Phips Expedition
New France dreamed of taking New York and formed a plan 1688-89 to do just that. New York and the English colonies had dreams of taking Quebec – the economic and political capital of New France.
Both sides realized that they could gain greater control of the fur trade and of fishing grounds as well as extend their territory. Both sides worked through the native Americans, and New York struck first by urging the Iroquois to create havoc on their behalf. The result was the Lachine massacre.
Then in 1690 in a reprisal, the French made a three-pronged attack from Montreal, Trois-Rivieres and Quebec against Schenectady, Salmon Falls and Casco. Cotton Mather was one of many voices clamoring for Canada to be reduced. In April 1690, Major General William Phips led a force against Port-Royal, resulting in complete success. This only whetted the appetite for further action. In August of that year, 30 vessels with 2300 men left from Nantasket with the destination of Quebec.
A majority of the Dorchester men on the expedition sailed on the ship Elizabeth and Mary, a ship of 45 tuns, about 50 to 55 feet in length. A militia company at that time was a company in a single town, made up of all the able men from 16 to 60 years of age. 74 men from Dorchester made up the Dorchester militia out of a total population of only a few hundred. 46 of these men never returned. The Elizabeth and Mary was lost in the retreat.
When the Phips expedition arrived at Quebec, Phips demanded surrender within an hour. Frontenac said that the only answer he would give would be from the muzzles of his cannons. Winthrop was supposed to lead an Army from New England to meet up with the naval forces, but the Army never set out. Phips was left up the creek, or in this case up the Saint Lawrence. So he turned around and went home. Four ships were lost but the Elizabeth and Mary was the only one that no one knew what had happened to.
This was pretty much the end of the story until Dec. 24, 1994, when a diver in the St. Lawrence at Baie-Trinite found the remains of a ship. Canada mounted what was probably the largest underwater archeological project ever in the western hemisphere. At the time, they did not know the origin of the ship, but they could see that it was an important find. It was the oldest shipwreck ever found in Quebec and it resulted in 4500 artifacts. By analyzing the historical record and the items they found, they discovered that the wreck had to be the Elizabeth and Mary.
A porringer handle showed the initials M I S Increase and Sarah Moseley
A musket had the initials CT Cornelius Tileston.
These initials matched names of men known to have been lost on the ship. ____ The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org
