Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard-- Part 3: Seven Ships Built There

Ships built at the Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard:

GENERAL HOPE--  schooner

EARL OF CAMDEN--  schooner

HMS CALEDONIA--  brig 1807

HMS GENERAL HUNTER--  brig 1809

HMS QUEEN CHARLOTTE--  1810  Ship/Sloop

HMS LADY PREVOST--  schooner 1812

2ND HMS DETROIT--  1813  Ship/Sloop

--Brock-Perry

Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard-- Part 2: Heavily Defended

In 1796, Fort Amherstburg (Fort Malden) was selected for the site of a new  dockyard for the construction of vessels for the Provinvcial Marine after the former site in Detroit was ceded to the Americans.  It was the only British naval base west of Kingston and located on the Detroit River with easy access to Lake Erie and Lake Huron.

The dockyard comprised  a large storehouse, two blockhouses,  a timber yard, saw pit and a wharf.  The blockhouses flanked the Navy Yard with Fort Amherstburg (Fort Malden) and the town of Amherstburg on either side, with the dockyard overlooking the channel which ran between it and Bois Blanc Island.  The dockyard was further protected by defenses erected on the island which watched over the entrances to both ends of the channel.

Many of the town's residents worked at the dockyard.

Many of the British ships that participated in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie were built here.

--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

William Moodie Bell-- Part 2: Kingston Dockyard

Afterwards, he served at the Kingston Dockyard on Lake Ontario.

The British Admiralty appointed Thomas Strickland as Master Shipbuilder in Upper Canada and that displaced Bell from that position.  In 1814, he was appointed as Strickland's assisted.

Strickland died in 1815 and Bell became the Acting Master Builder in Upper Canada until the end of 1816 when the Naval Shipyards at Kingston was reduced and then William Bell returned to Scotland.

--Brock-Perry

Kingston's Fort Henry-- Part 1: Two Forts On the Site

Earlier this week, I mentioned Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario.

From the Fort Henry Site.

The original Fort Henry was built during the War of 1812 and bears no resemblance to the structure standing there at present.  During the war,  the British anticipated an American attack on Point Henry due to its proximity to the Royal Navy Dockyards (at the site of the present-day Royal Military College) and the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

Between 1832-1837 a second fort was built on the site and this is what you see today.

It was abandoned by the British Army in 1870 and then garrisoned by Canadian troops until 1891.  After that, it fell into disrepair until 1936 when it was restored as a living history museum, opening August 1, 1938.

--Brock-Perry

Dartmoor Prison in Britain-- Part 1: The Need for a New Prison

From Wikipedia.

HM Prison Dartmoor.

Still a prison rated Category C, located in Princetown, County of Devon.

In 1805, the British were at war with Napoleonic France and many prisoners were captured.  Many of these were house in "hulks" which were derelict ships.  This was an unsafe situation due to the ships' close proximity to the Royal Navy Dockyard at Devonport called Plymouth Dock.

In addition, the living conditions on those hulks were horrible.

A new prison was planned for remote Dartmoor.

--Brock-Perry

200 Years Ago: Napoleon Enters Paris and USS Hornet Captures the HMS Penguin

MARCH 19, 1815:  British Commodore Sir Edward Campbell Rich Owens arrives at Kingston, Upper Canada, to assume command of the British Royal Navy station from Commordore Sir James Yeo.

MARCH 20, 1815:  Napoleon enters Paris and begins his 100 Day Rule.

MARCH 23, 1815:  USS Hornet captures the HMS Penguin.

--Brock-Perry

Kingston, Ontario and Rear Admiral Sir Robert Barrie

From the April 17, 2014, Kingston (Canada) Region.com "200 years of history in our midst" by Mark Bergin.

Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Barrie was a commodore during the blockade of the Chesapeake in the War of 1812 as well as along the American east coast.  he later lived in Kingston, Ontario.  Barrie Street and the Village of Barriefield are named after him.  There is also the City of Barrie in southern Ontario.

In 1820, Barriefield named for him

he served as commissioner of the Royal Navy Dockyard of Kingston where he oversaw its expansion which Barriefield overlooks.

Much of Barriefield was owned by Richard Cartwright who developed the town and sold lots to people working at the dockyard during the War of 1812 when it was the scene of much construction during the Great Naval Race.  many homes from this period still stand.

--Brock-Perry

Launch of the HMS Psyche on Dec. 25, 1814-- Part 1: "In Frame"

I already mentioned this, but a little more detail on it.

Launch of the HMS Psyche, 56-gun frigate sent "in frame" from England and assembled in Kingston, Canada.

In the summer of 1813, British Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo struggled to vanquish the growing American fleet in Lake Ontario.  As a result, the crown adopted an innovative approach to shipbuilding: sending prefabricated pieces to expedite the construction of warships.

Transports left Chatham Dockyard, England, early in 1814 with four vessels "in frame."  Three of the ships never made it past Montreal, but sections of "Frigate B", the Psyche, were laboriously shipped up the St. Lawrence River to Kingston, where shipwrights assembled the parts.

--Brock-Perry

Royal Navy Dockyard at Point Frederick, Kingston-- Part 4

The HMS St. Lawrence arrived too late to do any actual fighting.  But, its presence did force American commander Commodore Isaac Chauncey to keep his ships safely in Sackets Harbor.  The only time its guns were fired was in practice or salutes.  It still, however, made many cruises on Lake Ontario and was hit by lightning in 1819.

The Kingston Royal Dockyards employed 1,100 workers during the War of 1812.  On May 27, 1814, Captain Robert Hall was put in charge of it.  he improved the yard's buildings and facilities.

The British shipped the frame of one ship to Kingston via the St. Lawrence River.  Workers put together the 32-gun HMS Psyche which was later enlarged to 55 guns by James Yeo.

--Brock-Perry

Royal Navy Dockyard at Point Frederick, Kingston-- Part 2

Continued from October 14th.

The dockyard was not attacked much by the Americans and never captured.

During the War of 1812, especially in 1814, there was a huge shipbuilding war going on between the Americans and British.  That involved Kingston and the British Naval Dockyard there and the Americans at Sackets Harbor, New York.  Whoever got the most and biggest ships out on Lake Ontario, thereby controlled the lake.

British Commodore James Lucas Yeo arrived in Kingston on May 15, 1813, and became commander of the Great Lakes Fleet.  He wanted to continue British domination of sea power but faced a problem in that his ships mostly had shorter range carronades to use against the American long guns.

In sea battles, Americans would try to keep the distance great between them and the British ships as far as they could in order to maintain their superior firepower.

--Brock-Perry

The Royal Naval Dockyard at Point Frederick-- Part 1

The HMS St. Lawrence was a magnificent ship, the largest warship ever to see the Great Lakes during the Age of Sail.  It was built at Kingston, Upper Canada, at the Royal Navy Dockyard and was too large for the Americans to attack and gave the British undeniable control of Lake Ontario.

The Naval Dockyard was established in 1789 as the Provincial Marine and then became the Royal Naval Dockyard at Point Frederick.  Warships such as sloops, frigates and gunboats were built there as well as the ship-of-the-line St. Lawrence.

The RMC is now located at the dockyard.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

HMS Princess Charlotte

From Wikipedia.

Was a 121-foot long, 42-gun 5th rate frigate manned by a crew of 280. Built at the Kingston Royal Doxkyard in Kingston, Upper Canada, and launched April 14, 1814, along with the frigate HMS Prince Regent. Originally was to have been the HMS Vittoria, but the name was changed before launch.

Served on Lake Ontario and commssioned at Oswego 5 May 1814 under Captain William Mulcaster. Took part in attacks on Fort Oswego and Sackets Harbor in New York.

Received new commander, Captain Edward Collier in November and was renamed the HMS Burlington on 9 December 1814. In June 1815, Captain Nicholas Lockyer commanded.

In June 1833, it was offered for sale, but there were no takers and towed away and scuttled.

In 1825, the HMS Princes Charlotte, a 120-gun first rate ship-of-the-line was launched in Britain.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Prince Regent

From Wikipedia.

Was a 155-foot long, 56-gun 4th rate frigate built with crew of 280 at Kingston Royal Navy Dockyard at Kingston, Upper Canada. Launched April 14, 1814. Renamed HMS Kingston 9 December 1814. It was still a warship in 1830 and sold in 1832.

A 120-gun ship-of-the-line HMS Prince Regent was launched in Britain in 1823.

I was unable to find out more information on it.

--Brock-Perry

Royal Navy Shipyard, York (Upper Canada)

From Wikipedia.

This would be referring to the Royal Navy Dockyard there. York, Upper Canada, is now Toronto, Canada.

The yard operated from 1793 to 1813. It actually was in operation before the town of York was even there.
It built only a few ships before being moved to Kingston because it was too easy for the Americans to attack..

SHIPS BUILT:

TORONTO, schooner, wrecked 1817

HMS PRINCE REGENT-- schooner launched 1812. Renamed HMS BEREFORD in 1813

HMS NETLEY in 1814 and finally became the NIAGARA, base ship before being broken up in 1843. //// 

HMS ISAAC BROCK-- incomplete frigate burned on the stocks.

--Brock-Perry

List of Ships Built at Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard-- Part 2

These were built at Kingston, Ontario (then Upper Canada).

HMS Sir George Prevost-- schooner, 1813
HMS Lord Melville-- schooner, 1813
Psyche-- frigate1814

Niagara-- gunboat 1814-1843 (formerly known as Netley, 1813)
Queenston-- gunboat, 1814
Crystler-- gunboat, 1814

Kingston-- gunboat 1814
Canada-- unfinished, 1815
Wolfe-- unfinished, 1815

Beckwith-- transport
HMS Sir Isaac Brock, burned on stocks 1813 (this one probably was the one burned at York.).

Of course, none were built after the 1817 Rush-Bagot Agreement that demilitarized the Great Lakes.

--Brock-Perry

List of Ships Built at Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Buffalo- gunboat, 1792
Catherine--gunboat, 1792
Sophia-- gunboat, 1792

Swift-- gunboat, 1792
HMS Speedy, 1798
HMS Royal George, 1809

HMS St. Lawrence, 1814
HMS Prince Regent, 1814
HMS Princess Charlotte

HMS Duke of Gloucester
HMS Earl of Moira-- brig, 1805
HMS Sir Sidney Smith-- schooner 1806.

More to Come. --Brock-Perry

HMS Sir Isaac Brock

From Wikipedia.

Destroyed before it was completed to prevent capture by Americans at York, Upper Canada. I have been writing about this ship in cinjunction with the HMS Duke of Gloucester. The ship was named after British war hero General Sir Isaac Brock and laid down when it was found that Americans were building warships at Sackets Harbor, New York.

At the time, two sloops were laid down at the Royal Naval Dockyards at York (the Brock), the other being built at Kingston, the HMS Wolfe. Both were sloops (I've also seen the Brock called a frigate). Both were begun around the same time.

By the end of April 1813, the Wolfe was nearly ready for launching, but the Brock still many weeks away. Much of the blame for the delay has been placed on shipyard superintendent Thomas Plunkett.

The ships were to be 637 tons and mount 24 guns.

On April 27, 1813, the American fleet and Army attacked York causing the British to retreat to Kingston. The Brock was burned to prevent capture.

--Brock-Perry

Kingston, Canada's Ships: HMS Duke of Gloucester

Earlier I listed and wrote a little about the ships built at the Kingston, Canada, Royal Navy Dockyard, but now will go into more detail about these ships. Quite a few were involved in the War of 1812.

These are taken from Wikipedia.

HMS DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, a ten-gun brig launched at the Kingston Navy Dockyard in 1812. It carried ten 12-pdr. cannons. On July 19, 1812, along with the HMS Growler, it engaged the U.S. schooner Julia at Sackets Harbor, NY.

It was repairing at York, capital of Upper Canada (now Toronto), when the Americans captured the town. It managed to escape, but British commander General Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe ordered its sister ship, the HMS Sir Isaac Brock destroyed to prevent capture. Wikipedia referred to the Brock as a frigate, but it couldn't have been if it was a sister ship to the Duke of Gloucester.

The Duke of Gloucester was destroyed by the British 29 May 1813 at the Battle of Sackets Harbor.

---Brock-Perry

Kingston's Fort Frederick

Also on the tour of Kingston's Naval history is old Fort Frederick. It is located at the tip of Point Frederick and was originally an earthwork fort built to protect the Royal Navy Dockyard and the town of Kingston.

On 10 Nov. 1812, it was attqacked by American ships and repulsed the attack.

The current stone fort and tower was built between 1846 and 1847 and replaced the War of 1812 one. Of course, this might technically have been going against the Rush-Bagot Agreement. Today, it is part of the Royal Military College of Canada.

---Brock-Perry