HMS Sir Isaac Brock - History

History

At the end of 1812, the British learned that the Americans were building warships at Sackett's Harbor, New York, and laid down two sloops of war in response. Construction of the Sir Isaac Brock began at York.

The new ship was a sister ship to HMS Wolfe, which was constructed at Kingston. Although construction on both ships began around the same time, as the end of April 1813 approached, the Wolfe was very nearly ready to be launched while the Sir Isaac Brock was still many weeks away from being complete. It had been partially planked on its starboard side but was not even close to that far along on its port side. Most of the responsibility for the delay in readiness could be laid on the shoulders of shipyard Superintendent, Thomas Plucknett.

The ship had a registered weight of 637 tons, and was rated as having 24 guns. In fact, the rating system often omitted carronades, and the Sir Isaac Brock would have had 30 guns or even more in service. (The Wolfe was completed with a medley of whatever guns were available).

Late in the afternoon 26 April 1813, the American flotilla was sighted off York, with a strong embarked force of infantry and artillerymen. The next day, the Battle of York was fought. The outnumbered British regulars and militia were forced to fall back. The Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe, ordered his regulars to retreat to Kingston, but also dispatched Captain Tito LeLièvre of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment to set fire to the Sir Isaac Brock to prevent it falling intact into enemy hands. Ironically, LeLièvre may have been assisted in this task by Thomas Plucknett, the man most responsible for the Sir Isaac Brock being in its partially built condition.

The Americans were enraged to find that the ship had apparently been set ablaze while negotiations for surrender with the local militia were still taking place. When eventually, a surrender was arranged, the Sir Isaac Brock had been reduced to charred timbers.