British schooner 'Halifax' (1775)

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Halifax	20711
Nominal Guns	6	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Purchased	6.5.1775	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Unknown	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Schooner	BWAS-1714
Sold	19.2.1780	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck58' 3"Imperial Feet17.6879
Length of Keel46' 10 ½"Imperial Feet14.0335
Breadth18' 3"Imperial Feet5.4959
Depth in Hold8' 10"Imperial Feet2.4384
Burthen83 ⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
5.177530 BWAS-1714

3 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
10.5.1775 - 23.2.1776Lieutenant ADM 6/21/266
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 17.3.1777ADM 6/2123.2.1776 - 10.1776LieutenantBWAS-171410.1776 - 23.11.1779LieutenantBWAS-1714

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
30.11.1775 - 23.11.17791st Class BoyADM 51

Service History

DateEventSource
1776At BostonBWAS-1714
18.10.1776Burning of Falmouth, MaineBWAS-1714
5.7.1779At NewhavenBWAS-1714
23.11.1779Paid offADM 34

Notes on Ship

OriginBWAS-1714
Possibly this is the salvaged Halifax first purchased in 1768

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 34 Document

ADM 51 Archive

ADM 6/21 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Selden West on Sunday 24th of May 2026 16:22

That posted before I finished; sorry. Also no Mr. de La Touche for those periods. Quarme straight through.

Posted by Selden West on Sunday 24th of May 2026 16:22

That posted before I finished; sorry. Also no Mr. de La Touche for those periods. Quarme straight through.

Posted by Selden West on Sunday 24th of May 2026 16:19

According to the muster book of the Halifax, it was a schooner from September 1775 until the end of February 1776. I next see it being described as a "brigg" in September 1776 until November 1779. Lieutenant William Quarme signs the muster book throughout each year: "Wm. Quarme Lieut. & Commd." No Mr. Mowat.

Posted by Frank Licameli on Sunday 12th of February 2017 23:49

A correction to the British schooner Halifax. Under Service History it states "1776/10/18 Burning of Falmouth, Maine." This event actually took place a year earlier on 1775/10/18. However, the Halifax was also in service on 1776/10/18 under Captain Quarme, providing covering fire for the landing at Pell's Point, New York, after the HMS Kingfisher grounded on a sand bar.

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