Well, There Was An Earlier HMS Nimrod (1799), and It Originally Was a French Ship-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

It was originally the 18-gun French corvette Eole of the French Navy that was captured by the HMS Solebay in 1799 and became the HMS Nimrod.  Sold in 1811 and became a whaler.  As a whaler, she did capture several American whalers.

STATS

101 feet long

29 foot beam

Complement:  British 121,  whaler: 36

Armament:  British

Original:

Sixteen 18-pdr. carronades
Two 6-pdr. chaser guns

1804:

Sixteen 24-pdr. carronades
Two 6-pdr. chase guns

As a Whaler

1812

Fourteen 12-pdr. guns

1814

Twelve 12-pdr. guns.

I was unaware that whalers had that type of weaponry.

--Brock-Perry