Naval battle off St. John (1691) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Naval battle off St. John
Part of the King William's War
John Nelson
Date 22 September 1691 Location Bay of Fundy, off present-day Saint John, New Brunswick Result French victory
Belligerents
England	France
Commanders and leaders
Edward Tyng John Alden	Joseph Robineau de Villebon
Strength
ketch	frigate
Casualties and losses
4 prisoners	none

The Naval Battle off St. John was a small but important sea fight. It happened on September 22, 1691. This battle was part of a bigger conflict called King William's War. It took place in the Bay of Fundy, near what is now Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The battle was between ships from France and England.

The English ship was carrying Edward Tyng. He was set to become the new British Governor of Acadia. On the French side, the ship carried Joseph Robineau de Villebon. He was the French Governor of Acadia. This battle was a clash between these two important leaders.

The Sea Battle Begins

In 1690, an English commander named Philips had taken control of Port Royal. After this, Edward Tyng was sent to be the new British Governor of Acadia. He sailed on a small ship called a ketch. A ketch is a type of sailboat with two masts. This ketch was commanded by John Nelson.

On September 2, 1691, Governor Tyng's ship was attacked. The attacker was Governor Villebon, sailing on a French frigate. A frigate was a larger warship. Villebon's ship was named Soleil d’Afrique, which means 'Sun of Africa'. It had 32 cannons. The French ship was commanded by Simon-Pierre Denys de Bonaventure. The English ketch was much smaller and less powerful. Because of this, the English quickly gave up.

What Happened Next

After the battle, the French took several English prisoners. One of these prisoners was John Alden. He was sent to Boston to arrange a prisoner exchange. This meant he would try to trade French soldiers captured by the English for the English prisoners held by the French.

Alden's son and Colonel Tyng were kept as hostages by the French. John Nelson, the ketch's commander, was sent to Quebec. While he was a prisoner, Nelson secretly sent important information to Boston. He warned them about French plans to attack the English colonies in Massachusetts.

For helping the English, Nelson was punished severely. He was sent across the Atlantic Ocean to France. He was held in the famous Bastille prison in Paris. Nelson was imprisoned for ten long years. Finally, in 1702, he was set free. He returned home to Nelson's Island (which is now called Long Island) and was seen as a local hero.

John Alden returned to Governor Villebon in Saint John in May 1692. However, he only brought six French soldiers for the exchange. This was far fewer than the French expected. As a result, Alden's son and Colonel Tyng were then sent to France as prisoners. Sadly, Colonel Tyng died while still a prisoner in La Rochelle, France.