Governor Simcoe (1793 ship)
The North West Company schooner Governor Simcoe was pursued by an American squadron while trying to enter Kingston harbour.
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| History | |
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 Great Britain
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| Name: | Governor Simcoe |
| Namesake: | John Graves Simcoe, first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada. |
| Builder: | Richard Cartwright |
| Launched: | Kingston, 29 October 1793 |
| Fate: | Sold to Provincial Marine, March 1813 |
| Notes: | merchant schooner |
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Great Britain
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| Renamed: | Sir Sydney Smith |
| Acquired: | March 1813 |
| Fate: | Sold to Royal Navy, 1814 |
 Great Britain
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| Renamed: | HMS Magnet 11 January 1814 |
| Acquired: | 1814 |
| Fate: | Blown up 5 August 1814 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 137 (bm) |
| Length: | 74 ft (22.6 m) (deck) |
| Beam: | 18 ft 6 in (5.6 m) |
| Sail plan: | Schooner and later brig |
| Complement: | 75–80 + 29 marines |
| Armament: |
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Governor Simcoe was a merchant schooner launched in 1793 that the Provincial Marine acquired in 1813 and named after the British naval officer Sir Sidney Smith. She saw service on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. The Royal Navy acquired her in 1814 and renamed her HMS Magnet, a few months before her captain had to blow her up to prevent the Americans from capturing the vessel.
The vessel was constructed with the sail plan of a schooner for service on the Great Lakes. The schooner measured 137 tons burthen and was 74 ft (22.6 m) long at the gundeck and had a beam of 18 ft 6 in (5.6 m). When in service with the Provincial Marine as Sir Sydney Smith, the vessel was armed with two 12-pounder (5 kg) long guns and ten 32-pounder (15 kg) carronades. After conversion to the brig HMS Magnet, the vessel was armed with ten 24-pounder (11 kg) carronades and one 9-pounder (4 kg) long gun. The vessel had a complement of 75–80 sailors and 29 Royal Marines.
Governor Simcoe served the North West Company (NWC) fur trade on Lake Ontario from her launch at Kingston, Upper Canada, on 29 October 1793. She was built for a group of merchants with ties to the North West Company, principally Richard Cartwright. As was common for most NWC ships at the start of the war, she was then likely hired out as a supply ship for the Provincial Marine and remained unarmed until a survey and refit in March 1813.
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