Dover (1810)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Dover
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built: circa 1810
• Builder: Unknown, believed to have been built in Upper Canada
• Dimensions: 40-50 ft (12-15 m); Beam: 12-15 ft (3.6-4.5 m); Depth of hold: Unknown
• Registered Tonnage: 20 tons
• Depth at Wreck Site: 1 m / 3 ft
• Location: Thames River, Ontario
• Coordinates: 42°24'N, 82°11'W
• Official Number: None recorded
• Original Owners: Unknown
• Number of Masts: Unknown

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Schooner

The Dover was a small, shallow-draft schooner, well-suited for navigating Lake Erie, the Detroit River, and inland waterways like the Thames River. These versatile vessels could serve in multiple roles — trading, troop transport, and logistical support — and were commonly used by both civilian and military operators in Upper Canada.

Description

The Dover was part of the British fleet of small vessels tasked with supporting supply and communication lines between British forts, settlements, and Indigenous allies during the War of 1812. Schooners like Dover were essential for moving supplies, weapons, provisions, and dispatches through the complex waterways of southwestern Upper Canada.

In October 1813, following the British defeat at the Battle of the Thames, Major General Henry Procter led a hasty and disorganized retreat up the Thames River, abandoning and destroying valuable military supplies to prevent them from falling into American hands.

As part of this retreat, the schooner Dover was deliberately burned by British forces at a strategic point on the river. The destruction was ordered because the advancing American troops, led by William Henry Harrison, were in pursuit, and the schooner could not be evacuated upriver in time. Burning the Dover denied the Americans use of the vessel and ensured its stores could not be captured.

History

The Dover was part of the British fleet of small vessels tasked with supporting supply and communication lines between British forts, settlements, and Indigenous allies during the War of 1812. Schooners like Dover were essential for moving supplies, weapons, provisions, and dispatches through the complex waterways of southwestern Upper Canada.

In October 1813, following the British defeat at the Battle of the Thames, Major General Henry Procter led a hasty and disorganized retreat up the Thames River, abandoning and destroying valuable military supplies to prevent them from falling into American hands.

As part of this retreat, the schooner Dover was deliberately burned by British forces at a strategic point on the river. The destruction was ordered because the advancing American troops, led by William Henry Harrison, were in pursuit, and the schooner could not be evacuated upriver in time. Burning the Dover denied the Americans use of the vessel and ensured its stores could not be captured.

Significant Incidents

• October 1813: The Dover was intentionally burned by British forces during their retreat after the Battle of the Thames to prevent capture by American troops.

Final Disposition

• Cause of Loss: Intentionally burned by retreating British forces.
• Final Resting Place: Thames River, Upper Canada (modern-day Ontario), likely somewhere near present-day Chatham-Kent.
• Status: Completely destroyed, with no significant wreckage believed to survive.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No confirmed archaeological discovery of the Dover has ever been made.

If any remains exist, they would likely be:

• Charred wood fragments buried deep in the riverbank sediment.
• Isolated iron fastenings, nails, or fittings.
• Possibly some small artifacts (cargo remnants, tools, or weapons), though these would likely have been recovered by locals after the war or lost to river erosion.

The Thames River has undergone significant environmental and hydrological changes since 1813, including flooding, dredging, and modern development, all of which further obscure any potential remains.

Resources & Links

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The loss of the Dover is part of the larger story of chaos and defeat that marked Procter’s retreat. This retreat not only cost the British forces valuable supplies and vessels, but also marked the end of effective British and Indigenous resistance in southwestern Upper Canada.

Though physically lost, the story of the Dover serves as a reminder of how naval power and waterborne supply chains shaped the outcome of the War of 1812. Her destruction highlights the desperation of the British forces after the Battle of the Thames, and the importance of controlling inland waterways in the conflict.