IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION #
The HMS Montreal, originally launched as HMS Wolfe, was a 20-gun freshwater sloop-of-war that played a pivotal role in British naval operations on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. Built at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Upper Canada and launched on May 5, 1813, this vessel was the flagship of Commodore James Lucas Yeo. Over its service life, the ship underwent significant changes, including a name change and rearmament, before being decommissioned and eventually wrecked in Kingston Harbour.
Design and Construction #
Dimensions #
- Length (Gun Deck): 107 feet (32.6 meters)
Sitemap Tom Rutledge 2024CC. PDF Version - Length (Keel): 103 feet (31.4 meters)
- Beam: 30 feet 10 inches (9.4 meters)
- Draught: 11 feet (3.4 meters)
- Depth of Hold: 4 feet 6 inches (1.4 meters)
- Tonnage:** 426 tons burthen
Armament #
HMS Wolfe was originally armed with a combination of carronades and long guns:
Initial Armament
- 18 x 18-pounder carronades
- 2 x 12-pounder long guns
Later Armament
- 4 x 68-pounder carronades
- 10 x 32-pounder carronades
- 1 x 24-pounder long gun
- 8 x 18-pounder long guns
The ship’s complement was approximately 224 officers and enlisted men.The construction of HMS Wolfe faced several delays and challenges. Initially designed by Thomas Plucknett, the ship’s construction was overseen by James Morrison, a master shipwright from Montreal. However, due to slow progress, Morrison was replaced, and the ship was eventually completed under the supervision of Daniel Allen and George Record. The ship was launched on April 22, 1813, using a traditional method after an initial failed attempt.
HMS Wolfe served as the flagship of the British squadron on Lake Ontario, commanded by Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo. The ship participated in several key naval engagements, including the Battle of Sackett’s Harbor in May 1813, where it supported British troops in an assault on the American naval base. Wolfe also played a role in the blockade of Sackett’s Harbor and engaged in various skirmishes with the American squadron led by Commodore Isaac Chauncey.
In January 1814, HMS Wolfe was renamed HMS Montreal as part of a formal transfer of the Great Lakes squadron from the British Army to the Royal Navy. Along with the name change, the ship underwent significant rearmament, replacing its previous assortment of guns with seven long 24-pounders and eighteen long 18-pounders.
After the War of 1812, HMS Montreal was recommissioned as a transport vessel, armed with only six cannons. By 1831, the ship had become hulked and was no longer operational. The dockyard at Kingston was closed, and the ship was ordered to be broken up and sold.
The Wreck of HMS Montreal #
In 2006, a wreck locatedin Lake Ontario near the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston was tentatively identified as that of HMS Montreal. Known as “Guenter’s Wreck,” the site lies in 18 meters (60 feet) of water and has been known to local divers for over 20 years. The identification of the wreck provides a tangible connection to the War of 1812 and offers valuable insights into the naval history of Lake Ontario during that period.
References and Links #
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes: Collection of historical records and newspaper clippings.
- David Swayze’s Historical Collection: Information on Great Lakes shipwrecks and maritime events.
- British Whig (Kingston, ON): Newspaper articles documenting the sinking of the Munson.
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection: Additional historical notes on the Munson and other vessels.
- Wikipedia – HMS WOLFE
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy(Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Malcomson, Robert (2001) [1998]. Lords of the Lake: The Naval War on Lake Ontario 1812–1814 (Paperback ed.). Toronto: Robin Brass Studio. ISBN 1-896941-24-9.
- Winfield, Rif (2005). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-246-1.
Wolfe (ship, 1813) at Wikimedia Commons- The War of 1812 Magazine
- Hales, Rosie; Shouldice, Alison (30 October 2012). “A dive into the harbour’s history”. The Queen’s University Journal. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- Press, Jordan (1 December 2008). “What lies beneath”. The Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
