HMS Royal George (1809)
Encyclopedia
HMS Royal George was a British
20-gun wooden sloop
of the Provincial Marine
, and subsequently, the Royal Navy
, operating on Lake Ontario
during the War of 1812
with a crew of 200.
She was launched at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard
in Kingston, Ontario
, in July 1809. In November 1812, Royal George was the largest warship on the lake, operating under the command of British Commodore Hugh Earl (or "Earle"). On 9 November 1812, she was intercepted by an American fleet of seven ships under the command of U.S. Commodore Isaac Chauncey
, but managed to escape to the safety of her home harbour at Kingston.
She was renamed Niagara in 1814 and was sold in 1837.
The crew of HMS Royal George is currently portrayed by a War of 1812 re-enactment group, under the HMS Richmond umbrella organization.
HMS Royal George was one of the ships of the Provincial Marine
base in Kingston:
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
20-gun wooden sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
of the Provincial Marine
Provincial Marine
Provincial Marine was a coastal protection service in charge of the waters in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and parts of Lake Champlain under British control. While ships of the PM were designated HMS, they were operated in more of a coast guard manner than as a full fledged navy....
, and subsequently, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, operating on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
with a crew of 200.
She was launched at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard
Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard
The Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard from 1788 to 1853 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, at the site of the current Royal Military College of Canada.-History:...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, in July 1809. In November 1812, Royal George was the largest warship on the lake, operating under the command of British Commodore Hugh Earl (or "Earle"). On 9 November 1812, she was intercepted by an American fleet of seven ships under the command of U.S. Commodore Isaac Chauncey
Isaac Chauncey
Isaac Chauncey was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Chauncey, born in Black Rock, Connecticut, 20 February 1779, was appointed a Lieutenant in the Navy from 17 September 1798...
, but managed to escape to the safety of her home harbour at Kingston.
She was renamed Niagara in 1814 and was sold in 1837.
The crew of HMS Royal George is currently portrayed by a War of 1812 re-enactment group, under the HMS Richmond umbrella organization.
See also
- Engagements on Lake OntarioEngagements on Lake OntarioThe Engagements on Lake Ontario encompass the prolonged naval contest for control of the lake during the War of 1812. Few actions were fought, none of which had decisive results, and the contest essentially became a naval building race, sometimes referred to sarcastically as the "Battle of the...
HMS Royal George was one of the ships of the Provincial Marine
Provincial Marine
Provincial Marine was a coastal protection service in charge of the waters in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and parts of Lake Champlain under British control. While ships of the PM were designated HMS, they were operated in more of a coast guard manner than as a full fledged navy....
base in Kingston:
- HMS Wolfe, sloop of war
- HMS Duke of GloucesterHMS Duke of Gloucester (1813)HMS Duke of Gloucester was a 10 gun brig of the Royal Navy which was launched at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Ontario....
, brigBrigA brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries... - HMS Earl of Moira, schoonerSchoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
- Governor Simcoe, schooner