Hovenden Walker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Hovenden Walker
Born	1656 or 1666
Died	1725 or 1728
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands held	HMS Foresight Jamaica Station
Battles/wars	Queen Anne's War

Sir Hovenden Walker was a British naval officer who lived a long time ago, from around 1656 or 1666 to 1725 or 1728. He is mostly known for leading a big naval trip in 1711 during a war called Queen Anne's War. His goal was to attack Quebec City, which was then the main city of New France (now part of Canada). However, this expedition did not go as planned.

Early Life and Naval Career

Hovenden Walker started studying at Trinity College Dublin in 1678. He didn't finish his degree there, but he joined the Royal Navy, which is the British navy. He probably visited North America in 1686, arriving in Boston on a ship called HMS Dartmouth.

Walker became a captain around 1692. He took part in battles, including one near the Lizard while commanding a ship called HMS Foresight in 1696. In 1701, he joined a fleet under Sir George Rooke near Cadiz. Soon after, he was put in charge of a group of ships to help attack Guadeloupe and Martinique. This attack wasn't successful, but it didn't stop his career.

In 1706, he helped defend Barcelona. Two years later, he was given command of a group of ships near Dunkirk. In March 1711, he was promoted to Rear-Admiral and was also given a special honor called a knighthood, which meant he was now called "Sir."

The Big Trip to Canada

On April 3, 1711, Sir Hovenden Walker was chosen to lead a secret naval mission. The goal was to conquer New France, which was a French colony in North America. His plan was to attack Quebec by sea, while another group of soldiers led by Colonel Francis Nicholson would attack by land.

On July 30, a large fleet of ships left Boston. There were nine warships, two bomb vessels, and 60 transport ships. About 7,500 soldiers and marines were on board. On August 18, as the ships were about to enter the Saint Lawrence River, a strong wind forced Walker to find shelter in Gaspé Bay.

Two days later, the wind changed, and they slowly moved past Anticosti Island. But then, the wind stopped, and a very thick fog covered everything.

Lost in the Fog

By August 22, the wind picked up again, and the fog sometimes cleared a little, but not enough to see land clearly. After talking to his pilots (people who guide ships), Walker ordered the fleet to head south.

Walker thought his ships were in the middle of the river. But he was actually much further north than he should have been. Strong currents were pushing his ships towards the northwest. The ships were getting closer to the "North Shore" of the river, which near Île-aux-Oeufs (Egg Island) runs almost north to south.

A captain reported that land was sighted straight ahead. Walker thought it was the south shore and ordered the fleet to turn around. Just a few minutes later, he was called back to the deck. He saw waves breaking "all round us." The entire fleet was heading straight for the "North Shore" or the coast to the west. Some ships were already hitting the edge of the breaking waves.

Disaster Strikes

After the initial shock, Walker ordered all sails up to try and get away from the shore. A strong wind had been blowing directly towards the shore. If it had continued, many ships might not have survived. However, early the next morning, the wind died down. Then, the wind shifted, which allowed most of the ships to pull up their anchors and escape the dangerous shallow areas.

Sadly, seven transport ships and one supply ship were lost. Out of 1,390 people on those eight ships, 740 soldiers (including 35 women) and about 150 sailors either drowned or died from being exposed to the cold on shore. Walker stayed in the area near Île-aux-Oeufs for two days to try and rescue any survivors or supplies. After a meeting with his officers, he decided to give up the attack on Quebec.

Later Life

Sir Hovenden Walker returned to London in October 1711. He was not blamed for what happened during the expedition. In 1712, he was put in charge of the Jamaica Station, a naval base in Jamaica. He returned to England a year later.

Walker wrote a journal about his experiences in 1711, which was published in 1720. It was later edited and republished in 1953.

See also

• List of Trinity College Dublin people

Sources