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113-578: The Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard from 1788 to 1853 in Kingston, Ontario , Canada, at the site of the current Royal Military College of Canada . The British naval forces on the lakes, known as the Provincial Marine , followed the practices and rank structure of the Royal Navy , but with some flexibility. The Provincial Marine were established and controlled by

226-477: A RCN facility in 1910 and is now known as HMC Dockyard and is a component of CFB Halifax . The Great Lakes , as largely self-contained bodies of water, required their own dockyards to service the Provincial Marine . Several substantial ships were built at these yards during the time of the Napoleonic Wars . Ceylon (1813) The naval dockyard at Trincomalee began as a simple careening wharf, with

339-831: A "respectable naval force", took command of the Lakes Service in October 1815 – 1818. Commodore Sir Robert Hall took command of the Kingston Skow listed as 56 guns in April 1817. In 1817, the Rush-Bagot agreement limited future naval forces in commission on each lake to a single 100-ton gunboat armed with one gun. After Hall laid up the wartime fleet in reserve in Kingston, he left Canada in July 1818. Robert Barrie commanded

452-711: A capstan house and storehouse. It gradually grew, though the Admiralty was also investing in commercial facilities in Colombo . Trincomalee was threatened with closure in 1905 as the Admiralty's focus was on Germany, but it remained in service, and was headquarters of the Eastern Fleet for a time during World War II. In 1957 it was handed over to the Royal Ceylon Navy; today it is the SLN Dockyard of

565-695: A channel suitable for ships of the line, but following the American War of 1812 it began relocating entirely to the West End with the dockyard and Admiralty House, Bermuda moved to sites on opposite sides of the entrance to the Great Sound ). The main anchorage at the West End was Grassy Bay in the mouth of the Great Sound, although the original, Murray's Anchorage north of St. George's Island also remained in frequent use. The channel through

678-586: A comprehensive rebuilding of the Yard at Sheerness (1815–23). Through the Napoleonic Wars all the home yards were kept very busy, and a new shipbuilding yard was established at Pembroke in 1815. Before very long, new developments in shipbuilding, materials and propulsion prompted changes at the Dockyards. Construction of marine steam engines was initially focused at Woolwich, but massive expansion soon followed at Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham. Portland Harbour

791-649: A number of locations over time, usually to serve a nearby anchorage used by Naval vessels. For example, during 18th century a small supply base was maintained at Leith , for ships on Leith Station ; but there was no strategic impetus to develop it into a full-blown Dockyard. Similar bases were established during the Napoleonic Wars at Falmouth (for vessels in Carrick Roads ) and Great Yarmouth (for vessels in Yarmouth Roads ); but both were relatively small-scale and short-lived. A different (and, within

904-586: A period of dormancy, had now begun to grow again). In 1690, Portsmouth had been joined on the south coast by a new Royal Dockyard at Plymouth ; a hundred years later, as Britain renewed its enmity with France, these two yards gained new prominence and pre-eminence. Furthermore, Royal Dockyards began to be opened in some of Britain's colonial ports, to service the fleet overseas. Yards were opened in Jamaica (as early as 1675), Antigua (1725), Gibraltar (1704), Canada (Halifax, 1759) and several other locations. Following

1017-422: A ship was decommissioned at the end of a voyage or tour of duty, most of her crew were dismissed or else transferred to new vessels. Alternatively, if a vessel was undergoing refit or repair, her crew was often accommodated on a nearby hulk ; a dockyard often had several commissioned hulks moored nearby, serving various purposes and accommodating various personnel, including new recruits. Things began to change when

1130-642: A small dockyard on Liugong Island when this territory was leased from China at the end of the nineteenth century. The yard was expanded, and served as a regular summer anchorage up until the Second World War (though the territory, and with it control of the base, was returned to China in 1930). Used by Japanese forces during World War II and after by People's Liberation Army , some historic buildings remains today. Malta (1800) (Imperial fortress) Malta Dockyard in Valletta , previously operated by

1243-651: A small naval hospital and coaling station since the mid-1850s). In 1887, a naval base was located at Work Point. In 1905, the Royal Navy abandoned its base, but the Pacific Fleet headquarters of the new Royal Canadian Navy replaced it in 1910. Partially home to Pacific Command of the RCN, historic buildings are now preserved. Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax , Canada (1759) (Imperial fortress). Operated as HM Dockyard from 1759 to 1905 and sold to Canada in 1907. Halifax

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1356-577: A three-decker man-of-war, and two more were being built. A stone building, built around 1813, was used as a naval hospital and is now known as the ordnance storekeeper's quarters. After the Rush–Bagot Treaty of 1817, the role of the dockyard was restricted to the carriage of troops and supplies to the upper posts. A blacksmith shop, which was built in the dockyard in 1823, is now used by the Royal Military College of Canada. Half of

1469-507: Is based there to this day. New Zealand (1892) Devonport Dockyard began in the 1890s as a small complex of wooden storehouses; since 1913 it has served as the principal base of the Royal New Zealand Navy . . Rush%E2%80%93Bagot Treaty The treaty provided for a large demilitarization of lakes along the international boundary, where many British naval arrangements and forts remained. The treaty stipulated that

1582-622: Is no longer in use by the Singapore Navy (who have since built 2 more modern bases in the island nation); there is, however, a continuing RN presence at the British Defence Singapore Support Unit . The US Navy also has a presence at the base: one of the adjacent barracks, formerly known as HMS  Terror , is now the main recreation and welfare centre for US Navy personnel, known as the 'Terror Club'. Wei Hai Wei (1898) The Royal Navy inherited

1695-531: Is still used by the Spanish Navy . One of the first Royal Naval Hospitals was established here in 1711. Gibraltar (1704) (Imperial fortress) A small base served the Royal Navy in this strategically important location throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. At the start of the 20th, HM Dockyard, Gibraltar was dramatically expanded and modernised, with the addition of three dry docks (one an unprecedented 852 ft (260 m) in length). HM Dockyard

1808-639: The British West Indies , being somewhat nearer Nova Scotia). Being more defensible than Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in a position to command the American seaboard (the nearest landfall being Cape Hatteras at 640 miles), the Admiralty began buying land at Bermuda's West End in 1795 for the development of what would become the main base, dockyard and headquarters for the North America and West Indies Station until United States Navy control of

1921-771: The East India Company long before the Navy took charge. Several warships were built under contract in these yards in the early eighteenth century, as was HMS  Trincomalee (launched in 1817 and still afloat). Naval Dockyard, Mumbai , is now in the custody of the Indian Navy ; the Madras yard closed in 1813, transferring to Ceylon. There is also the substantial British-built naval base at Cochin . Other facilities were located in Calcutta, and several other places in

2034-531: The First World War saw activity across all the yards, and a new building yard opened at Rosyth. In contrast, the post-war period saw the closure of Pembroke and Rosyth, and the handover of Haulbowline to the new Irish government – though the closures were reversed with the return of war in 1939. A series of closures followed the war: Pembroke in 1947, Portland and Sheerness in 1959/60, then Chatham and Gibraltar (the last remaining overseas yard) in 1984. At

2147-554: The Knights of Malta , became the main base for the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet . The Royal Dockyard closed in 1959; a private yard operated on site thereafter. Menorca (1708) The Port Mahon Dockyard was established at Port Mahon , one of the world's deepest natural harbours. It was the Royal Navy's principal Mediterranean base for much of the eighteenth century; however the territory changed hands more than once in that time, before being finally ceded to Spain in 1802. The yard

2260-464: The Mohawk , assumed command of all naval vessels on the lakes and he took up his residence in the "Commodore's Cottage" on Point Frederick. The Oregon boundary dispute of 1845 increased the need for naval preparations on the lakes. Vessels were hurriedly bought and armed and manned by sailors from the fleet. In 1846, Mohawk went to Lake Erie and Cherokee was commissioned for the first time. One of

2373-519: The Port Royal earthquake of 1692, and a succession of damaging hurricanes, a concerted attempt was made from 1729 to relocate Jamaica's naval yard to Port Antonio , an unsettled bay on the opposite side of the island; the climate there was not agreeable, however, there were high levels of sickness and the Navy abandoned Port Antonio in 1749. From 1735 wharves, storehouses and other structures were built anew at Port Royal, and these were updated through

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2486-818: The Royal Marines , from the time of the Corps' establishment in the mid-18th century, were primarily based in the dockyard towns of Plymouth, Portsmouth and Chatham (and later also in Woolwich and Deal) where their barracks were conveniently placed for duties on board ship or indeed in the Dockyard itself. Royal Dockyards were established in Britain and Ireland as follows (in chronological order, with date of establishment): Other, minor yards (with some permanent staff and basic repair/storage facilities) were established in

2599-502: The Royal Navy were built, based, repaired and refitted. Until the mid-19th century the Royal Dockyards were the largest industrial complexes in Britain. From the reign of Henry VII up until the 1990s, the Royal Navy had a policy of establishing and maintaining its own dockyard facilities (although at the same time, as continues to be the case, it made extensive use of private shipyards , both at home and abroad). Portsmouth

2712-556: The Sri Lanka Navy . Hong Kong (1859) There was an RN Dockyard from 1859 to 1959 on Hong Kong Island , established on the site of an earlier victualling yard. The base was later known as HMS Tamar ; Tamar remained operational after the closure of the dockyard (albeit on a smaller scale) until the year before the Handover . It then relocated briefly to Stonecutters Island , before closing in 1997. The RN also operated at

2825-535: The 1840s came the senior Dockyard appointment of Chief Engineer. In 1875, the Master-Shipwrights were renamed Chief Constructors (later styled Manager, Constructive Department or MCD). In the latter half of the 19th century, those being appointed as Master Attendants (in common with their namesakes the sailing Masters ) began to be commissioned. They began to be given the rank and appointment of "Staff Captain (Dockyard)" (modified in 1903 to " Captain of

2938-529: The Admiralty acquired land on Garden Island in Sydney Harbour, and established a small naval base there. In the 1880s it was substantially expanded (though no dry docks were built, as the Navy had use of the facilities at nearby Cockatoo Island Dockyard operated by the Government of New South Wales). In 1913 HM Naval Yard, Garden Island was handed over to the nascent Royal Australian Navy which

3051-439: The Admiralty introduced more settled terms of service in 1853; nevertheless, thirty years were to pass before the first shore barrack opened, and a further twenty years before barracks at all three of the major home yards were finally completed. Through the course of the 20th century these barracks, together with their associated training and other facilities, became defining features of each of these dockyards. In 1985 Parliament

3164-549: The Atlantic to Portsmouth for repairs. This base was finally closed in 1995, 200 years after the establishment of permanent Royal Navy forces in Bermuda. Site re-developed and now include Bermuda Maritime Museum , pedestrian mall and cruise ship dock. Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard , Esquimalt , Canada. In 1865, the Royal Navy relocated its Pacific Station headquarters from Valparaíso , Chile , to Esquimalt Harbour (site of

3277-611: The British garrisons were withdrawn. The remaining naval stores in the Stone Frigate, valued at $ 357,000 were shipped to England in the barge Frontenac. The ordnance and admiralty lands in Kingston, which included the dockyard on Point Frederick, were transferred to the Dominion of Canada by the Admiralty on condition that it should be used only for "Naval purposes and for the naval defence of Canada." An order in council ratified

3390-644: The British naval establishment and the headquarters of the senior naval officer on all the Great Lakes from 1789 to 1813. The quarter-master-general's department of the army, who had a monopoly of shipping on the Great Lakes, built transport schooners of the Provincial Marine on Point Frederick by 1792. Because relations with the United States were rapidly deteriorating, a heavily armed, three-masted square-rigged vessel, HMS  Royal George ,

3503-636: The City of London, were for some time overseen directly by the Navy Board). The resident commissioners had wide-ranging powers enabling them to act in the name of the board (particularly in an emergency); however, until 1806 they did not have direct authority over the principal officers of the yard (who were answerable directly to the board). This could often be a source of tension, as everyone sought to guard their own autonomy. The principal officers varied over time, but generally included: (In practice there

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3616-682: The Clerk of the Ropeway, who had a degree of autonomy, mustering his own personnel and managing his own raw materials. Ships in commission (and along with them the majority of Naval personnel) were not under the authority of the Navy Board but rather of the Admiralty , which meant that they did not answer to any of the above officers, but rather to the Port Admiral . With the abolition of

3729-475: The Dockyard "). In several instances, the appointment of Master Attendant or Captain of the Dockyard was held in common with that of King's or Queen's Harbour Master . For much of the twentieth century, the principal Dockyard departments were overseen by: Ships' ordnance (guns, weapons and ammunition) was provided independently by the Board of Ordnance , which set up its own Ordnance Yards alongside several of

3842-594: The East End leased or acquired to support it. The blockade of US Atlantic ports during the American War of 1812 was orchestrated from Bermuda, as was the Chesapeake Campaign . Admiralty House moved in 1816 to Spanish Point (near to the new Government House and the Town of Hamilton, which has become the colonial capital in 1815), facing Ireland Island and Grassy Bay across the mouth of the Great Sound, with

3955-593: The Great Lakes but could not be operable until the ships left the Lakes. In 1942, the United States, by then having entered the war and allied with Canada, successfully proposed that until the end of the war weapons could be completely installed and tested in the Lakes. After discussions in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense , in 1946, Canada similarly proposed to interpret the agreement as permitting using ships for training purposes if each country notified

4068-613: The Great Lakes disappeared from the Navy List and in March 1824 Barrie's headquarters was shown to have been transferred to Kingston where he was listed as "Acting Resident Commissioner, Kingston, Upper Canada" 1827–34. The dockyard was in the care of John B. Marks , naval clerk, the patron of St. Mark's church, Barriefield from 1834 to 1838. In 1835–1837 the yard was completely closed down. Captain Williams Sandom, R.N., commanded

4181-610: The Indian administration – e.g. Aden. Singapore (1938) HMNB Singapore was established in the 1930s at Sembawang . It was built around the King George VI Graving Dock (which when opened was the world's largest dry dock). The Naval Base and Dockyard fell into Japanese hands during World War II, and became the target of Allied bombing raids . The base was transferred to the Singapore government in 1971, but

4294-921: The Kowloon Naval Yard from 1901 to 1959 (which is different from the Hong Kong & Whampoa dockyard at Hung Hom, known as the Kowloon Dockyard); this was primarily a coaling station . Part of the base is now part of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison since 1997 and rest became the Tamar Complex Central Government Complex (Hong Kong) . India During the Napoleonic Wars the Royal Navy took over Madras Dockyard (1796) and Bombay Dockyard (1811), both of which had been dockyards of

4407-577: The Lakes Service from 1819 to 1820. To house the gear of the warships of 1812 laid up in Navy Bay, Captain Barrie built the Stone Frigate in Kingston Dockyard. "Commodore's Cottage" was a house which Barrie had built on the site of the present Hewitt House. Captain Barrie expedited the repair of the vessels at the bases in case of any emergency. From December 1820, the command of Flag Officer of

4520-620: The Navy Board in 1832, the Admiralty took over the dockyards and the commissioners were replaced by Admiral-Superintendents . The Clerk of the Survey post had been abolished in 1822. The office of Clerk of the Cheque was likewise abolished in 1830 (its duties reverting to the Storekeeper), but then revived as the Cashier's Department in 1865. With the development of steam technology in

4633-425: The Provincial Marine 1786–1802. Commodore Jean-Baptiste Bouchette commanded the Provincial Marine 1802–1804. Commodore John Steel commanded the Provincial Marine 1804–1812 until retiring at 75 years of age. Commodore Hugh Earle, a son-in-law of Molly Brant who had been commissioned in the Lakes Service in 1792, commanded the Provincial Marine from 1812 to 1813. Since a change of command was insufficient to revitalize

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4746-615: The Royal Artificer 's cottages, which were built in 1822, were destroyed by a fire in the 1880s. The War of 1812 has been known as the shipbuilders' war. Ships were built on Point Frederick by the successive commissioners of the dockyard, Captain Richard O'Conor and Sir Robert Hall. Under the terms of the Rush–Bagot agreement of 1817, naval forces on Lake Ontario were restricted to one gunboat. Nevertheless, Sir Robert Hall maintained

4859-441: The Royal Air Force on the navy's behalf until the Royal Navy took over complete responsibility for the Fleet Air Arm in 1939, this was originally tasked with maintenance, repair, and replacement of the floatplanes and flying-boats with which the station's cruisers were equipped. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the air station, which relocated to Boaz Island , began flying anti-submarine air patrols on an ad hoc basis until

4972-456: The Royal Dockyards are closely linked with the permanent establishment of a standing Navy in the early sixteenth century. The beginnings of a yard had already been established at Portsmouth with the building of a dry dock in 1496; but it was on the Thames in the reign of Henry VIII that the Royal Dockyards really began to flourish. Woolwich and Deptford dockyards were both established in the early 1510s (a third yard followed at Erith but this

5085-427: The Royal Dockyards both at home and abroad. Similarly, the Victualling Board established Victualling Yards in several Dockyard locations, which furnished warships with their provisions of food, beer and rum. In the mid-eighteenth century the Sick and Hurt Board established Naval Hospitals in the vicinity of Plymouth Dock and Portsmouth; by the mid-nineteenth century there were Royal Naval Hospitals close to most of

5198-407: The Royal Dockyards. These were there to ensure the defence of the yard and its ships. From the 1750s, naval yards in Britain were surrounded by 'lines' (fortifications) with barracks provided for the soldiers manning them. A century later these 'lines' were superseded by networks of Palmerston Forts . Overseas yards also usually had some fort or similar structure provided and manned nearby. Moreover,

5311-465: The Royal Navy units under Commodore Sir James Yeo took command of the facility, it grew rapidly. At the end of 1814, the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard produced the largest naval squadron on the Great Lakes, with 1,600 personnel serving on the St. Lawrence, on four other ships, and four smaller vessels, totalling 518 guns." During the war, attacks were launched from the dockyard on the American bases at Sackets Harbour , and Oswego . On 10 November 1812, at

5424-604: The Royal Navy; (c) Installation and maintenance of machinery and equipment in naval establishments; (d) Provision of utility services to Royal Navy vessels alongside in the naval base and to adjacent naval shore establishments; and (e) manufacture of some items of ships' equipment". For a long time, well into the eighteenth century, a Royal Dockyard was often referred to as The King's Yard (or The Queen's Yard , as appropriate). In 1694, Edmund Dummer referred to "His Majesty's new Dock and Yard at Plymouth "; from around that time, HM Dock Yard (or HM Dockyard ) increasingly became

5537-414: The Rush–Bagot Agreement was unofficially recognized by both countries. On April 6, 1818, it was submitted to the United States Senate and formally ratified on April 16, 1818. The treaty eventually led to the Treaty of Washington of 1871 , which completed disarmament. The United States and Canada agreed in 1946, through an exchange of diplomatic notes, that the stationing of naval vessels for training purposes

5650-408: The Rush–Bagot Treaty. There are still military facilities near or next to the Great Lakes: The Canada–United States border was demilitarized, including the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. The U.S. and the British agreed to joint control over the Oregon Territory. The Rush–Bagot Agreement laid the foundation for the world's longest international boundary—8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), and

5763-414: The South Yard throughout the Cold War . Ships of the fleet (which went from being a mix of cruisers and smaller vessels to a handful of station frigates before being removed and replaced in the 1980s with a single frigate designated West Indies Guardship , which only stopped at Bermuda on its way to take up station in the West Indies and again on its departure) based there after 1951 were required to cross

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5876-462: The Stone Frigate storehouse and one wharf were kept in repair. The old hulks of the War of 1812 were hard aground in the mud and broken by the annual freezing and thawing of Navy Bay and Deadman Bay. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1928. Commodore Rene Hypolite Pepin de Laforce, a naval officer, was appointed to command the Provincial Marine on Point Frederick on 15 November 1780 – 1786. Commodore David Betton commanded

5989-400: The UK, unique) establishment was Haslar Gunboat Yard. Gunboats were small, shallow-draft vessels, developed after the Crimean War , which benefitted from being stored ashore rather than left afloat, to help preserve their light wooden hulls. From 1856 Haslar provided the means to house, launch and haul them ashore by means of a steam-driven traverse system. Overseen by a Master-Shipwright,

6102-440: The US saw as a breach of the Rush-Bagot Agreement. Niagara ’s place was taken by the commissioning, on 3 April 1843, of a small iron steam warship which had been assembled in 1842. Although Sandom returned to England in 1843, other officers remained with the new steamships to patrol Lake Ontario. The dockyard was officially re-opened, in charge of a clerk David Taylor, on 3 April 1845–1850. Commander William N. Fowell, then serving on

6215-428: The United States and British North America could each maintain one military vessel (no more than 100 tons burden ) as well as one cannon (no more than eighteen pounds ) on Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain. The remaining Great Lakes permitted the United States and British North America to keep two military vessels "of like burden" on the waters armed with "like force". The treaty, and the separate Treaty of 1818 , laid

6328-416: The War of 1812, was presented to the Royal Military College of Canada Commandant, Brigadier-General Tom Lawson on 22 April 2008. The model is approx 1.4m (4 ½ ") long and took over 4000 hours to complete. The following ships were built and launched at the dockyard: Royal Navy Dockyard Royal Navy Dockyards (more usually termed Royal Dockyards ) were state-owned harbour facilities where ships of

6441-421: The West Indies during the Napoleonic Wars . The yard closed in 1882 and left abandoned until 1951, but has since been restored and is open to the public as a cultural centre and public marina called Nelson's Dockyard . Jamaica (1675) Jamaica Dockyard A naval official was stationed in Port Royal from the seventeenth century, and naval vessels were careened there for maintenance from that time. Following

6554-402: The Yard stayed in use until 1906, after which it remained in Naval hands as a base for Coastal Forces craft until 1973. In 1728 Antigua Naval Dockyard was established at English Harbour which had been used by the Navy since 1671 as a place for shelter and maintenance. A number of buildings were constructed, and several remain (mostly from the 1780s). It served as Admiral Nelson's base in

6667-454: The age of sail, wharves and capstan -houses were often built for the purpose of careening at yards with no dock: a system of pulleys and ropes, attached to the masthead, would be used to heel the ship over giving access to the hull. In addition to docks and slips, a Royal Dockyard had various specialist buildings on site: storehouses, sail lofts, woodworking sheds, metal shops and forges, roperies (in some cases), pumping stations (for emptying

6780-408: The agreement adding the phrase and for the naval defence of Canada. In 1871 the militia encamped on the Point. In 1875 it was selected as the site for the new Military College, the students being housed in the Stone Frigate from 1876. A wooden commodore's house, which was shown on a plan dated 1868–1870, was still standing when the Royal Military College of Canada opened in the 1876. By the 1860s, only

6893-407: The areas that had formerly belonged to the South East Coast of America Station and the Pacific Station ). Aside from the roles played by Royal Naval squadrons based at Bermuda during the two world wars, Bermuda also served as a forming-up point for trans-Atlantic convoys during both conflicts. Between the wars, a Royal Naval Air Station was established in the North Yard of the dockyard. Operated by

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7006-431: The armament did not violate the treaty, as the guns were to be used for law enforcement rather than military activities. Canada reserved the right to arm its law enforcement vessels with similar weapons. HMCS Stone Frigate , located at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario , was constructed during 1820 to store part of the dismantled British fleet from the War of 1812 , which had been dismantled pursuant to

7119-437: The army and manned by personnel borrowed from the navy, by soldiers, and by direct recruitment of Great Lakes sailors. The Provincial Marine used lightly armed topsail schooners for transportation. A government wharf was constructed in 1783 on the eastern side of Lake Ontario by Major John Ross of the 34th Regiment, who was responsible for settling Loyalists at Cataraqui (what is now Kingston) between 1783 and 1785. In 1785,

7232-440: The associated shipbuilding/maintenance facilities until 1997, when the last remaining Royal Dockyards ( Devonport and Rosyth ) were fully privatised. Most Royal Dockyards were built around docks and slips. Traditionally, slipways were used for shipbuilding, and dry docks (also called graving docks ) for maintenance; (dry docks were also sometimes used for building, particularly pre-1760 and post-1880). Regular hull maintenance

7345-404: The attack to destroy the two large American frigates being built there. In 1813, Yeo and Chauncey, the American commander, attempted to out-build the other and refused action except on favourable terms. Yeo captured Oswego and then blockaded Sackets Harbor on 6 May 1814; he was reinforced by two frigates built on Point Frederick. Before the war ended Yeo had commissioned the 112-gun St. Lawrence ,

7458-425: The barrier reef, which led to Murray's Anchorage and the Great Sound, was originally named Hurd's Channel , after its surveyor, Lieutenant (later Captain) Thomas Hurd , but is today more frequently called The Narrows . It gives access not only to Murray's Anchorage (named for Commander-in-Chief Vice-Admiral Sir George Murray , who led the fleet of the North American Station through the channel to anchor there for

7571-419: The basis for a demilitarized boundary between the U.S. and British North America. The origins of the Rush–Bagot Treaty can be traced to a correspondence of letters between Acting United States Secretary of State Richard Rush and the British Minister to Washington Sir Charles Bagot , which were exchanged and signed on April 27 and 28, 1817. After the terms of the notes were agreed upon by Rush and Bagot,

7684-500: The beginning of the war, the Americans pursued HMS Royal George into Kingston harbour and were held off by the shore batteries. Commanded by Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo , the Royal Navy took over operations on the Great Lakes from the Provincial Marine in May, 1813. The Lakes Service was raised to the status of a Flag Command and Kingston was the Commodore's headquarters. Yeo's planned attack in 1812 on Sackets Harbor did not come about since General Sir George Prévost failed to complete

7797-400: The concurrent move of the anchorage and shore facilities to the West End. Bermuda became, first the winter (with Halifax serving this role in the summer), and then the year-round, main base and dockyard of the station, which was to become the North America and West Indies Station after absorbing the Jamaica Station (ultimately designated the America and West Indies Station , once it absorbed

7910-419: The danger receded, however, no permanent naval establishment on the lakes was set up. On 1 July 1867, the gunboat Hercules , which had been especially recommissioned for the celebrations of the birth of a nation, took part in the celebrations. In combined exercises with the militia she "engaged the fort with her guns". In the evening a pyrotechnic display included "blue lights from H.M. Stores Dockyard" In 1870,

8023-410: The dockyard closed in 1853. The Fenian raids of 1866 brought another revival of naval power on the lakes. Vessels were hurriedly bought and armed and manned by sailors from the fleet. The wooden paddle-wheel steam tug St. Andrews , the sailing steamer Hercules , the Canada , and the Royal patrolled from Montreal to Kingston, where they used the facilities at Point Frederick and at Navy Bay. When

8136-480: The dockyard in the spring of 1838–1845, in response to the Rebellions of 1837 . Commander William N. Fowell, then serving on the Mohawk , assumed command of all naval vessels on the lakes and he took up his residence in the "Commodore's Cottage" on Point Frederick 1845. On 3 April 1845, the dockyard was officially re-opened, in charge David Taylor, a clerk from 1845 to 1850. Lt. Commander Frederick Charles Herbert,

8249-613: The dockyard warehouse the Stone Frigate to the St. Lawrence pier in Navy Bay and rebought the Netley , one of the old hulks of 1812 which still lay on stocks in the dockyard. She was commissioned as HMS Niagara and served as their headquarters until she was paid off in January 1843. Sandom, who commanded fleets armed, two steamships, Queen Victoria and Cobourg . When Bill Johnson's " Hunter Patriots " invaded Canada below Prescott, Sandom carried

8362-408: The dry docks), administration blocks and housing for the senior dockyard officers. Wet docks (usually called basins) accommodated ships while they were being fitted out . The number and size of dockyard basins increased dramatically in the steam era. At the same time, large factory complexes, machine-shops and foundries sprung up alongside for the manufacture of engines and other components (including

8475-512: The early 1830s merely hulks, were auctioned off. In August 1827, the Cockburn was commissioned as the first of the treaty gun-boats. In 1831 Barrie received instructions by the Admiralty to sell off the old warships of 1812 and to prepare to close down the dockyard fit. In 1834 he was ordered to strike his broad pennant and pay off the Cockburn. Although the St. Lawrence was sold, for $ 9925,

8588-454: The first time in 1794) but to the entire northern lagoon, the Great Sound and Hamilton Harbour , making the channel vital to the success of the Town of Hamilton , which had been established in 1790, and the economic development of the central and western parishes of Bermuda. Although the navy had already begun buying property at the West End with the intent of constructing the dockyard there, there

8701-474: The four Imperial fortresses - colonies which enabled control of the Atlantic Ocean and its connected seas. The Royal Dockyards had a dual function: ship building and ship maintenance (most yards provided for both but some specialised in one or the other). Over time, they accrued additional on-site facilities for the support, training and accommodation of naval personnel. For centuries, in this way,

8814-629: The handing this duty over to United States Navy patrol aircraft. The United States Navy and United States Army were permitted to establish bases in Bermuda under 99-year leases during the war, with command of the North Atlantic split between the Royal Navy in the East and the United States in the West. The alliance would endure after the war, with profound effects on the Royal Naval establishment in

8927-430: The lakes was set up when the danger receded. Fort Frederick, which is operated as the Royal Military College of Canada Museum, maintains a collection of artifacts and records relating to Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard which once occupied Point Frederick. A model by master modeler, Louis Roosen, depicting HMS St. Lawrence (1814), (mounting 102 guns) the only 1st Rate Royal Navy Ship-of-the-Line to sail on Lake Ontario during

9040-511: The latter term may have been used informally); they are included in the listings below. While the term 'Royal Dockyard' ceased in official usage following privatisation, at least one private-sector operator has reinstated it: Babcock International , which in 2011 acquired freehold ownership of the working North Yard at Devonport from the British Ministry of Defence , reverted to calling it Devonport Royal Dockyard . The origins of

9153-414: The longest demilitarized border in the world. Although the treaty had caused difficulties during World War I, its terms were not changed. Similar problems occurred before World War II, but Secretary of State Cordell Hull wanted to preserve the agreement because of its historical importance. In 1939 and 1940, Canada and the United States agreed to interpret the treaty so that weapons could be installed in

9266-715: The loss of the thirteen North American continental colonies thet formed the United States of America in 1783, Bermuda assumed a new importance as the only remaining British port between the Maritimes and the Floridas (where the Spanish Government allowed Britain to retain a naval base; once the United States took possession of Florida, Bermuda was the only British port remaining between the Maritimes and

9379-406: The major and minor Naval Dockyards in Britain, in addition to several of them overseas (the oldest dating from the early 1700s). As the age of steam eclipsed the age of sail , Coaling Yards were established alongside several yards, and at strategic points around the globe. In addition to naval personnel and civilian workers, there were substantial numbers of military quartered in the vicinity of

9492-410: The metal hulls of the ships themselves). One thing generally absent from the Royal Dockyards (until the 20th century) was the provision of naval barracks . Prior to this time, sailors were not usually quartered ashore at all, they were expected to live on board a ship (the only real exception being at some overseas wharves where accommodation was provided for crews whose ships were being careened). When

9605-589: The militia on his steam vessels to defeat the insurgents at the Battle of the Windmill . Steamships were hired to transport regulars and militia from Kingston at the Battle of the Windmill, near Prescott. Steam warships operated from the dockyard. Lieutenant Philip John Bainbrigge (1817–1881), a Royal Engineer posted to Canada from 1836 to 1842, painted "Fort Henry, Point Frederick and Tete du Pont Barracks, Kingston, from

9718-536: The name and concept of a Royal Dockyard was largely synonymous with that of a naval base . In the early 1970s, following the appointment of civilian Dockyard General Managers with cross-departmental authority, and a separation of powers between them and the Dockyard Superintendent ( commanding officer ), the term 'Naval Base' began to gain currency as an official designation for the latter's domain. 'Royal Dockyard' remained an official designation of

9831-421: The nineteenth century. The yard closed in 1905. Now Naval Heritage Center. Bermuda (1795) ( Imperial fortress ) Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda on Ireland Island at Bermuda's 'West End', was opened in 1809 on land purchased following US independence. The Royal Navy had established itself at St. George's Town at Bermuda's East End in 1795, after a dozen years spent charting the surrounding reef line to find

9944-451: The official designation. While, as this phrase suggests, the primary meaning of 'Dockyard' is a Yard with a Dock , not all dockyards possessed one; for example, at both Bermuda and Portland dry docks were planned but never built. Where a dock was neither built nor planned (as at Harwich , Deal and several of the overseas yards) the installation was often designated HM Naval Yard rather than 'HM Dockyard' in official publications (though

10057-570: The old redoubt" (August 1841) showing the Naval Cottages, the hospital, Stone Frigate, Point Henry and Fort Henry in the distance. The flag flying from atop the Stone Frigate indicates Sandom's HQ. After 1838, the British government revived the naval establishment on the lakes and built the Minos (1840), a steam war-vessel, and the Cherokee (1841), a wooden paddle-wheel steam warship, which

10170-457: The other warships remained as hulks in Navy Bay or "in frame" on the stocks on Point Frederick. The naval stores were sold, or sent down to Quebec for carriage to England. Barrie left for England in 1834. Closed in 1835, the dockyard reopened in 1837 in response to the Rebellions of 1837 . Vessels were hurriedly bought and armed and manned by sailors from the fleet. In the spring of 1838 Captain Williams Sandom, R.N., garrisoned his Royal Marines in

10283-627: The other. An Ontario Heritage Trust plaque in Kingston, Ontario recognizes the Rush–Bagot Agreement ( 44°13′48″N 76°27′59″W  /  44.229894°N 76.466292°W  / 44.229894; -76.466292 ). A plaque also stands at the former site of the British Legation in Washington, D.C. ( 38°54′13.7″N 77°3′8.4″W  /  38.903806°N 77.052333°W  / 38.903806; -77.052333 ) where

10396-466: The place of transshipment for government stores was relocated from Carleton Island to Cataraqui. The merchants who handled transshipment of stores at Carleton Island, using Provincial Marine vessels, built wharves and warehouses near old Fort Frontenac . Point Frederick was established as a naval depot in 1789 and ships began to be constructed. Point Frederick served as the Lake Ontario base of

10509-591: The region and the status of the dockyard in Bermuda. After the Second World War the dockyard was no longer deemed relevant to Royal Navy operations and was closed between 1951 (when a floating drydock was removed, and the yard status changed to a base) and 1958, when most of the dockyard, along with other Admiralty and War Office land in Bermuda was sold to the Colonial Government . However, a small base, HMS Malabar , continued to operate from

10622-804: The region under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization led to HMD Bermuda being reduced to a naval base from 1951 until its final closure (as HMNB Bermuda ) in 1995 (and to the abolishment of the America and West Indies Station in 1956). In the wake of the Seven Years' War a large-scale programme of expansion and rebuilding was undertaken at the three largest home yards (Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth). These highly significant works (involving land reclamation and excavation, as well as new docks and slips and buildings of every kind) lasted from 1765 to 1808, and were followed by

10735-488: The river and the constraints of their sites. By the mid-seventeenth century, Chatham (established 1567) had overtaken them to become the largest of the yards. Together with new Yards at Harwich and Sheerness , Chatham was well-placed to serve the Navy in the Dutch Wars that followed. Apart from Harwich (which closed in 1713), all the yards remained busy into the eighteenth century – including Portsmouth (which, after

10848-424: The same time, Portsmouth's Royal Dockyard was downgraded and renamed a Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation (FMRO). In 1987 the remaining Royal Dockyards (Devonport and Rosyth) were part-privatised, becoming government-owned, contractor-run facilities (run by Devonport Management Limited and Babcock Thorn , respectively); full privatisation followed ten years later (1997). The following year Portsmouth's FMRO

10961-524: The ships of the fleet in ordinary until his death in 1818. His replacement, Captain Robert Barrie, built a stone frigate to warehouse the gear and rigging from the ships, which were dismantled and housed in Navy Bay. After the wood barracks burned down in 1816, the Stone Frigate became the main building on Point Frederick. Captain Robert Barrie was recalled and the war ships, which were by

11074-483: The towers, known as Fort Frederick , was built by Royal Engineers on Point Frederick near the old dockyard. By 1850, Cherokee was laid up, and Mohawk returned to harbour duty in Kingston. Lt. Commander Frederick Charles Herbert was the last naval officer to command on Point Frederick 1850–1853. On 21 June 1852 he was ordered by the Admiralty to pay off Mohawk , which was sold out of the service. Her captain, Lt. Commander Frederick Charles Herbert, returned to England once

11187-408: The whole lake service, it was decided to incorporate all the naval forces and establishments on the lake into the Royal Navy. Commanded by Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo , the Royal Navy took over operations on the Great Lakes from the Provincial Marine in 1813–1815. Sir Edward W. C. Owen, K.C.B. commanded the Lakes Service for a short period in 1815. Sir Robert Hall, K.C.B., who was ordered to establish

11300-483: Was a deliberate overlap of responsibilities among the last three officials listed above, as a precaution against embezzlement). The next tier of officers included those in charge of particular areas of activity, the Master-Caulker, Master-Ropeworker, Master-Boatbuilder, Master-Mastmaker. In Dockyards where there was a ropewalk (viz Woolwich, Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth) there was an additional officer,

11413-666: Was built by the Admiralty in the mid-19th century to help protect ships taking coal on board; because of its key position, midway between Devonport and Portsmouth in the English Channel , Portland was developed as a maintenance yard. A new maintenance yard was also opened on Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour . Meanwhile, the Thames-side yards, Woolwich and Deptford, could no longer compete, and they finally closed in 1869. The massive naval rebuilding programme prior to

11526-473: Was built in 1809 and launched in Navy Bay specifically for fighting on the lakes, but she was not immediately commissioned. Commodore Hugh Earle was named commander to the Provincial Marine; he commanded the Royal George when she bombarded the American dockyard at Sackets Harbor on 19 July 1812 and when she was attacked by American gunboats off Kingston on 10 November 1812. Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard

11639-495: Was closed in 1984. It is now operated as a commercial facility by Gibdock , although there is still a Royal Navy presence, which provides a maintenance capability. Gibraltar's naval docks are an important base for NATO . British and US nuclear submarines frequently visit the "Z berths" at Gibraltar. (A Z berth provides the facility for nuclear submarines to visit for operational or recreational purposes, and for non-nuclear repairs.) New South Wales , Australia (1859) In 1858

11752-532: Was given the following description of the functions of the two then remaining Royal Dockyards: "The services provided by the royal dockyards at Devonport and Rosyth to the Royal Navy fall into five main categories as follows: (a) Refit, repair, maintenance and modernisation of Royal Navy vessels; (b) Overhaul and testing of naval equipments, including those to be returned to the Director General of Stores and Transport (Navy) for stock and subsequent issue to

11865-462: Was important: in the age of sail , a ship's wooden hull would be comprehensively inspected every 2–3 years, and its copper sheeting replaced every 5. Dry docks were invariably the most expensive component of any dockyard (until the advent of marine nuclear facilities ). Where there was no nearby dock available (as was often the case at the overseas yards) ships would sometimes be careened (beached at high tide) to enable necessary work to be done. In

11978-452: Was little infrastructure west of St. George's at the time and no functional port at Ireland Island, hence the need at first to operate from St. George's Town, with Admiralty House first on Rose Hill in St. George's, then at Mount Wyndham above Bailey's Bay . Convict Bay , beside St. George's Town and below the army barracks of St. George's Garrison , became the first base, with other properties at

12091-488: Was permissible provided each government was fully notified in advance. In 2004, the U.S. Coast Guard decided to arm 11 of its small cutters stationed on Lake Erie and Lake Huron with M240 7.62 mm machine guns . The U.S. decision was based on a climbing number of smuggling operations as well as the increased threat of terrorist activity after the September 11, 2001, attacks . The Canadian government decided that

12204-513: Was short-lived as it proved to be vulnerable to flooding). The Thames yards were pre-eminent in the sixteenth century, being conveniently close to the merchants and artisans of London (for shipbuilding and supply purposes) as well as to the Armouries of the Tower of London. They were also just along the river from Henry's palace at Greenwich. As time went on, though, they suffered from the silting of

12317-490: Was sold to Fleet Support Limited . As of 2019, all three (along with other privately owned shipyards) continue in operation, to varying degrees, as locations for building (Rosyth) and maintaining ships and submarines of the Royal Navy. Management of the yards was in the hands of the Navy Board until 1832. The Navy Board was represented in each yard by a resident commissioner (though Woolwich and Deptford, being close to

12430-409: Was the first Royal Dockyard, dating from the late 15th century; it was followed by Deptford , Woolwich , Chatham and others. By the 18th century, Britain had a string of these state-owned naval dockyards, located not just around the country but across the world; each was sited close to a safe harbour or anchorage used by the fleet. Royal Naval Dockyards were the core naval and military facilities of

12543-489: Was the last naval officer to command on Point Frederick 1850–1853. In 1853, the yard was completely closed, however it remained closed to the public since it still housed naval stores. The Fenian raids of 1866 brought another revival of naval power on the lakes. Vessels were hurriedly bought and armed and manned by sailors from the fleet who made use of the facilities at Point Frederick and of Navy Bay while patrolling from Montreal to Kingston. No permanent naval establishment on

12656-533: Was the main base of the North American Station until the establishment of the base at Bermuda, subsequently designated as the main base in Summer, with the fleet moving to Bermuda for the winter. Ultimately, Bermuda (which was less vulnerable to attack over water or land) became the main base and dockyard year-round, with Halifax and all other yards and bases in the region as subsidiaries). It became

12769-480: Was the only Royal Navy base on Lake Ontario, countering the American naval base at nearby Sackets Harbor, New York during the War of 1812 . During the war, British naval operations on the Lake Ontario were centered at Point Frederick, at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Cataraqui Rivers at Lake Ontario. In 1812, the Provincial Marine operated only four vessels armed with 20 short-barreled guns. After May 1813, when

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