Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard-- Part 5: Royal Navy Takes Control and A Plan

During the War of 1812, the dockyard was first the base of operations for the Provincial Marine's operations on Lake Erie and Lake Huron and later the Royal Navy's.

However, due to the yards location at the far end of Lake Erie, supplies for it had to be shipped across the lake from Fort George and overland from Niagara Falls or shipped to York and Burlington Heights, transported overland to Long Point before being transported on the lake again to the yard.

In May 1813, the Royal Navy took control of all of the Provincial Marine forces and establishments on Lake Erie.  With the construction of superior American ships in 1813, , Commander Robert Heriot Barclay, the commander of the Royal Navy's Lake Erie Squadron and sought to defeat the Americans before they could cut his supply lines.

--Brock-Perry

Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard-- Part 1: Served Both the Provincial Marine and Royal Navy

From Wikipedia.

I have recently been writing about Amherstburg and Fort Amherstburg (more commonly called Fort Malden) and I then came across the Navy Dockyard that was located there.

It was a Provincial Marine (built warships for the province) and the Royal Navy Yard from 1789 to 1813, in Amherstburg, Ontario, situated on the Detroit River.  The yard comprised of blockhouses, storehouses,  magazine, wood yard and wharf.

The yard was established in 1796 to support the Upper Canada Provincial Marine after Great Britain ceded a pre-existing navy yard on the Detroit River to the United States.  Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard constructed four warships  for the Lake Erie Detachment of the Provincial Marine before and during the War of 1812.

In 1813, the dockyard was abandoned and destroyed when the British retreated and never reopened.  In 1928, the site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

--Brock-Perry

Not To Get the British Prince Regent Ships Confused

From Wikipedia.

There were two ships in the British service by the name of Prince Regent.  The one I mentioned in the last post was the Provincial Marine's Prince Regent which i will write about in the next post.

There was also another HMS Prince Regent.  This one was a Royal Navy ship and was launched in 18 46-60 guns.  It was built at Kingston, Upper Canada and took part in the raid on Fort Oswego.

It was later renamed HMS Kingston in 1814 and was sold in 1832.

--Brock-Perry

First Battle of Sackets Harbor-- Part 2: The British Provincial Marine Demands Surrender

On Sunday, July 19, 1812, Captain Melancthon Taylor Woolsey of the USS Oneida discovered five British warships off Sackets Harbor.  They belonged to the Provincial Marine and were the Royal George (24 guns), Prince Regent (22 guns),  Earl of Moira (22 guns), Governor Simcoe (10 guns) and Seneca (2 guns).

The British captured a merchant ship and sent its crew ashore with demands for the surrender of the USS Oneida and the Lord Nelson, a merchant ship captured before war was declared.  The Americans were told that if a shot was fired at the British, they would burn Sackets Harbor.

The Oneida attempted to escape, but was turned back to Navy Point by British guns.

--Brock-Perry

William Moodie Bell, Master Shipbuilder-- Part 1

Yesterday I mentioned that one source I found said that the HMS St. Lawrence might also have been built by William Bell or possibly John Dennis.

From Geneaology

William Moodie Bell, master Shipbuilder, Born in Scotland, Amherstburg.

1777-1837.  Naval shipwright and farmer.

Born 9 January 1777 in Scotland.  Entered the employ of the Provincial Marine at Amherstburg, Upper Canada June 1799.  Designed and built ships for service on the Great Lakes.

Many of his ships were lost in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie, after which he evacuated Amherstburg at the time of the retreat following the battle.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Toronto

From Wikipedia.

One of the first ships John Dennis built was the HMS Toronto for Upper Canada's Provincial Marine.

Royal Navy schooner built by John Dennis at York, Upper Canada, on the Humber River in August 1799.  Mounted four cannons.

Built to ferry government officials from York (Toronto) to Upper Canada's former capital at Newark (Niagara-by-the-Lake).

Had a short career when wrecked off Hanlon's Point in 1811 and broken up.

--Brock-Perry

John Dennis, Master Shipbuilder-- Part 2: Emigrated to Canada

After his father's death in 1782, John and his young family emigrated to Canada.  Eventually they settled in New Brunswick until fire destroyed his property there and they moved for a short time to Alexandria, Virginia.

The following year, John Dennis and family returned to Upper Canada, largely at the invitation of Lt. Governor John Grave Simcoe, who wanted him to build gunboats for the Provincial Marine (Navy).

Dennis set up a shipyard just west of York (now Toronto) at the Humber River where he built ships for the government.  One of them was the government schooner Toronto, which was called "one of the handsomest vessels, of her size, that ever swam upon the Ontario" by the Upper Canada Gazette in 1799.

--Brock-Perry

Prince Regent, Canadian Provincial Marine

From Wikipedia.

This was another ship with the same name as the HMS Prince Regent, but served with the Canadian Provincial Marine.

16-gun ship launched 1812 for the Canadian Provincial Marine.  Re-rigged as a schooner and renamed Beresford (or General Beresford) in 1813.

Re-rigged as a brig and renamed HMS Netley in 1814 when the Royal Navy took over the Provincial Marine.  It was the Admiralty's policy not to name a vessel after living people.

In 1848, it was renamed the HMS Niagara while serving as a base ship. Later broken up.

--Brock-Perry