- Sir George Prevost
- Wolfe
- Gunthier’s Wreck
HMS Wolfe, later renamed HMS Montreal, was a 20-gun freshwater sloop of war that served in the British naval squadron on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. She was built at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Upper Canada and launched on 5 May 1813. The ship played a significant role in engagements on Lake Ontario during the war, serving as the flagship of Commodore James Lucas Yeo.
Initially named HMS Sir George Prevost, the ship was later renamed HMS Wolfe in honor of General James Wolfe. She was officially rated as having 24 guns, although rating systems of the time were not always precise, often omitting carronades. Wolfe was completed with a mix of long 24-pounder and 18-pounder guns, along with 68-pounder and 32-pounder carronades. She had a crew of 220.
During the Battle of Sackett’s Harbor, Wolfe engaged in several clashes with the American squadron led by Commodore Isaac Chauncey. She was badly damaged by the American ship USS General Pike on 28 August 1813, but managed to escape into Burlington Bay for repairs.
Over the winter of 1813-1814, Wolfe was renamed HMS Montreal and underwent rearmament, replacing her previous assortment of guns with seven long 24-pounders and eighteen long 18-pounders. As the British had completed two frigates during the winter, Montreal lost its status as the flagship. Despite taking part in the Raid on Fort Oswego, there was no major fighting between the rival squadrons in 1814.
After the War of 1812, HMS Montreal was recommissioned as a transport vessel with only six cannons. By 1831, the dockyard at Kingston was closed, and the ship was ordered to be broken up and sold. Over time, the vessel had become hulked and was no longer operational.
In 2006, Parks Canada tentatively identified a wreck in Lake Ontario near the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston as that of HMS Montreal. The shipwreck lies in 60 feet of water and had been known by locals for over 20 years as Gaunthier’s Wreck. The discovery of the wreck provides a tangible connection to the War of 1812 and offers insights into the history of naval engagements on Lake Ontario during that period.
