. The sea was so rough that she had been unable to lower her ports. She was recaptured 36 hours later by the INVINCIBLE. After being acquitted by a court martial, her officers were re-appointed by Admiral Pigot. During peace in 1783 she returned to England and was put out of commision.     

  In 1792, under captain William Clarke, she was in the North Sea providing protection to the Baltic trade.     

  1795 – Feb 1795 Captain R.R. Burgess.     

  1796 – June 1796, Captain J.S Hall.     

  1798, Captain James Bowen was with Commodore Duckworth in the Mediterranean. On the 13th November re-took the peteral sloop previously taken by four Spanish frigates which had been trying to escape in Mayorca. The figates managed to outsail their pursurers to Carthagena having trown overboard 50,000 dollars to prevent it falling into British hands. She took part in the reduction of Minorca in the November.     

  Febuary 6, 1799 ARGO and LLEVIATHAN, chased the Spanish frigate SANTA TERESA off Mayorca during a violent storm. Leviathan lost her top sail and fell behind. By midnight she had nearly caught up when ARGO was alongside the enemy around midnight. She did not surrender until she recieved ARGO's broadside which wounded two men and damaged the rigging. She carried 42 guns and swivels and had 530 seamen and soldiers onboard. 16th Feburary, 1799, CENTAUR, ARGO and LEVIATHAN attacked Cambrelles after the Spanish abandoned their battery. The guns were dismounted, five settees where burnt and another five bought out with wine and wheat.     

  In May of the same year ARGO sailed to Algiers for fresh provisions for the army and navy in Minorca. While they were there they managed to secure the release of six British subjects. George Hog, 42 years, of Ponteract, James Robinson, ages 39, Lancaster, John Reid, 32, of Kirklithe, John Foley, 32, of dublin, James Little, 35, Mullanger, Raphael Starico, 35, Gibralter, who had been in slavery for over 14 years.     

  6th August of that year, a Spanish packet INFANTA AMELIA was captured and taken into the Royal Navy and re-named PORPOISE.     

  In 1800, ARGO was part of a convoy to Lisbon. Argo was captured by the Spanish lugger St. ANTONIA, in Ballast and sent her to Plymouth arriving on the 10th September.     

  October 21st, after 15 hour chase, ARGO captured the Spanish letter of Marques San Fernando with 12 long 6 pounders. She had been 5 days out of Santander bound for Vera Cruz with irn bars and a cargo of sil belonging to the Royal Phillipine Company. The government dispatches she was cayying had been sunk. ARGO arrived in Portsmouth with her on the 3rd November. During the same cruise ARGO sent in the French brig MARIA LOUISA, in ballast, and the Spanish barque SAN VICENTE, with iron ore. Two Spanish barques laden with iron ore were sunk.     

  In July of 1801, ARGO and CARYSFORT escorted five transports with the 85th regiment and 40 of the artillery through the Channel. They sailed from Cowes on the 24th June arriving in Torbay 11th July.     

  In January 1802, a sword and testimonial were presented to captain Bowen, by the British merchants of Madiera for his defence of British property. Argo returned to Portsmouth from the coast of Guinea on the 19th March.     

  1803, under the command of Captain Benjamin Hallowell, ARGO visited the coast of Africa and took part in the reduction of St. Lucia and Tobago. She was in Portsmouth at the end of december for repairs after a West Indaiman ran foul of her.     

  In 1804, Captain Edward Codrington declined an appointment to ARGO in the spring and Captain Thomas Le Marchant Gosselyn was appointed instead. The following summer he removed to Latona.     

  1805, In ordinary at Deptford.1806, Captain S.T. Digby, coast of africa, and in 1808 was in Jamaica. 1810, Captain Frederick Warren, sailed from St. Helena to convoy home a large fleet of East Indiamen.     

  On the 28th November of 1810, a court martial was held onboard Gladiator at Portsmouth to try Captain Warren for not following orders to proceed to Quebec to bring home a convoy. He was aquitted.   

   Early in 1811, Argo was under orders of Sir Joseph Yorke who sailed reinforcements for the Britis army in Portugal. She subsequently took out an Alergine Ambassador and carried Sir Robert Liston and his suite to Constantinople.     

  In 1812, Captain Warren resigned his command. 1814, Capatin William Fothergill was in jamaica, when Argo was acting as flagship to Rear admiral W. Brown.     

  In 1815, still under Captain Fothergill, ARGO was in Plymouth on guardship duties.

Taken from  Michael Philip's Ships of the Old Navy.