HMS Sir Isaac Brock facts for kids
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Incomplete HMS Sir Issac Brock in York, 1813.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Sir Isaac Brock |
| Builder | Thomas Plucknett, York |
| Fate | Unfinished, burned on stocks |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sloop-of-war |
| Tons burthen | 637 |
| Complement | 220 (if finished) |
| Armament | 24 guns (if finished) |
HMS Sir Isaac Brock was a warship that was never finished. It was being built in York, which is now Toronto, during the War of 1812. The ship was named after a famous British hero, Major General Sir Isaac Brock.
Building a Warship
At the end of 1812, the British found out that the Americans were building warships. These ships were being made at Sackett's Harbor, New York. To respond, the British decided to build two new warships of their own. These ships were called sloops of war. A sloop-of-war was a type of warship with a single gun deck.
One of these new ships was Sir Isaac Brock. Its construction started in York.
Sister Ship and Delays
Sir Isaac Brock was meant to be a sister ship to HMS Wolfe. This means they were designed to be very similar. HMS Wolfe was being built in Kingston. Both ships started construction around the same time.
However, by April 1813, Wolfe was almost ready to be launched. Sir Isaac Brock, on the other hand, was still many weeks away from being finished. Only one side of the ship had some of its outer wooden planks attached. The other side was far behind. The main reason for this delay was the shipyard boss, Thomas Plucknett.
Ship's Size and Guns
The ship was quite large for its time, weighing 637 tons. It was designed to carry 24 guns. However, this number often didn't include smaller cannons called carronades. So, if Sir Isaac Brock had been finished, it might have had 30 or even more guns. For example, its sister ship, Wolfe, ended up with a mix of whatever guns were available.
The Battle of York
On April 26, 1813, American ships were seen near York. They had many soldiers and cannons on board. The next day, the Battle of York began. The British soldiers and local militia were outnumbered and had to retreat.
The British commander, Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe, ordered his soldiers to go back to Kingston. But first, he sent Captain Francis Tito LeLièvre to do something important. Captain LeLièvre was told to set fire to Sir Isaac Brock. This was to stop the ship from falling into American hands. Thomas Plucknett, the shipyard boss, might have helped him.
The Americans were very angry when they found the ship burning. This happened while they were still talking about a surrender with the local militia. By the time a surrender was agreed upon, Sir Isaac Brock was completely destroyed. It was nothing but burnt wood.
See also
