Captain Henry Mowat

Courtesy of N C Hyde and family, distant descendants

Captain Henry Mowat was responsible for the bombardment of Portland, Maine during the American revolution. He was born in 1734, son of Orcadian Captain Patrick Mowat.

As captain of the Canceaux, he was engaged in a twelve month survey of 3000 miles of the New England coast, when the war broke out. Leading a flotilla of four ships, he was ordered to bombard and burn New England coastal towns. In October 1775, after warning the inhabitants, he bombarded Portland, Maine, then known as Falmouth Neck, destroying about two-thirds of the town.

In July 1779 he was in charge of the three ships that accompanied an army force to establish a base in Penobscot Bay, Maine. This was besieged by a large force of nineteen ships from Massachusetts but their inexperience and incompetence helped Henry Mowat to hold out until British reinforcements arrived, leading to what is described as the greatest American naval disaster until Pearl Harbour. A contemporary account by Loyalist Dr John Caleff says, "The manoeuvres of the three sloops of war under the direction of Captain Mowat had been such as enabled the king's forces to hold out a close siege of 21 days against a fleet and army more than six times their number and strength.

One of the reinforcements was HMS Reasonable, which had, in 1776, captured the Dalton and taken Thomas Clouston, son of Henry’s first cousin, Robert, prisoner.

Henry Mowat died 14 April 1798 aboard his ship HMS Assistance, while in command of the fleet on the North American station and was buried in Hampton, Virginia.

The abridged logs of the voyage of the Canceaux have been published and Captain Mowat hasn't been forgotten in Portland. Dan Stevens of W.O.Hesperus.Co in Portland makes a range of Captain Mowatt's Hot Sauces. The slogan on the bottle is 'Burning Portland Since 1775'.