HMS Hermes was the Dutch cutter Mercuur, that the Amsterdam Admiralty purchased in 1781 or 1782. (Mercuur was a brig when captured.) HMS Sylph captured her off the Texel on 12 May 1796 after a chase during which Mercuur threw all but two of her guns overboard.[3]
The British Royal Navy commissioned her in July 1796 under Commander William Mulso, for the North Sea.[2]
Hermes disappeared during a gale on 31 January 1797.[2] She was presumed to have foundered with all hands.[4]
^All linear measurements are in Amsterdam feet (voet) of 11 Amsterdam inches (duim) (see Dutch units of measurement). The Amsterdam foot is about 8% shorter than an English foot.
Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-86176-246-7.