Magnet (General Simcoe, Sir Sidney Smith) (1797)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Magnet
• Type: Armed schooner / Merchant
• Year Built: 1797
• Builder: Kingston Royal Dockyard, Kingston, Upper Canada (Ontario)
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: 137 tons
• Location: Approximately 10 miles west of the mouth of the Niagara River, Lake Ontario
• Coordinates: Approximately 10 miles west of the mouth of the Niagara River
• Original Owners: Provincial merchant service under Upper Canada authorities; requisitioned by Royal Navy during War of 1812
• Number of Masts: 2 (fore-and-aft rigged schooner)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Type: Merchant schooner converted to armed naval schooner.

Description

Original Use: Merchant schooner operating out of York (modern Toronto) and Kingston, transporting trade goods and possibly military provisions in peacetime.

Naval Role: Gunboat and transport for British forces during the War of 1812, participating in raids, escorts, and supply runs to Niagara frontier posts.

History

1793–1797: Laid down and launched at Kingston as General Simcoe, named for John Graves Simcoe, first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.

1797–1812: Merchant service on Lake Ontario, ferrying trade goods between York, Kingston, and Niagara.

11 Nov 1812: Struck a shoal while fleeing U.S. forces near Kingston; sank but was later refloated and repaired.

Spring 1813: Requisitioned and armed by British naval command. Renamed Sir Sidney Smith; fitted with 12 guns.

29 May 1813: Saw combat in the Battle of Sackets Harbor, NY.

Spring 1814: Renamed Magnet; continued in British Lake Ontario squadron under Captain Pring.

Significant Incidents

• 5 Aug 1814: While carrying gunpowder and munitions from York toward the Niagara frontier, sighted by Commodore Isaac Chauncey’s U.S. squadron. Crew abandoned ship and set charges, destroying the vessel to avoid capture.

Final Disposition

Wreck Type: Explosion and burn debris.

Final Position: ~10 miles west of Niagara River mouth in Lake Ontario.

Status: No confirmed modern archaeological survey of Magnet remains exists. Explosions and 200+ years of sediment likely scattered or buried remains.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Depth: Unknown; likely shallow to mid-depth offshore zone.

Potential Survey Methods: Side-scan sonar and magnetometer sweep in the reported zone; historic hydrographic charts may aid pinpointing the loss site.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”magnet-generalgovernor-simcoe-sir-sidney-smith-1797″ title=”References & Links”]

The General Simcoe / Magnet is a rare example of a War of 1812 Lake Ontario naval vessel that transitioned from merchant trade to naval combat. Its deliberate destruction underscores Royal Navy defensive strategies on Lake Ontario during the final phase of the War of 1812.