Capture of York Factory
Encyclopedia
The Capture of York Factory (1694) was one of the Anglo-French conflicts on Hudson Bay
. In 1686 Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
marched overland from Quebec and captured
all the English posts on James Bay. This left York Factory
which was too far away and could only be reached by sea. In 1688 King William's War
started and the needed ships were hard to get. In 1690 Iberville tried to take York Factory but was driven away by a larger English ship. In 1694 Governor Frontenac
gave him the Salamandre and Poli. Iberville reached the Nelson River
on the 14th of September. The fort was invested and on the 14th of October it surrendered. (The English garrison consisted mainly of traders, clerks and laborers and they had not brought in enough firewood to withstand a long siege).
Among the 53 men who surrendered was Henry Kelsey
. The post was renamed Fort Bourbon. Since it was late in the season both the French and their captives had to spend the winter. By the time the ice broke up many on both sides had died of scurvy. Iberville waited, hoping to capture the annual English supply ships. By September they had not arrived, so he left 70 men at the fort and sailed for La Rochelle
with a valuable load of furs.
Iberville's victory was nullified by two factors. The previous year (1693) the English had recaptured
Fort Albany to the south on James Bay. Ten months after Iberville left three Royal Navy frigates under William Allen recaptured the York Factory.
Anglo-French conflicts on Hudson Bay
Anglo-French conflicts on Hudson Bay: When the English built trading posts on Hudson Bay the French tried to drive them out. This lasted from 1672 until 1713 when British sovereignty over the Bay was recognized by the Treaty of Utrecht...
. In 1686 Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1702 (probable)was a soldier, ship captain, explorer, colonial administrator, knight of...
marched overland from Quebec and captured
Hudson Bay expedition (1686)
The Hudson Bay expedition of 1686 was one of the Anglo-French conflicts on Hudson Bay. It was the first several expeditions sent from New France against the trading outposts of the Hudson's Bay Company in the southern reaches of Hudson Bay...
all the English posts on James Bay. This left York Factory
York Factory, Manitoba
York Factory was a settlement and factory located on the southwestern shore of Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba, Canada, at the mouth of the Hayes River, approximately south-southeast of Churchill. The settlement was headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company's Northern Department, from 1821 to...
which was too far away and could only be reached by sea. In 1688 King William's War
King William's War
The first of the French and Indian Wars, King William's War was the name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the Nine Years' War...
started and the needed ships were hard to get. In 1690 Iberville tried to take York Factory but was driven away by a larger English ship. In 1694 Governor Frontenac
Louis de Buade de Frontenac
Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698...
gave him the Salamandre and Poli. Iberville reached the Nelson River
Nelson River
The Nelson River is a river of north-central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Its full length is , it has mean discharge of , and has a drainage basin of , of which is in the United States...
on the 14th of September. The fort was invested and on the 14th of October it surrendered. (The English garrison consisted mainly of traders, clerks and laborers and they had not brought in enough firewood to withstand a long siege).
Among the 53 men who surrendered was Henry Kelsey
Henry Kelsey
Henry Kelsey , aka the Boy Kelsey, was an English fur trader, explorer, and sailor who played an important role in establishing the Hudson's Bay Company. Kelsey was born and married in East Greenwich, south-east of central London...
. The post was renamed Fort Bourbon. Since it was late in the season both the French and their captives had to spend the winter. By the time the ice broke up many on both sides had died of scurvy. Iberville waited, hoping to capture the annual English supply ships. By September they had not arrived, so he left 70 men at the fort and sailed for La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
with a valuable load of furs.
Iberville's victory was nullified by two factors. The previous year (1693) the English had recaptured
Battle of Fort Albany
The 1688 Battle of Fort Albany was one of the Anglo-French conflicts on Hudson Bay. In the Hudson Bay expedition the French had, in time of peace, marched overland from Quebec and captured all three English posts on James Bay. The French had left a garrison at Fort Albany, Ontario and needed to...
Fort Albany to the south on James Bay. Ten months after Iberville left three Royal Navy frigates under William Allen recaptured the York Factory.