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Lines of the Marblehead-Type Schooners Sir Edward Hawke and Earl of Egmont, built at New York for the 

 British Navy in 1767. This type had a reputation for speed. Redrawn from the original British Admiralty 

 building draught, courtesy of the Trustees of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England. 



Marblehead Schooner 



During the early years of the New England fishing 

 schooner, from perhaps 1745 to 1770, the American 

 offshore fisheries were harassed by foreign cruisers 

 and raiders; earlier, wandering pirates and free- 

 booters had been troublesome. Just as the lack of 

 nav'al protection had caused New England merchants 

 to resort to the fast-sailing galley-ship at the end of 

 the 17th century, so the same lack in the 18th century 

 produced the fast-sailing Marblehead "Scooner," or 

 schooner. Early newspaper references and notices 

 to mariners refer to these schooners as privateers, 

 indicating fast-sailing qualities. During the American 

 Revolution and in the years just preceding it the 

 Marblehead schooner was employed where swiftness 

 was necessary; the British Navy built two in 1767 at 

 New York, the Sir Edward Hawke and the Earl of 

 Egmont, and to this circumstance we owe the existence 

 of the one plan of a pre-Revolutionary Marblehead 

 schooner (see above). Early in the Revolution 

 General Washington commissioned Marblehead 

 schooners to capture British supply ships trying to 

 reach the besieged port of Boston. Even the French 

 had employed these fast schooners, as is shown by a 

 mariners' notice in the Boston Gazelle, Monday, 

 Aug 24, 1761, regarding French cruisers on the 

 northern coasts: 



A Schooner of 1 2 guns, formerly a Marblehead Fisherman, 

 one side of her upper Works black, and the other yellow 

 and white streaks; a Seahorse on her Hase-holes, and looks 

 very much like a Fisherman on the painted Side. 



During the Revolution the Canadians fitted out some 

 privateers against the Americans; in the October 20, 

 1777, issue of the Boslon Gazelle this warning appeared: 



We have intelligence that a schooner mounting 12 carriage 

 guns with 40 men lately sail'd from Halifax to cruise this 

 coast. She is about 70 tons burthen, Marblehead-built, 

 white bottom, with lug foresail and two standing topsails. 

 Ten of her crew belonged to Commodore Manlv and about 

 as many more are young lads. 



In the years of unrest that followed the Revolution 

 the Marblehead schooner evidently maintained her 

 reputation for speed, for President John Adams, 

 writing from Quincy, Massachusetts, on the 5th of 

 August, 1799, suggested to the Secretary of the Navy 

 that, "we must have Bermuda Sloops, \'irginia Pilot 

 Boats or Marblehead schooners" for light cruisers 

 against the French. The inclusion of the Marblehead 

 schooner with such swift-sailing types as the Bermuda 

 sloop and Mrginia pilot boat speaks for itself. Yet, 

 in spite of this evidence, tradition is firm that the 

 Marblehead "heel-tappers," or schooners, were 

 barrel-shaped, full-ended, and slow-sailing craft. 



163 



