The Wreck of HMS Speedy

The sinking of HMS Speedy in 1804 off Presqu'ile Point was more than a tragic loss of the twenty souls on boardit had shocking and far-reaching repercussions for the young colony of Upper Canada.

At the centre of it all is Ogetonicut, a Mississauga First Nations man charged with murdering John Sharp, a white trader. As Ogetonicut's trial drew near, it was moved east to Newcastle for fear of angering the indigenous community that was gathering at York. With the shipping season coming to a close, the HMS Speedy set sail with the accused and the legal elite of the young colony on board. But on the night of October 8, the Speedy was lost in a violent storm; there were no survivors and the ship could not be found.

The mystery surrounding the ill-fated vessel has continued for more than two centuries, despite the efforts of commercial diver Ed Burtt, who began a search for the Speedy in the early 1990s. Were the remains he located at the bottom of Lake Ontario from the lost ship? Were valuable copies of the Statutes of Upper Canada on board? What evidence lay in the untouched artifacts Burtt found?

Based on unparalleled access to archival documents and to all Ed Burtt's unpublished research and records, this is a meticulously researched look at a fascinating episode in Canadian historythe story of the ship and those who sailed her, the modern-day search for the wreck, a First Nations protagonist and perspective, the legal personalities and colonial government of the timeand a unique social history of early Canada.

"A maritime mystery drives this powerful narrative; but the greatest strength of The Wreck of HMS Speedy may be its evocation of a time, a place, and a cultural clash spawned by misunderstanding. Buchanan has done his research and it shows. This one's a keeper."

Ken McGoogan is the author of fifteen books, including Flight of the Highlanders, Dead Reckoning, 50 Canadians Who Changed the World, How the Scots Invented Canada, Fatal Passage and more.

"HMS Speedy: The Tragic Voyage That Shook Upper Canada is a terrific pageturnera vivid recreation of a story that rocked 1804 Upper Canada. More than a story of a shipwreck, Dan Buchanan captures the swirl of events from a murder to an arrest, and the political decision that led to twenty people drowning on Lake Ontario."

David Raymont, Past President, York Pioneer and Historical Society, Toronto

"HMS Speedy had one stop along the way on its last journey of the season, to discharge passengers destined to attend a murder trial, including an accused prisoner chained in its hold. But the Speedy never reached its destination; the trial didn't take place; and it was almost two hundred years before a dedicated local diver sighted what he believed to be the wreck of the vessel in shallow water off Presqu'ile Provincial Park near the small community of Brighton. How did this marine tragedy change history? And is the discovered wreck really the remains of the HMS Speedy? You need to read this book to find out."

Peter Lockyer, Owner/operator of History Lives Here, Picton, Prince Edward County

"Dan's knack for pinning all relevant information to the personal lives of the characters that he is researching lends a human warmth to the book, and his meticulous research lends authenticity to his theories. In short, Dan presents local history as your stories, the way your favourite aunt or uncle would recount a fascinating family legend that you enjoyed hearing over and over."

Phil Spencer was a member of the H.M.S. Speedy Foundation and lives on the north shore of Presqu'ile Bay directly north of the Speedy site.

Dettagli