Royal Navy Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The Royal Navy Burying Ground is part of the Naval Museum of Halifax and was the Naval Hospital cemetery for the North America and West Indies Station at Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is the oldest military burial ground in Canada. The cemetery has grave markers to those who died while serving at Halifax and were treated at the Naval medical facility or died at sea. Often shipmates and officers had the grave markers erected to mark the deaths of the crew members who died while in the port of Halifax.

The number of burials is estimated at over 400, however, there are only 89 stone markers remaining. There was a register of deaths established in 1860 for the burial ground. As well, surgeons of a ship registered the deaths of crew members, including how the person died and where they were buried. These reports were entered in the official register, with a detailed account sent quarterly to the Medical Director-General, Admiralty, England. There is no local record of who is buried. The four most common causes of death in order are: disease, falling from the topmast, drowning, and death as a result of naval battles.

Along with two monuments that commemorate casualties of the War of 1812, the most prominent markers are for the crew that died on the flagships of the North American and West Indies Station: (1841), (1850), (1852), (1859), (1861), (1866), and (1869). There were many buried during the wars of the 18th century (American Revolution, French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars) that do not have grave markers.

Flagships of the North America and West Indies Station (1836–1869)

The following is a list of the flagships and their commanders who commemorated their lost crew members through erecting a monument in the Burying Ground. Some monuments reflect those killed in a single event and other monuments include all those who were killed while the flagship was stationed on the North America and West Indies Station at Halifax. After the names of the ship there is a date that is the year the last person listed on the monument died.

Crew of HMS ''Vernon'' (1836)

File:HMS Vernon, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Vernon'' (1833)
File:HMS Vernon (1832).png, Cockburn's flagship
File:Rear-Admiral George Cockburn (1772-1853), by John James Halls.jpg, Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet,; served at Halifax (1832–1836)

Crew of HMS ''Melville'' (1837)

File:Admiral Sir Peter Halkett of Pitferrane (1765–1839).png, Sir Peter Halkett
File:HMS Melville and Graham Island.jpg, (1837)

Crew of HMS ''Vindictive'' (1845)

File:HMS Vindictive, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, – four died (1846)Two stones; four crew (1845, 1846)
File:H.M.S. Vindictive.png, HMS ''Vindictive''
File:FrancisAusten.jpg, Francis Austen, brother of Jane Austen; served in Halifax (1844–1848)
File:Charles John Austen.jpg, Captain Charles Austen, commanded flagship HMS ''Winchester'' in Halifax (1828–1830) (Jane Austen's brother)

Crew of HMS ''Wellesley'' (1850)

There is a monument to eleven crew that died over a two-year period on at Halifax (1848–1850). The ship was commanded by Captain George Goldsmith and was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, North America and West Indies Station.

File:HMS Wellesley, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Wellesley'' – eleven died (1850)
File:Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald.jpg, Thomas Cochrane
File:HMS Wellesley.png, HMS ''Wellesley''
File:"Captain George Goldsmith RN, H.M. Ship Wellesley, Halifax" , July 1850.png, "Captain George Goldsmith RN, H.M. Ship Wellesley, Halifax", July 1850

Crew of HMS ''Cumberland'' (1852)

There is also a monument to six crew who died on the flagship from 1851 to 1852. The commander was Captain George Henry Seymour, and his father was the Vice Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour.

File:HMS Cumberland, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Cumberland'' – six died (1852)
File:George Francis Seymour.jpg, Sir George Francis Seymour
File:H.M.S. Cumberland.png, HMS ''Cumberland'', c. 1852

Crew of HMS ''Indus'' (1859)

The crew and officers of created a gravestone for one of their fellow crew members who died in 1859. The vessel was the flagship of Sir Houston Stewart, Vice-Admiral of the Blue. The commander was Captain William King-Hall.

File:Admiral of the Fleet Sir Houston Stewart.JPG, Sir Houston Stewart
File:HMS Indus and Squadron leaving Halifax Harbour, 1858.png, One died – HMS ''Indus'' and Squadron leaving Halifax Harbour, 1858
File:Officers and crew, HMS Indus.png, Captain William King-Hall and crew, HMS ''Indus'', Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1860

Crew of HMS ''Nile'' (1861)

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alexander Milne ( Commander-in-Chief, North American Station at Halifax, 1860–64) erected a monument to his son and 14 other crew members who died over a period of 18 months on his flagship (1861). The Admiral's son was one of six who died in one week. Two more died within the month. (Note: There is another stone that commemorates a single crew member. No date.)

File:HMS Nile, Royal Navy Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Nile'' Monument – 16 died (1861)
File:Admiral Alexander Milne (1808-1896), by Walter William Ouless.jpg, Admiral Milne – buried his son
File:HMSConway1.jpg, HMS ''Nile''

Crew of HMS ''Duncan'' (1866)

The shipmates/messmates of HMS ''Duncan'' erected four stones for five crew (8 September 1864, 1865, 1865, 1866). 6 January 1864: Commanded by Captain Robert Gibson, flagship of Vice-Admiral James Hope, North America and West Indies. Whilst serving on the North America and West Indies Station, Captain John Bythesea was carried on the books of ''Duncan'' as second captain from 1 April 1866 to Spring 1867, for special service as Naval Attaché in Washington.

File:HMS Duncan, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Duncan'' – five died (1866)
File:Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Hope.JPG, Sir James Hope
File:HMS Duncan, Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1865.png, HMS ''Duncan'', Halifax, Nova Scotia, c. 1865

Crew of HMS ''Royal Alfred'' (1869)

In 1869, a monument to the four crew that died aboard flagship was created by Admiral of the Fleet Rodney Mundy ( Commander-in-Chief, North American Station).Note: Grave marker for Henry Smith Coolen (marker No. 15) indicates the date Nov. 18, 1862, which does not coincide with the dates HMS ''Royal Alfred'' was sailing. The crew of HMS ''Royal Alfred'' have the most markers in the burying ground. There are seven gravestones for ten people. The last grave marker was for the infant daughter of the surgeon on board ship. The ''Royal Alfred'' was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir George Rodney Mundy, 1867–1869.

File:HMS Royal Albert - Grave, Royal Navy Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Royal Albert'' – ten died (1869)
File:Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rodney Mundy.JPG, Sir Rodney Mundy
File:"HMS Royal Alfred, Halifax Harbour, NS", ca1870.png, HMS ''Royal Alfred'', Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, ca. 1870

Officers

There are only two stones that mark the graves of officers. The identity of the admiral has never been confirmed.
* Admiral Domes (Barnes? Tomes?) drowned while posted on the flagship (–1898).
* Captain George Oliver Evans, (–1868) Capt., Royal Marines Light Infantry, 6 June 1868, 36 years. Captain Evans fought in both the Crimean War ( Balaclava, Sevastopol, Kinburn), as well as the Second Opium War ( Canton). He served as the aide-de-camp to Sir Thomas Holloway (1858–60).

File:"HMS Renown", Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1898.png, , Halifax, Nova Scotia (1898)
File:Captain George Oliver Evans, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Captain George Oliver Evans (1868)

Other

Individual crew members

Listed below are the ships that were not flagships and whose crews commemorated the loss of a single sailor with a gravestone:
* (1808); (1820); (1827); (1837); HBM Sloop ''Pilot'' (1841); (1843); (1848); (1862); (1865); (1868); (1868); ; (1874).

File:HMS Galatea, Royal Navy Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Galatea'', 1865 (left of center)
File:StateLibQld 1 254247 Three masted sailing ship H.M.S. Galatea, ca. 1868.jpg, , Halifax, Nova Scotia, c.1868.
File:HMS Crescent in drydock Halifax LAC 3332850.jpg, , Halifax, Nova Scotia (1885)
File:H.M.S. Tourmaline (1875).png, (1888)
File:HMS Winschester, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia (1841).jpg, (1841)

Multiple crew members

The following four ships were not flagships and had multiple deaths while at the Halifax station, which the crews commemorated by a single monument.
* Six died – , 1857 – Halifax, July 27–August 5, 1857, Captain John Elphinstone Erskine

File:HMS Sphinx, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Sphinx'' – five died (1874)HMS ''Sphinx'' stone erected by Capt. Thomas Barnardiston; buried at sea because of yellow fever (1874). Note the dates of the grave markers do not coincide with the dates HMS ''Sphinx'' was sailing.
File:HMS Canada, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Canada'' – three died (1887)
File:HMS Canada in dry-dock, Halifax Graving Yards, Halifax, Nova Scotia.png, , Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1889

Women and children

There are also grave stones for women (9) and children (18). Many of the children were infants. The most prominent of these grave markers was erected by Charles Stubbing who was the Admiralty Clerk between 1867 and 1893. He created a grave stone that lists his first and second wife and five of his children. He lost two of his children and his second wife in the same year (1882). He created another gravestone for the loss of his third wife.

War of 1812

During the War of 1812, 220 British naval sailors died in the Naval Hospital at Halifax. The most famous of these were those that died as a result of the battle between USS ''Chesapeake'' and HMS ''Shannon''. The marker for the Shannon was created in 1868, while the marker for the Chesapeake was created in 1966.

Crew of HMS ''Shannon'' (1813)

Admiral of the Fleet Rodney Mundy ( Commander-in-Chief, North American Station) refurbished the original monument that was created for the seven who died in the Naval Hospital who served on HMS ''Shannon'' (1868).

''Shannon''s midshipmen during the action were Messrs. Smith, Leake, Clavering, Raymond, Littlejohn and Samwell. Samwell was the only other officer to be wounded in the action. Mr Etough was the acting master, and conned the ship into the action. Shortly after the frigate had been secured, Broke fainted from loss of blood and was rowed back to ''Shannon'' to be attended to by the ship's surgeon. After the victory, a prize crew was put aboard ''Chesapeake'' and ''Shannon'' escorted her and her crew into Halifax, arriving there on 6 June. Lieutenant Bartholomew Kent, of brought the first news of the British victory back to London.

At Halifax ''Chesapeake''s crew was imprisoned. ''Chesapeake'' herself was repaired and taken into service by the Royal Navy before she was sold at Portsmouth, England in 1820 and broken up.

File:HMS Shannon, Royal Navy Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Shannon'' – 7 died (1813)
File:John Christian Schetky, H.M.S. Shannon Leading Her Prize the American Frigate Chesapeake into Halifax Harbour (c. 1830).jpg, HMS ''Shannon'' leading USS ''Chesapeake'' into Halifax Harbour in June 1813, by John C. Schetky

Crew of USS ''Chesapeake'' (1813)

There was a monument erected to the twelve crewmen of who died in the Halifax Naval Hospital (1966).

Captain Philip Broke boarded ''Chesapeake'' at the head of a party of 20 men. They met little resistance from ''Chesapeake''s crew, most of whom had run below deck. The only resistance from ''Chesapeake'' came from her contingent of marines. The British soon overwhelmed them; only nine escaped injury out of 44. Broke was severely injured in the fighting on the forecastle, being struck in the head with a sword. Soon after, ''Shannon''s crew pulled down ''Chesapeake''s flag. Only 15 minutes had elapsed from the first exchange of gunfire to the capture.

Reports on the number of killed and wounded aboard ''Chesapeake'' during the battle vary widely. Broke's after-action report from 6 July states 70 killed and 100 wounded. Contemporary sources place the number between 48 and 61 killed and 85–99 wounded. Discrepancies in the number of killed and wounded are possibly caused by the addition of sailors who died of their wounds in the ensuing days after the battle. The counts for ''Shannon'' have fewer discrepancies with 23 killed; 56 wounded. Despite his serious injuries, Broke ordered repairs to both ships and they proceeded on to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Captain James Lawrence died en route and was buried in Halifax with military honors. The British imprisoned his crew. Broke survived his wounds and was later made a baronet.

File:USS Chesapeake, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, USS ''Chesapeake'' – 12 died (1813)
File:The Brilliant Achievement of the Shannon... in boarding and capturing the United States Frigate Chesapeake off Boston, June 1st 1813 in fifteen minutes.jpg, HMS ''Shannon'' capturing USS ''Chesapeake'' off Boston, 1 June 1813, by W. Elmes
File:ShannonStadaconaHalifaxNovaScotiaCanada2.JPG, Memorials to USS ''Chesapeake'' and HMS ''Shannon''

See also

* Old Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
* Garrison Cemetery (Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia)
* Military history of Nova Scotia
* Fort Moncton – oldest British military gravestones in Canada

Footnotes

References

;Citations

;Bibliography
* ''Royal Navy Burying Ground: List of known interred'', Maritime Naval Museum pamphlet.
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* {{cite book , title=Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the US Navy , last=Toll , first=Ian W. , author-link=Ian W. Toll , location=New York , publisher=W. W. Norton , year=2006 , isbn=0393058476 , url=https://archive.org/details/sixfrigatesepich00toll

Cemeteries in Halifax, Nova Scotia
1781 establishments in North America
1780s establishments in Nova Scotia
Cemeteries established in the 1780s