Fort William, Newfoundland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort William |
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| St. John's, Newfoundland | |
View from Fort William
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| Type | Fortress, garrisoned and armoured. |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1698 |
| In use | 1700 - 1871 |
| Battles/wars | King William's War 1689-1697 Queen Anne's War 1702-13 King George's War 1743-48 French and Indian War 1756-63 |
| Official name: Fort William National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1952 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | English |
Fort William was an important fort built in St. John's, Newfoundland. It was constructed in 1698 by the English. Its main purpose was to protect English interests from French attacks. This fort was the first main base for the British soldiers in Newfoundland.
There were other forts nearby too. Fort George was at the east end of the harbour. It was even connected to Fort William by an underground passage! Another fort, called the Castle, was on the south side of the Narrows. Later, the main army base moved to Fort Townshend. This new fort was built between 1775 and 1779.
Fort William was torn down in 1881 to make space for a railway yard. The old barracks were used as the train station. That station was also demolished in 1910. Today, city buildings stand where the fort once was.
In 1952, Fort William was named a National Historic Site of Canada. You can't see any parts of the old fort now. But there's a special plaque marking the spot. It's on a wall at the corner of Cavendish Square and Duckworth Street in downtown St. John’s.
Contents
Early Defenses: Dutch Wars
The Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667) brought fighting to Newfoundland. A Dutch fleet captured St. John's in 1665. They burned ships and buildings on shore. At this time, St. John's had no navy or army defenses.
English merchants tried to protect themselves. Christopher Martin, a merchant captain, built his own defenses. He used six cannons from his ship, the Elias Andrews. He built an earthen wall and a cannon battery. This small fort, called King William’s Fort, guarded the harbour entrance.
During the Third Anglo-Dutch War in 1673, the Dutch attacked again. Martin, with fewer than thirty men, successfully defended the harbour. He also fought off four pirate ships in a separate raid.
King William's War: French Attacks
In 1688, William III and Mary II became rulers of England. This changed England's foreign policy. War with France began in 1689. But England did little to protect its people in Newfoundland.
The French had a strong base in Placentia. From there, they attacked English settlements every year. The winter of 1696-97 saw a big French attack. This was the Avalon Peninsula campaign. A French force led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville destroyed English towns. They faced little resistance.
When they reached St. John's, the English fought back. The French then attacked a small fort in the city. The English held out for 48 hours. But they were forced to surrender. The town and fort were burned to the ground.
This disaster worried the British government. They finally decided to send a permanent army to Newfoundland. In the summer of 1697, 1500 British soldiers arrived. They found St. John's empty and destroyed. That winter, 214 of 300 soldiers died. They lacked food and shelter.
The next year, construction began on Fort William. It was a well-designed fort. When finished in 1700, it had strong brick walls. It also had bomb-proof shelters and proper barracks for soldiers.
Queen Anne's War: More Battles
Peace was made in 1697. But when Queen Anne became queen in 1702, war with France started again. In January 1705, St. John's was attacked. Daniel d'Auger de Subercase, the French commander, led almost 500 soldiers. They included French Canadians and Indigenous people.
The French took the town. But the Fort William soldiers held out. They refused to surrender. After a five-week Siege of St. John's, Subercase left. He took all the stolen goods and hundreds of captured townspeople. Small attacks continued through 1706. This happened even though the British sent more soldiers to St. John's.
In January 1709, St. Ovide de Brouillon led another attack. This was the Battle of St. John's. It was a quick and complete success. The British soldiers were not well-led. They surrendered the fort quickly. The French took over 500 prisoners. They destroyed all the forts around the harbour. Then they left for Placentia.
The next year, the British began rebuilding Fort William. They put in stronger weapons. However, the soldiers did not return. The fort started to fall apart. By 1712, Britain was winning wars in Europe. The Treaty of Utrecht (1713) gave all rights in Newfoundland to Britain.
King George's War: Rebuilding Efforts
After the Treaty of Utrecht, British forts in Newfoundland were ignored. They started to decay. So, in 1743, a big reconstruction began. This was because war with France was coming again.
During King George's War (1744–48), there was no fighting in Newfoundland. But the British kept a strong navy there. This was to counter the French fortress at Louisbourg in Cape Breton. Fort William was completely rebuilt by 1749.
French and Indian War: Final Attack
The last major battle in Newfoundland happened in 1762. This was the final part of the Anglo-French war (1756-63). It is known as the Battle of Signal Hill. British victories in other places weakened the French. This led to peace talks.
The French government wanted to gain an advantage. So, they sent a naval force with 800 soldiers to attack Newfoundland. Comte d'Haussonville, the French commander, landed at Bay Bulls. He marched overland to St. John's. The British soldiers in Fort William were few. Their defenses were not ready. They surrendered on June 17.
The British in New York quickly planned a counterattack. By September, 1500 British and New England soldiers arrived. On September 13, their commander, Lt. Col. William Amherst, landed at Torbay. This was eight miles north of St. John's.
Amherst marched overland. He drove the French from their defenses at Quidi Vidi Pass. On September 15, he captured Signal Hill in a surprise attack. The French were now trapped in Fort William. Amherst spent two days bringing up heavy cannons. Meanwhile, the French warships in St. John's harbour escaped in thick fog.
Amherst's cannons were ready by September 17. They began a heavy bombardment of Fort William. The French were surrounded and had no support. D'Haussonville's force surrendered on September 18.
Fort William's Demolition
Fort William was not in a good location. It could not fully protect the harbour or St. John's. Because of its spot, it was easy to attack from land. In 1779, the British decided Fort William was too vulnerable. They built Fort Townshend a bit further west.
Fort William became a smaller part of a larger defense system. This system protected St. John's and nearby harbours. In 1881, Fort William was torn down. Its site was cleared for the Newfoundland Railway hotel and train yard.
