Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB |
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Portrait c. 1809, possibly by William Berczy
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Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada Acting |
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In office 1811 – 13 October 1812 |
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Monarch | George III |
Governor General | George Prévost |
Acting for | Francis Gore |
Succeeded by | Roger Hale Sheaffe |
Personal details | |
Born |
St Peter Port, Guernsey |
6 October 1769
Died | 13 October 1812 Queenston, Upper Canada (present day Queenston, Ontario) |
(aged 43)
Resting place | Fort George, Ontario |
Namesake(s) |
Brockville, Ontario Brock, Ontario Brock, Saskatchewan Brock Highway 405 Brock University |
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Military service | |
Nickname(s) | The Hero of Upper Canada |
Allegiance | British Empire |
Service/branch | British Army |
Years of service | 1785–1812 |
Rank | Major-General |
Commands | Upper Canada |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Order of the Bath |
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB (6 October 1769 – 13 October 1812) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey. Brock was assigned to Lower Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada (present-day Ontario) successfully for many years. He was promoted to major general, and became responsible for defending Upper Canada against the United States. While many in Canada and Britain believed war could be averted, Brock began to ready the army and militia for what was to come. When the War of 1812 broke out, the populace was prepared, and quick victories at Fort Mackinac and Detroit defeated American invasion efforts.
Brock's actions, particularly his success at Detroit, earned him a knighthood, membership in the Order of the Bath, accolades and the sobriquet "The Hero of Upper Canada". His name is often linked with that of the Native American leader Tecumseh, although the two men collaborated in person only for a few days. Brock died at the Battle of Queenston Heights, which the British won.
Brock was born at St Peter Port on the Channel Island of Guernsey, the eighth son of John Brock (1729–1777), a midshipman in the Royal Navy, and Elizabeth de Lisle, daughter of Daniel de Lisle, then Lieutenant-Bailiff of Guernsey. The Brocks were an English family who had been established in Guernsey since the sixteenth century. Brock earned a reputation during his early education on Guernsey as an assiduous student, as well as an exceptional swimmer and boxer. At age ten, he was sent to school in Southampton. He also studied for one year in Rotterdam, learning French.