40 Facts About George Prevost

Sir George Prevost, 1st Baronet was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who is most well known as the "Defender of Canada" during the War of 1812.

George Prevost served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, and was commander of St Vincent from 1794 to 1796.

George Prevost became Lieutenant-Governor of Saint Lucia from 1798 to 1802 and Governor of Dominica from 1802 to 1805.

George Prevost is best known to history for serving as both the civilian Governor General and the military Commander in Chief in British North America during the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States.

George Prevost was educated at schools in England and in the North American continent.

George Prevost's maternal grandfather was a wealthy banker in Amsterdam, and his money is considered to have certainly been responsible for his grandson's quick advancement up the chain of command in the British Army, as promotion could then be obtained "by purchase".

On 27 September 1802, soon after fighting against France resumed, George Prevost was chosen to be the Governor of Dominica.

In 1803, the French attempted to seize the island, and George Prevost fought against them.

George Prevost would fight against the French in an effort to reclaim St Lucia.

On 1 January 1805, at the age of 37, George Prevost was promoted to major-general, and soon after he was granted leave to return to England, where he became Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth and General Officer Commanding South-West District in December 1805, and where he was appointed to be a baronet.

In 1806, George Prevost became a colonel commandant of his regiment.

On 15 January 1808, George Prevost was appointed to become the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and he was promoted to lieutenant-general, although this was a rank that he held only in Nova Scotia.

George Prevost was tasked with improving the military defences of the Atlantic colonies.

George Prevost arrived at Halifax on 7 April 1808 and by the end of April he had taken steps to increase opposition in New England to the American government's hostile attitude towards Britain.

From 1808, to the beginning of the War of 1812, George Prevost tried to encourage New England to trade with Britain by setting up "free ports" in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where American goods could be landed without a need to pay customs duties.

George Prevost could do little to improve the sub-standard fortifications in Nova Scotia, but was able to secure the approval of the legislature in Nova Scotia to amend a militia law, which led to George Prevost's ability to mobilize a small, effective militia force to work with the regular garrison during an emergency.

When George Prevost arrived, the House of Assembly, led by William Cottnam Tonge, was struggling to control government expenditures.

Martinique was captured, and George Prevost returned to Halifax on 15 April 1809.

George Prevost opposed Croke's actions, restored "good understanding" with the Legislative Council, and then calmed the Assembly by deciding not to follow the constitution of Nova Scotia down to the letter.

George Prevost had become a popular lieutenant governor, but this was threatened by his attempts, beginning in 1810, to strengthen the Church of England in Nova Scotia, since that might alienate other religious groups.

George Prevost persuaded the British government to allow him to use surplus arms funds to develop Anglican churches, and to enlarge King's College in Windsor.

George Prevost appointed Anglican clergy to be civil magistrates, protected the Anglican ownership of land and their influence over the education of children, and placed an Anglican bishop in the Legislative Council.

On 4 July 1811, George Prevost became a lieutenant-general outside of Nova Scotia, and was appointed as commander-in-chief of British forces in North America.

George Prevost would remain the president of Lower Canada until 15 July 1812.

George Prevost was worried about the disposition of Canadians if a war started involving British North America and tried to conciliate Canadian political leaders, who had been disappointed by the partisan alliance between Craig and the British oligarchy.

The leader of the Canadian party, Pierre-Stanislas Bedard, was opposed by several people trying to gain his position, and George Prevost exploited the rivalry.

George Prevost worked with the moderate Louis-Joseph Papineau, treating him as the leader.

George Prevost nominated five Canadians to be appointed to the Legislative Council between 1811 and 1815, an unusual move as Canadians had usually been excluded from being appointed since 1798.

For most of the War, George Prevost's strategy was defensive and cautious.

George Prevost planned an attack along Lake Champlain and the Hudson River, but the army which he led personally was driven back at the Battle of Plattsburgh after the British naval squadron on Lake Champlain was defeated.

Commodore Yeo considered that the British ships under Captain George Downie had been ordered into action prematurely by Prevost, and that Prevost had failed to order an attack by his own troops until it was too late to avert the defeat of Downie's squadron.

George Prevost had made himself unpopular among some of the Army officers under his command who were veterans of the Peninsular War by his perceived over-caution, and his niggling insistence on correct dress and uniform.

George Prevost had alienated several successful Canadian officers by seeming to claim their successes for himself and failing to reward them properly.

George Prevost delivered the order on 2 March 1815, by coincidence only a day or so after news of the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, arrived in Quebec.

George Prevost felt himself publicly humiliated by the manner and timing of his succession.

George Prevost was given a hasty vote of thanks by the Assembly in Quebec.

The trial was set for 12 January 1816, the delay being necessary to allow witnesses to travel from Canada, but George Prevost was already in ill health and died a week before it was due to convene.

George Prevost's widow declined the offer of a peerage in honour of her husband, as she did not consider herself and her family to have sufficient means to support the dignity.

George Prevost is buried in the church of St Mary the Virgin, East Barnet, North London, England.

In 2016, George Prevost was named a National Historic Person by the Canadian government.