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Canadian Military Genealogy
Rebellion of 1837
H.M.S. Star
Division's history
The name "STAR" is an ancient and honoured one in the annals of the Royal Navy. From the rise of British Seapower in the early sixteen hundreds until the Napoleonic Wars no less than 5 Royal Navy Ships bore the name. The vessel most directly connected to Hamilton's Naval Reserve Division was the Brig HMS Star, which served on Lake Ontario during the war of 1812.
The War of 1812
This Brig, a two masted square rigged vessel of 186 tons, had a complement of 60 men. Her 14 guns were primarily designed for battle at close quarters. The ship, launched in 1813, was one of 6 vessels forming the British squadron of that time.
The Rebellion of 1837
The next Naval episode in the history of Hamilton, and the first appearance of Naval Volunteers, occured during the short lived rebellion of 1837. After being routed by the Militia at York, the rebel William Lyon Mackenzie took his rag-tag band across the Niagara River setting up a provisional government, complete with tri-colour flag, on the British possession of Navy Island. Mackenzie's rebels were supplied with food and weapons by the Buffalo based steamer Caroline. Captain Andrew Drew, a retired Royal Navy Officer assembled a force of Naval Volunteers from Port Hamilton, which is the present North End of the City around the current location of Star.
On December 29th 1837, around midnight, 60 of these volunteers pushed off into the Niagara River in 7 small boats. Despite bright moonlight and a very strong current they managed to grapple alongside the Caroline undetected. After a short, bloody fight they cut out the vessel, set it ablaze and sent it downstream where it went aground above the Falls and soon broke up. Their supplies cut off, the rebels abandoned Navy Island two weeks later ending the Rebellion. The volunteer company was disbanded afterward.
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