HMS Tribune
Frigate · United Kingdom · Lost 1797 · Nova Scotia & Sable Island
A captured French frigate in Royal Navy service was wrecked off Halifax in a gale in 1797, killing roughly 240 of the 250 aboard.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Originally the French frigate Charente Inférieure, Tribune was captured by the Royal Navy in 1796 and renamed. In November 1797, arriving off Halifax after convoy escort duty, her sailing master attempted the harbour approach without a pilot. The ship grounded on Thrumcap Shoal, was refloated with a wrecked rudder, and then drove onto rocks at Herring Cove in a gale, sinking with great loss of life. A local boy's rescue effort saved a handful of survivors clinging to the rigging.
Vessel
- 1793
- Not established
- Rochefort, France
- Wood
- 144 ft
- 38 ft
- 916
- Sail, full-rigged ship
- Royal Navy (originally French Navy)
Loss
- November 23, 1797
- Grounding
- Thrumcap Shoal and Herring Cove, Halifax Harbour
- Halifax Harbour
- Torbay, England (convoy escort duty to Newfoundland and Quebec) → Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Not established
- 250
- 238
- Scory Barker
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Broken up; scattered artifacts including cannon and fittings remain on the seabed
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 44.55° N 63.58° W
- Approximate position
- Herring Cove, near Halifax, Nova Scotia
Approximates Herring Cove/Tribune Head, the traditionally cited wreck site.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
Some published accounts differ on the precise date (16 versus 23 November) and exact casualty numbers.
Friends of McNabs Island Society
Narrative of grounding, drift, and loss of life.
Wikipedia, citing Winfield's British Warships
Build details, capture history, dimensions, and casualty figures.
Rescue details and local memory of the disaster.
