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{{Short description|Canadian politician (1773-1814)}}
'''Joseph Willcocks''' (1773 – September 4, 1814) was a publisher, a political figure and ultimately, a traitor in [[Upper Canada]].
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Joseph Willcocks
| office = Legislator for 1st Lincoln and Haldimand
| term_start = 1808
| term_end = July 1813
| office2 = Legislator for West York, 1st Lincoln and Haldimand
| term_start2 = 1807
| term_end2 = 1808
| predecessor2 = [[Solomon Hill (politician)|Solomon Hill]]
| successor2 = abolished
| office3 = Sheriff of York
| term_start3 = 1804
| term_end3 = 1807
| birth_date = 1773
| birth_place = [[Palmerstown]], [[Ireland]]
}}

'''Joseph Willcocks''' (1773 &ndash; September 4, 1814) sometimes spelt Wilcox<ref name="Biographi" /> was a publisher and political figure in [[Upper Canada]]. He was elected to the [[Parliament of Upper Canada]] in 1807 representing York, 1st Lincoln and Haldimand. He was re-elected twice and frequently opposed government policies. He became disillusioned with Upper Canada after a military rule was introduced to Upper Canada during the [[War of 1812]] and defected to the United States. He was mortally shot on September 4, 1814 at Fort Erie, and buried in Buffalo, New York.


==Early life==
==Early life==
He was born in [[Palmerstown]], [[Ireland]] in 1773. He was the second son to Robert Willcocks and Jane Powell.<ref name="Biographi">{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Elwood H. |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/willcocks_joseph_5F.html |title=Willcocks, Joseph |publisher=University of Toronto/Université Laval |year=1983}}</ref> During the [[Irish Rebellion of 1798]] he was loyal to the British Empire.<ref name="Civil War of 1812 95">{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XpKLDQAAQBAJ |title=The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4000-4265-4 |pages=95 }}</ref>
He was born in [[Palmerstown]], [[Ireland]] in 1773. He came to York ([[Toronto]]) at the age of 27, staying initially with his second cousin once removed, William Willcocks. However, after acquiring a position as clerk to Peter Russell, an older distant cousin, he moved in with Russell and his half-sister, Elizabeth who was 19 years Willcocks' senior. This, however, did nothing to cool his apparent ardour. To quote him, "no Fair one has yet made any impression on me nor Do I think there shall in this country for I fear in General they are destitute of V(irtue). and Money" and to quote Riddell in his "Joseph Willcocks: Sheriff, Member of Parliament and Traitor", "if she was destitute of the Beauty which "does not make the pot Boil", she undoubtedly had V[irtue]. and expected to have money". This gives a good view into what propelled Willcocks. Through William Baldwin, Peter Russell ended his sister's dalliance with Willcocks and ejected him from his home. This would be a pivotal moment in Willcocks' life. From Russell's home, he almost immediately moved in with Chief Justice Henry Allcock, who argued with Russell on Willcocks's behalf, to no avail. In Allcock, Willcocks found a worthy patron. Although he would write "mediocrity . . . is the summit of my ambition", changes were afoot in the political dynamic of Upper and Lower Canada, changes that would result in the ill-fated Rebellions some 30 years later.

He came to [[York, Upper Canada|York]] on March 20, 1800.<ref name="Biographi" />


==Career==
==Career==
⚫
In 1804, he became sheriff for the [[Home District, Ontario|Home District]], largely through his association with Chief Justice [[Henry Allcock]]. He was active in an 1806 by-election for [[Robert Thorpe (Canadian judge)|Robert Thorpe]], a friend and neighbour. Willcocks and Thorpe were concerned about changes in government policies regarding land grants, which were controlled by the Executive Council, an appointed body. As a result of these criticisms, Lieutenant Governor [[Francis Gore]] removed Thorpe from office and withdrew Willcocks' appointment as sheriff in 1807, citing "general and notorious bad conduct".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=o9JFaIJZPV8C&pg=PA17 Becoming Prominent: Regional Leadership in Upper Canada, 1791-1841], by J.K. Johnson (via [[Google Books]]); published by McGill-Queen's Press, July 1, 1988</ref>


===York===
Although Willcocks counted himself among Thorpe's contingent, he wasn't as close to the centre as he perceived himself to be. Thorpe described Willcocks as lacking "a sufficiency of brains to bait a mouse trap."
On May 1, 1800 he was hired to be the private clerk of [[Peter Russell (politician)|Peter Russell]], who was a distant cousin. He later became a receiver and payer of fees for the Office of the Surveyor General.<ref name="Biographi" /> He was dismissed from this role when Russell's half-sister revealed their romantic relationship.<ref name="Civil War of 1812 96">{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XpKLDQAAQBAJ |title=The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4000-4265-4 |pages=96}}</ref> [[Henry Allcock]] hired Willcocks as a clerk<ref name="Civil War of 1812 96" /> and [[William Jarvis (Upper Canada official)|William Jarvis]] employed him to engrave deeds. On May 9, 1803, he was appointed as registrar of the [[probate court]] and marshall for the courts of [[assizes]].<ref name="Biographi" />


⚫
In 1804, Willcocks became sheriff for the [[Home District, Ontario|Home District]].<ref name="Biographi" /> He was active in an 1806 by-election for [[Robert Thorpe (Canadian judge)|Robert Thorpe]], a friend and neighbour. Willcocks and Thorpe were concerned about changes in government policies regarding land grants, which were controlled by the Executive Council, an appointed body. As a result of these criticisms, Lieutenant Governor [[Francis Gore]] removed Thorpe from office and withdrew Willcocks' appointment as sheriff in 1807, citing "general and notorious bad conduct".<ref name="Becoming">{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=J. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o9JFaIJZPV8C&pg=PA17%20BECOMING%20PROMINENT:%20REGIONAL%20LEADERSHIP%20IN%20UPPER%20CANADA,%201791-1841 |title=Becoming Prominent: Regional Leadership in Upper Canada, 1791-1841 |date=1988-07-01 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |isbn=978-0-7735-6157-1 }}</ref>
⚫
Nonetheless, Willcocks moved to [[Niagara-on-the-Lake|Niagara]] where he began to publish ''[[The Upper Canada Guardian; or Freeman's Journal]]'', where he voiced his opinions on land laws and the arbitrary use of power. In 1807, he was elected in a by-election for West [[York County, Ontario|York]], 1st [[Lincoln County, Ontario|Lincoln]] & [[Haldimand County, Ontario|Haldimand]] after the death of Solomon Hill. During the [[4th Parliament of Upper Canada|4th Parliament]], he was jailed for contempt of the house. However, he was re-elected in 1808 to 1st Lincoln and Haldimand and in 1812 to 1st Lincoln. In June 1812, he stopped publishing his journal, either apparently due to problems with his printing press or because he had sold it to [[Richard Hatt]].


===Niagara===
Willcocks was the face of the opposition within the house against those who they believed to be part of the aligned themselves with the colonial administration. During the last session of the [[5th Parliament of Upper Canada|5th Parliament]], Willcocks and his group successfully resisted efforts by administrator [[Isaac Brock]] to pass a number of measures preparing for the expected war with the [[United States]]. It has been suggested that Brock maintained an alternate avenue of rapprochement with Willcocks by way of a shared Masonic membership in Niagara Lodge<ref>Donald E. Graves, ''Lawless banditti: Joseph Willcocks, his Canadian Volunteers and the Mutual Destruction on the Niagara during the Winter of 1813-Part I'', pg. 5, December 2007, Fortress Niagara: Journal of the Old Fort Niagara Association</ref> (which Willcocks' fellow Canadian Volunteer [[Abraham Markle]] was also a member of).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webspace.webring.com/people/jk/kimholly/markle.htm|title=Abraham Markle Biography|publisher=webspace.webring.com}}</ref>


⚫
Willcocks moved to [[Niagara-on-the-Lake|Niagara]] where he began to publish ''[[The Upper Canada Guardian; or Freeman's Journal]]''. He used the newspaper to criticise the government and voice his opposition to Upper Canada's land laws. In 1807, he was elected in a by-election for West [[York County, Ontario|York]], 1st [[Lincoln County, Ontario|Lincoln]] & [[Haldimand County, Ontario|Haldimand]] after the death of [[Solomon Hill (politician)|Solomon Hill]]. During the [[4th Parliament of Upper Canada|4th Parliament]], he was jailed for contempt of the house. He was re-elected in 1808 to 1st Lincoln and Haldimand and became the leader of the parliamentary opposition. His political positions in this session included lower salaries for public servants, less regulations for [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|loyalists]] and military personnel to obtain land and more regulation on election procedures. During the last session of the [[5th Parliament of Upper Canada|5th Parliament]], Willcocks and his group successfully resisted efforts by [[Isaac Brock]] to pass a number of measures preparing for the expected war with the [[United States]].<ref name="Biographi" />
However, in 1812, Brock enlisted Willcocks to assist in ensuring the loyalty and participation of the [[Iroquois|Six Nations]] peoples to Upper Canada and the Crown, a task he completed successfully despite illness on his part. For Willcocks, the death of Brock at [[Queenston Heights]] on October 13, 1812 marked the beginning of the end. Although fighting alongside the Six Nations warriors who were part of Sheaffe's ultimately successful retaking of the Redan Battery,<ref>Donald E. Graves, ''Joseph Willcocks and the Canadian Volunteers: An Account of Political Disaffection in Upper Canada during the War of 1812''</ref> he must have realised that the political dynamic in the province would have been inevitably changed with the death of Brock. Whereas Brock was not above playing upon human nature (as displayed by his handling of [[William Hull]] in [[Battle of Detroit|Detroit]]), subsequent provincial administrators were not so diplomatic. He also helped recruit men for the militia.


Willcocks was a member of the [[Freemasonry]] in the Niagara Lodge.<ref name="Lawless 5">{{cite book |author=Graves, Donald E. |author-link=Donald Graves (historian)|date=December 2007 |title=Lawless banditti: Joseph Willcocks, his Canadian Volunteers and the Mutual Destruction on the Niagara during the Winter of 1813-Part I |publisher= Journal of the Old Fort Niagara Association|page=5 }}</ref>
He was greatly disturbed when, after the invasion of the [[Niagara peninsula]] in 1813, military rule and harsh measures against people expressing disloyal opinions were introduced in the province, which Willcocks saw as an abandonment of democratic principles. In July 1813, he committed treason by offering his services to the Americans while a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada. He was given the rank of [[Major (United States)|major]] in the American Army and raised a company of [[Canadian Volunteers]] consisting of expatriate Canadians (mostly recent immigrants from the States) fighting on the American side; he was subsequently promoted to the rank of [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]]. He was replaced by [[Robert Nelles]] in the Legislative Assembly.


Brock called an election in 1812 to obtain a legislature that would support his war preparations. Willcocks was reelected for the rising of 1st Lincoln and Haldimand. In June 1812 he sold his printing press to [[Richard Hatt]]. Brock enlisted Willcocks's help to secure the loyalty and participation of the [[Iroquois|Six Nations]] peoples to the British Crown in the upcoming war and Willcocks was successful despite his poor health.<ref name="Biographi" /> He fought in the [[Battle of Queenston Heights]] and recruited for the Canadian militia.<ref name="Civil War of 1812 238">{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XpKLDQAAQBAJ |title=The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4000-4265-4 |pages=238}}</ref>
Despite offering assistance and intelligence to the U.S. forces, Willcocks was never again fully trusted. His associates, [[Abraham Markle]] and [[Benajah Mallory]] fought for control of the volunteers. Probably the most notable contribution of Willcocks to the War of 1812 was the pressing for the burning of Newark (present-day [[Niagara-on-the-Lake]]) on December 10, 1813, leaving just three buildings standing. This act infuriated and inflamed public opinion on the Canadian side of the border against the invasion, an apathetic opinion of which had previously been a source of continual concern for the government. Barely a week later, Canadian and British forces launched an assault across the Niagara River, taking [[Fort Niagara]] and burning almost everything along the United States side of the river between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.


In early June 1813 hardline loyalists were upset with Willcock's opposition to giving extended powers to the government. They spread a rumour that Willcocks was working with American forces in their invasion to Stoney Creek.<ref name="Civil War of 1812 239">{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XpKLDQAAQBAJ |title=The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4000-4265-4 |pages=239}}</ref>
==Bloody Assize==

⚫
In the spring of 1814 fifteen Upper Canadians, including Willcocks, were charged with high treason as part of the [[Bloody Assize (1814)|Ancaster Bloody Assize]]; eight were captured and executed in July 1814. On September 4, 1814 while leading a skirmish during the [[Siege of Fort Erie]], Willcocks was fatally shot in the chest.<ref>Donald E. Graves, ''Where Right and Glory Lead,'' p.223 Toronto: Robin Brass Studio. {{ISBN|1-896941-03-6}}''</ref> His body (as well as that of a Lieutenant Roosevelt) was buried initially in "the circle or open square of that village ([[Buffalo, New York]])" and reburied in [[Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo)|Forest Lawn Cemetery]] in the 1830s.<ref>Donald E. Graves, ''Lawless Banditti: Joseph Willcocks, His Canadian Volunteers and the Mutual Destruction on the Niagara during the Winter of 1813-Part II(Conclusion)'', pg. 9, Fortress Niagara: Journal of the Old Fort Niagara Association</ref> Willcocks' grave is unmarked.
==Defection to United States==
===Disillusionment with British rule===
Willcocks was disturbed when military rule and harsh measures against people expressing disloyal opinions were introduced in the province. Willcocks saw this as an abandonment of democratic principles in the province.<ref name="Biographi" /> In July 1813 he committed treason and travelled to the United States to join the Americans. He was made a major in the American army and commanded a company of [[Canadian Volunteers]] consisting of expatriate Canadians fighting on the American side.<ref name="Civil War of 1812 239-240">{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XpKLDQAAQBAJ |title=The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4000-4265-4 |pages=239–240}}</ref>

===Conducting Operations in Canada===
In the fall of 1813 George McClure appointed Willcocks as the police officer of [[Niagara-on-the-Lake|Niagara]]. In this capacity, Willcocks regulated the movements of the city's citizens and interrogated prisoners.<ref name="Civil War of 1812 252">{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XpKLDQAAQBAJ |title=The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4000-4265-4 |pages=252}}</ref>

===Raid at Newark===
On December 10, 1813. Joseph Willcocks conducted a raid with 100 armed members of his militia and 70 U.S. Regulars. Joseph Willcocks marched on his horse while leading his column. Willcocks and his force burned more than 60 structures of public and private property. Willcocks recruited four Canadians, who joined him, and Willcocks withdrew to New York with 24 prisoners.<ref name="Civil War of 1812 252"/>

===Raid on Saint David’s===
On July 22, 1814, Joseph Willcocks, with 200-300 men, who included American dragoons, made a surprise raid on Saint David’s, where there were four Canadian militiamen. The Americans, under Willcocks, came around by the mountain and surrounded the house where the Canadian militiamen were staying. The Canadian militiamen fired through the windows with their muskets, killing one American dragoon and wounding a few horses. The Canadian militiamen refused to surrender until the American dragoon captain Harrison stepped forward into the open and persuaded the Canadian militiamen to surrender. The Canadian militia surrendered. Joseph Willccocks and his fellow American raiders destroyed the house that the Canadian militia had taken shelter in. Then Willcocks and his fellow raiders withdrew to American territory with four Canadian prisoners.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/80560393.pdf#page=88 | page=620 | title=Select British Documents of the Canadian War of 1812, Volume 3 Part 2 | website=core.ac.uk | first=William | last=Wood | year=1928}}</ref>

===Marked for treason===
In the spring of 1814 fifteen Upper Canadians, including Willcocks, were charged with high treason as part of the [[Bloody Assize (1814)|Ancaster Bloody Assize]].<ref name="WhereRight23" />

==Death==

⚫
On September 4, 1814, during the [[Siege of Fort Erie]]. Joseph Willcocks led a sortie against a British battery. After six hours of fighting, the sortie raiding force under Joseph Willcocks withdrew, with Joseph getting killed.<ref name="WhereRight23">{{Cite book |last=Graves |first=Donald E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s4ATAQAAMAAJ |title=Where Right and Glory Lead!: The Battle of Lundy's Lane, 1814 |publisher=Robin Brass Studio |year=1997 |isbn=978-1-896941-03-5 |pages=23 |language=en}}</ref> His body was buried initially in "the circle or open square of that village ([[Buffalo, New York]])" and reburied in [[Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo)|Forest Lawn Cemetery]] in the 1830s.<ref name="Lawless 9">{{cite book |author=Graves, Donald E. |author-link=Donald Graves (historian)|date=December 2007 |title=Lawless banditti: Joseph Willcocks, his Canadian Volunteers and the Mutual Destruction on the Niagara during the Winter of 1813-Part II (Conclusion) |publisher= Journal of the Old Fort Niagara Association|page=9 }}</ref>


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* [[William Renwick Riddell]] (1927) ''Joseph Willcocks: Sheriff, Member of Parliament and Traitor'', Toronto.
* [[Donald Graves (historian)|Donald Graves]] (1982) ''Joseph Willcocks and the Canadian Volunteers: An Account of Political Disaffection in Upper Canada during the War of 1812'', Carleton University.
* [[Pierre Berton]] (1980), ''The Invasion of Canada, 1812&mdash;1813'', Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.
* [[Pierre Berton]] (1980), ''The Invasion of Canada, 1812&mdash;1813'', Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.
* Pierre Berton (1981), ''Flames across the Border, 1813&mdash;1814'', Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.
* Pierre Berton (1981), ''Flames across the Border, 1813&mdash;1814'', Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.
*John B. Lee (poet) non-fiction 2023, King Joe: A Matter of Treason: The Life and Times of Joseph Willcocks, Toronto, Hidden Brook Press.
*John B. Lee (poet) documentary poem, 2002, In the Terrible Weather of Guns, Toronto, Mansfield Press.
*John B. Lee (poet/editor) anthology, 2012 War of 1812 Poetry and Prose: An Unfinished War, Windsor, Black Moss Press.


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=2713 Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online'']


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario]]
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[[Category:British defectors]]
[[Category:British defectors to the United States]]
[[Category:People from Niagara-on-the-Lake]]
[[Category:People from Niagara-on-the-Lake]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Ontario]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Ontario]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo)]]
[[Category:Immigrants to Upper Canada]]
[[Category:Immigrants to Upper Canada]]

Latest revision as of 16:52, 8 October 2024

Joseph Willcocks
Legislator for 1st Lincoln and Haldimand
In office
1808 – July 1813
Legislator for West York, 1st Lincoln and Haldimand
In office
1807–1808
Preceded bySolomon Hill
Succeeded byabolished
Sheriff of York
In office
1804–1807
Personal details
Born1773
Palmerstown, Ireland

Joseph Willcocks (1773 – September 4, 1814) sometimes spelt Wilcox[1] was a publisher and political figure in Upper Canada. He was elected to the Parliament of Upper Canada in 1807 representing York, 1st Lincoln and Haldimand. He was re-elected twice and frequently opposed government policies. He became disillusioned with Upper Canada after a military rule was introduced to Upper Canada during the War of 1812 and defected to the United States. He was mortally shot on September 4, 1814 at Fort Erie, and buried in Buffalo, New York.

Early life

[edit]

He was born in Palmerstown, Ireland in 1773. He was the second son to Robert Willcocks and Jane Powell.[1] During the Irish Rebellion of 1798 he was loyal to the British Empire.[2]

He came to York on March 20, 1800.[1]

Career

[edit]

York

[edit]

On May 1, 1800 he was hired to be the private clerk of Peter Russell, who was a distant cousin. He later became a receiver and payer of fees for the Office of the Surveyor General.[1] He was dismissed from this role when Russell's half-sister revealed their romantic relationship.[3] Henry Allcock hired Willcocks as a clerk[3] and William Jarvis employed him to engrave deeds. On May 9, 1803, he was appointed as registrar of the probate court and marshall for the courts of assizes.[1]

In 1804, Willcocks became sheriff for the Home District.[1] He was active in an 1806 by-election for Robert Thorpe, a friend and neighbour. Willcocks and Thorpe were concerned about changes in government policies regarding land grants, which were controlled by the Executive Council, an appointed body. As a result of these criticisms, Lieutenant Governor Francis Gore removed Thorpe from office and withdrew Willcocks' appointment as sheriff in 1807, citing "general and notorious bad conduct".[4]

Niagara

[edit]

Willcocks moved to Niagara where he began to publish The Upper Canada Guardian; or Freeman's Journal. He used the newspaper to criticise the government and voice his opposition to Upper Canada's land laws. In 1807, he was elected in a by-election for West York, 1st Lincoln & Haldimand after the death of Solomon Hill. During the 4th Parliament, he was jailed for contempt of the house. He was re-elected in 1808 to 1st Lincoln and Haldimand and became the leader of the parliamentary opposition. His political positions in this session included lower salaries for public servants, less regulations for loyalists and military personnel to obtain land and more regulation on election procedures. During the last session of the 5th Parliament, Willcocks and his group successfully resisted efforts by Isaac Brock to pass a number of measures preparing for the expected war with the United States.[1]

Willcocks was a member of the Freemasonry in the Niagara Lodge.[5]

Brock called an election in 1812 to obtain a legislature that would support his war preparations. Willcocks was reelected for the rising of 1st Lincoln and Haldimand. In June 1812 he sold his printing press to Richard Hatt. Brock enlisted Willcocks's help to secure the loyalty and participation of the Six Nations peoples to the British Crown in the upcoming war and Willcocks was successful despite his poor health.[1] He fought in the Battle of Queenston Heights and recruited for the Canadian militia.[6]

In early June 1813 hardline loyalists were upset with Willcock's opposition to giving extended powers to the government. They spread a rumour that Willcocks was working with American forces in their invasion to Stoney Creek.[7]

Defection to United States

[edit]

Disillusionment with British rule

[edit]

Willcocks was disturbed when military rule and harsh measures against people expressing disloyal opinions were introduced in the province. Willcocks saw this as an abandonment of democratic principles in the province.[1] In July 1813 he committed treason and travelled to the United States to join the Americans. He was made a major in the American army and commanded a company of Canadian Volunteers consisting of expatriate Canadians fighting on the American side.[8]

Conducting Operations in Canada

[edit]

In the fall of 1813 George McClure appointed Willcocks as the police officer of Niagara. In this capacity, Willcocks regulated the movements of the city's citizens and interrogated prisoners.[9]

Raid at Newark

[edit]

On December 10, 1813. Joseph Willcocks conducted a raid with 100 armed members of his militia and 70 U.S. Regulars. Joseph Willcocks marched on his horse while leading his column. Willcocks and his force burned more than 60 structures of public and private property. Willcocks recruited four Canadians, who joined him, and Willcocks withdrew to New York with 24 prisoners.[9]

Raid on Saint David’s

[edit]

On July 22, 1814, Joseph Willcocks, with 200-300 men, who included American dragoons, made a surprise raid on Saint David’s, where there were four Canadian militiamen. The Americans, under Willcocks, came around by the mountain and surrounded the house where the Canadian militiamen were staying. The Canadian militiamen fired through the windows with their muskets, killing one American dragoon and wounding a few horses. The Canadian militiamen refused to surrender until the American dragoon captain Harrison stepped forward into the open and persuaded the Canadian militiamen to surrender. The Canadian militia surrendered. Joseph Willccocks and his fellow American raiders destroyed the house that the Canadian militia had taken shelter in. Then Willcocks and his fellow raiders withdrew to American territory with four Canadian prisoners.[10]

Marked for treason

[edit]

In the spring of 1814 fifteen Upper Canadians, including Willcocks, were charged with high treason as part of the Ancaster Bloody Assize.[11]

Death

[edit]

On September 4, 1814, during the Siege of Fort Erie. Joseph Willcocks led a sortie against a British battery. After six hours of fighting, the sortie raiding force under Joseph Willcocks withdrew, with Joseph getting killed.[11] His body was buried initially in "the circle or open square of that village (Buffalo, New York)" and reburied in Forest Lawn Cemetery in the 1830s.[12]

Further reading

[edit]
  • William Renwick Riddell (1927) Joseph Willcocks: Sheriff, Member of Parliament and Traitor, Toronto.
  • Donald Graves (1982) Joseph Willcocks and the Canadian Volunteers: An Account of Political Disaffection in Upper Canada during the War of 1812, Carleton University.
  • Pierre Berton (1980), The Invasion of Canada, 1812—1813, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.
  • Pierre Berton (1981), Flames across the Border, 1813—1814, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.
  • John B. Lee (poet) non-fiction 2023, King Joe: A Matter of Treason: The Life and Times of Joseph Willcocks, Toronto, Hidden Brook Press.
  • John B. Lee (poet) documentary poem, 2002, In the Terrible Weather of Guns, Toronto, Mansfield Press.
  • John B. Lee (poet/editor) anthology, 2012 War of 1812 Poetry and Prose: An Unfinished War, Windsor, Black Moss Press.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Jones, Elwood H. (1983). Willcocks, Joseph. University of Toronto/Université Laval.
  2. ^ Taylor, Alan (2010). The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-4000-4265-4.
  3. ^ a b Taylor, Alan (2010). The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-4000-4265-4.
  4. ^ Johnson, J. K. (1988-07-01). Becoming Prominent: Regional Leadership in Upper Canada, 1791-1841. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. ISBN 978-0-7735-6157-1.
  5. ^ Graves, Donald E. (December 2007). Lawless banditti: Joseph Willcocks, his Canadian Volunteers and the Mutual Destruction on the Niagara during the Winter of 1813-Part I. Journal of the Old Fort Niagara Association. p. 5.
  6. ^ Taylor, Alan (2010). The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 238. ISBN 978-1-4000-4265-4.
  7. ^ Taylor, Alan (2010). The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 239. ISBN 978-1-4000-4265-4.
  8. ^ Taylor, Alan (2010). The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies. Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 239–240. ISBN 978-1-4000-4265-4.
  9. ^ a b Taylor, Alan (2010). The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-4000-4265-4.
  10. ^ Wood, William (1928). "Select British Documents of the Canadian War of 1812, Volume 3 Part 2" (PDF). core.ac.uk. p. 620.
  11. ^ a b Graves, Donald E. (1997). Where Right and Glory Lead!: The Battle of Lundy's Lane, 1814. Robin Brass Studio. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-896941-03-5.
  12. ^ Graves, Donald E. (December 2007). Lawless banditti: Joseph Willcocks, his Canadian Volunteers and the Mutual Destruction on the Niagara during the Winter of 1813-Part II (Conclusion). Journal of the Old Fort Niagara Association. p. 9.
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