Patrick Heron (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Captain Patrick Heron was a British Army
officer in Nova Scotia
during King George's War
.
Patrick Heron was born at Mains of Larg around the year 1690. At age sixteen he went to London
to learn commercial pursuits but ended up taking a position on a slaver
bound for Guinea
. Heron undertook two such voyages before his father procured for him a lieutenancy in Lord Mark Kerr's regiment and soon after an officer's commission in Brigadier Munden's Regiment. In 1732 he went to North America
, probably to avoid payment of debts. In 1737 Heron was stationed at Canso, Nova Scotia
, a position which, despite a court martial, he held until he surrendered
the town after a French surprise attack in May 1744. Heron was held prisoner of war in Louisbourg
until September 22 of that year at which time he and the other British prisoners were released and transported to Boston
. There they provided the Massachusetts
leadership with valuable intelligence concerning the defences of the fortress at Louisbourg, making possible its capture the following year
.
Heron was struck from the regimental record in 1752, and nothing further is known of him.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
during King George's War
King George's War
King George's War is the name given to the operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession . It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in the British provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia...
.
Patrick Heron was born at Mains of Larg around the year 1690. At age sixteen he went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to learn commercial pursuits but ended up taking a position on a slaver
Slave ship
Slave ships were large cargo ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves to Americas....
bound for Guinea
History of Guinea
The modern state of Guinea did not come into existence until 1958, but the history of the area stretches back well before European intervention. Its current boundaries were deterimined during the colonial period by the Conference of Berlin and the French, who ruled Guinea until 1958.-West African...
. Heron undertook two such voyages before his father procured for him a lieutenancy in Lord Mark Kerr's regiment and soon after an officer's commission in Brigadier Munden's Regiment. In 1732 he went to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, probably to avoid payment of debts. In 1737 Heron was stationed at Canso, Nova Scotia
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
, a position which, despite a court martial, he held until he surrendered
Raid on Canso
The Raid on Canso was an attack by French forces from Louisbourg on the British outpost of Canso, Nova Scotia shortly after war declarations opened King George's War. The French raid was intended to boost morale, secure Louisbourg's supply lines with the surrounding Acadian settlements, and deprive...
the town after a French surprise attack in May 1744. Heron was held prisoner of war in Louisbourg
Fortress of Louisbourg
The Fortress of Louisbourg is a national historic site and the location of a one-quarter partial reconstruction of an 18th century French fortress at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia...
until September 22 of that year at which time he and the other British prisoners were released and transported to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. There they provided the Massachusetts
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony in North America. It was chartered on October 7, 1691 by William and Mary, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of England and Scotland...
leadership with valuable intelligence concerning the defences of the fortress at Louisbourg, making possible its capture the following year
Siege of Louisbourg (1745)
The Siege of Louisbourg took place in 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a British fleet captured Louisbourg, the capital of the French province of Île-Royale during the War of the Austrian Succession, known as King George's War in the British colonies.Although the Fortress of...
.
Heron was struck from the regimental record in 1752, and nothing further is known of him.