The English Ship Fairfax

The English ship Fairfax was originally commissioned in 1650.  By mid 1650 she saw action against French ships in the English Channel.  During 1651 she was Captain Penn’s flagship patrolling the Mediterranean.  By February of 1653 she had returned to England.  During that time she was accidentally set afire and burned to the waterline. 

                                               Abraham Willaerts painting "Action in the first Dutch War"

Immediately following the fire a new ship Fairfax was commissioned and built on the unburnt portion of the original ship.  The new Fairfax was a third rate frigate of the Navy of the Commonwealth of England.  She was re-commissioned as the HMS Fairfax when the English monarchy was restored in 1660.  In 1673 the Fairfax struck a reef off the English coast.  Even though she was re-floated, she was damaged beyond reasonable repair.  She was taken apart and her timbers were re-used in other vessels. 

The Fairfax had a keel length of 120 feet and a beam of 35 feet in width.  She was a full rigged speaker class frigate.  (In the 17^th Century the term frigate was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability.)   Her original complement of 52 guns was increased to 66 guns in 1666 and increased again to 72 guns in 1672.  Similarly her crew of 220 men was increased to 300 in 1666 and to 400 in 1672.

Robert Blake's flagship George at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 

She was launched in 1653 and saw her first service in the First Anglo-Dutch War which ended in 1654.  This war was fought entirely at sea over a trade dispute between England and the Netherlands.

During the Anglo- Spanish War (1654-60) the Fairfax was a member of Admiral Robert Blake’s fleet of 23 warships .  During that war she played a key role in the 1657 Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.  This battle resulted in the scuttling of two Spanish Galleons and nine Spanish merchant ships leaving only 5 other Spanish vessels afloat.  Those five ships also surrendered to Blake’s fleet.

                                                                                Admiral Robert Blake

For he last thirteen years the Fairfax saw service as part of Lord Sandwich’s Mediterranean fleet.  Between 1661 and 1662 she patrolled off Tangier and Algiers.  In 1665 she participated in the Battle of the Lowestoft during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.  During that battle the English fleet of 109 ships routed the Dutch fleet of 103 vessels.  The English fleet was significantly more powerful than the Dutch fleet with larger ships, and more guns in number and size.  The Dutch fleet lost nearly 20 vessels while the English only lost one.  The Fairfax saw 8 more years of service with the Royal Navy before the grounding off the English coast ended her career and caused her to be taken apart and reused.

Tall Ship Model of the HMS Fairfax

Ship Models Online offers a 34" Quality Tall Ship Model of the HMS Fairfax .  This is a beautiful, museum quality model.  You'll be proud to display her in your home or office.