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Sir Isaac Brock has been almost forgotten by the wider population of Guernsey. He has been overshadowed by his contemporary, Admiral James de Saumarez, who had the fortune to survive the Napoleonic wars and return to make his mark on this small island in the English Channel. Now, 2012 has given us the opportunity to set the record straight. By good fortune Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery was able to buy Gerrit Schipper’s pastel made around 1810, which is the only known portrait of the adult Brock (see Fife and Drum July 2012). We had no hesitation in agreeing to loan the pastel to the RiverBrink Museum in Queenston for the Bicentennial, and I had the pleasure of speaking at its unveiling this spring. The island has only a small number of other items relating to Brock, but the Museum is putting these on display in the autumn. It includes the figure from the model of the Brock Monument at Queenston, which Canada had made for the Paris Exposition of 1855.
The Canadian flag will be hoisted on the seafront mast, and another will fly over Castle Cornet, the ancient harbour fortress. Local cadets, veterans, and special guests from Canada will join a parade through the capital, St. Peter Port. Men of his old regiment, the 49th Foot, will be there and we hope to welcome the Canadian military attaché and representatives of the First Nations. The parade will stop in front of the tall merchant’s house where Brock was born, now “Boots the Chemist.” Here it will be joined by dignitaries including the Bailiff of Guernsey, and a wreath will be laid. All will then process down to the Town Church for a service of remembrance. More wreaths will be laid at the altar screen dedicated to Brock’s memory and the newly refurbished plaque will be unveiled.
Meanwhile, Castle Cornet will be opened to the public, with re-enactors in Napoleonic scarlet, Regency period dancers, and family activities. A certain Museums Director will even be seen playing Brock in a short historical re-enactment. The dignitaries will assemble for a 15-gun salute fired from the Castle’s battery and some of the VIPs will join the gun crews. The Commonwealth Association is organising a reception we call a vin d’honneur, at which a new bust of Sir Isaac Brock made by Canadian artist Christian Cardell Corbett will be unveiled. Finally we will toast the Queen and the memory of Brock. I say “finally,” but the British redcoats will be encamped all weekend and there will be a Regimental Dinner held on the Saturday evening. We will be using the occasion to officially launch a project to erect a statue to Brock in the heart of St. Peter Port. Initiated by a Canadian expatriate two years ago, the project is finally gaining momentum. We have identified a site in front of the Markets built by his brother and are talking to Canadian sculptor Adrienne Alison about the project. Brock may be the “Hero of Upper Canada,”but one day soon, we hope to have a fitting memorial in his hometown.
Dr. Jason Monaghan is Museums Director for Guernsey. His background is in Roman archaeology, but he has a strong interest in military history. He is also a published crime writer.
This handsome bronze plaque graces the front of the building where Brock was born in St. Peter Port, Guernsey, now occupied by “Boots the Chemist.” Credit: Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery
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