Search ‘1812’ on your favourite social media platform and you’ll get a surprising number of hits for a war from 213 years ago. Until a few weeks back, I doubt one person in a thousand could tell you anything about the war if they lived in either Britain or America. Rather more knew about it in Canada.
Why the sudden interest?
In a recent speech at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump threatened military force to take control of Greenland and the Panama canal. He also expressed enthusiasm for the idea of making Canada the 51st state. When asked if he might consider military force against the Canadians, he replied that he would not use troops but, rather, “economic force”. Doubtless the reassurance that Canada would not face American tanks rolling across the border will have come as a relief to the folks living north of the 45th parallel but the threat of economic force is still a belligerent threat. Many Canadians view Trump’s speech as a preparation for a hostile annexation of their country. This has reminded people that the USA has history in this regard. In 1812, American troops invaded Canada with the intention of seizing the territory from the control of the British and allowing the growing United States to expand northwards.
What AI imagines Trump might have looked like leading his forces in 1812
The War of 1812 was a real war but, in world affairs, rather overshadowed by events in Europe, where the continent was engaged in a brutal conflict with Napoleon. In fact, if you ask any European to tell you about military conflict in 1812, their most likely response (after ‘I don’t know anything about history’) will mention Napoleon’s march on Moscow, if only because Tchaikovsky wrote his famous 1812 Overture about it.
With the British army and navy having other things to do, there were few British troops available to fight in North America. The war was therefore fought between US troops and state militias on one side and a small British force, reinforced by Canadian militia. Both sides also made tactical alliances with Native American tribes, although the native forces were generally more sympathetic to the British, who some of them considered might offer protection against US expansion into their territories. The Americans and British also fought on the high seas with ships of both nations duelling it out in what was effectively a separate conflict.
The result was, perhaps inevitably, a scrappy little war which dragged on for almost two years. With such a long border and few settlements within striking distance, the war degenerated into little more than a series of raids. The Americans would burn a village in Canada; the Canadians would burn a slightly bigger village in the United States; the Americans would burn a town in Canada and so it went on until, in 1814, the British eventually burned down the White House.
For Canadians, the war was a serious affair. Thousands were killed in battle or died of disease during the war. Canadians saw it as, in the literal sense of the word, an existentialist contest. Defeat would have meant the end of their country. At the time, Canada was British colony. Although the Canadians relied on the British Army for defence in 1812, many historians consider that driving the Americans out of their country was a significant point in their development as a nation.
For Americans, the War of 1812 became part of their country’s foundation myth. It was when the young country came of age, taking on the mighty British Empire and fighting them to a standstill. As with most myths, the historical facts of the war are often subverted to serve the interests of the myth makers. In reality, the war was an inconclusive affair. When Napoleon was exiled to Elba in 1814, the Americans realised that Britain would soon turn its full naval might against them. British reinforcements were already on their way to Canada and America was anxious to end the war before they faced almost certain defeat.
The resulting peace settlement restored the situation that had existed before the war started. The pre-war borders were reinstated. The lives lost had been sacrificed for nothing. In the end, the only real losers were the native Americans. Britain made a token effort to protect its tribal allies in the peace treaty that ended the conflict, but both sides knew that the British would not go to war to protect the indigenous people. Deprived of the opportunity to expand northwards, the United States pursued its movement west with renewed vigour and acted ruthlessly against any native tribes that got in the way. In 1800 the Native American population of what was to become the United States was estimated at 600,000. By the decade 1890-1900 it was down to around 237,000.
Until now, most people seemed happy to let the events of 1812 be forgotten. In the last few weeks, they suddenly seem relevant again. Canadians, at least, are remembering the war. They’re not very happy about what happened. Perhaps the rest of us might try to recall it and avoid another messy (but hopefully bloodless) unnecessary conflict.
Burke and the War of 1812
It’s not often that my books about the adventures of the British spy, James Burke, are suddenly caught up in the affairs of the modern world. Burke was a real person who spied for the British during the Napoleonic Wars. Although my first Burke adventure, Burke in the Land of Silver, is closely based on truth, his subsequent adventures are largely fictional. There is no evidence that he ever operated in North America, but he moved around a lot and may well have been involved in events there. At the urging of fans who enjoy reading about the War of 1812, I have written a story featuring native Americans, the Washington of the time, the Ohio militia, the siege of Detroit, and the betrayals and double-dealings that are part of Burke’s stock in trade. It’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye, as my mother used to say, or, in this case until a farcical series of political misjudgements creates a bloody conflict that brought no good to anyone. As I said, “Suddenly caught up in the affairs of the modern world.”
Burke in the Land of Silver, is currently out with beta readers. (Let me know if that’s something you would be interested in.) Assuming they don’t find too many mistakes, it should be published early this Spring.
Picture Credits
Featured image shows the British burning Washington from Paul M. Rapin de Thoyras’ book, The History of England, from the Earliest Periods, Volume 1 (1816). Source: Library of Congress
Other pictures:
Pencil drawing depicting soldiers starting the fire in the White House is from the New York Public Library
The Battle of Queenston Heights, 13 October 1812. Library and Archives Canada, 2895485
It has a very French look to it, doesn’t it? I’d guessed it was built in the 19th century and much of its appearance now dates back to the second half of the 19th century when it was remodelled by the Duc d’Orleans after his family lost the throne of France and lived for a while in Twickenham. The house, though, is much older than that.
This stretch of the Thames, often referred to as the Arcadian Thames, used to have many great houses built looking out over the river. The Thames was a significant highway connecting the royal palaces of Westminster (and later St James) and Hampton Court. Kings and queens found it a convenient way to travel between their official residences and people who aspired to high social status wanted to live along their route. Today, the most obvious survivors are Marble Hill House (built in 1724) and Ham House (1610). Alexander Pope had a smaller, but still substantial, house built after he moved to Twickenham in 1719 and that was where he installed his famous grotto. His house was demolished (though the grotto survives) and that seems to be that as far as the riverside houses go.
Appearances can be deceptive. Hiding away behind the 19th century façade of York House is a Jacobean building, dating back to the 17th century. We cannot be sure when it was built, although there is some evidence that it may have been around 1635. The house had the H shaped floor plan typical of grand houses of the period and this can still be glimpsed in the centre block of the modern building. (The wings are much later additions.)
The Jacobean house would have looked very different. The original entrance was in the left hand bay as you look from the front. The entrance was moved when the house was remodelled and the original entrance hall is now rather a scrappy bit of office space. You can see that the windows do not match those on the right because originally there were no windows there.
The inside of the house has been dramatically changed about several times and it’s difficult to get an idea of what it would originally have looked like. The Jacobean entrance led directly into a hall with a rather splendid wooden staircase which has survived. Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to get a decent photograph of it, in part because a lift was installed up through the middle which is not a thing of beauty. The ceiling at the top of the staircase is not original but it has outlasted several renovations and is worth noticing.
The newel post at the foot of the stairs shows some fine Jacobean workmanship.
The hall led directly into the dining room. When the entrance was moved to the centre of the frontage, the dining room became the main entrance hall but the original Jacobean fire surround remains, the most striking feature of the old building.
One of the ceilings may date back to when the house was built. The plaster decoration shows various water birds, presumably reflecting the fact that the room faces towards the nearby river.
Although so little of the original house remains, its history is fascinating. The house went through many notable owners. The second Earl of Manchester was a friend of Charles I who went on to become a general for the Parliamentarians before becoming Lord Chamberlain to Charles II. This flexible courtier lived at York House in the mid 17th century. Later, it seems to have come into the hands of the Earl of Clarendon, although it’s not sure if he was ever the legal owner. Later owners included several British aristocrats but its most celebrated tenants were French. In 1864 the Comte de Paris moved in. He was the heir to the French throne but had to leave the country when revolution broke out in 1848. He added substantially to the house which by then had already sprouted various new wings and servants’ quarters. When political changes in France made it possible for him to move back there, he abandoned York House in 1871. The French returned in 1897 when the Pretender to the French throne the Duc d’Orleans (King Philippe VIII to his followers) moved in. The distinctively French look of the house nowadays is largely down to him. He made major alterations to the building. Local sources suggested that he spent £40,000 on the work. This is probably an exaggeration but he definitely made changes on a grand scale. A new wing was added which included a swimming pool and his own museum for his hunting trophies. Electricity was installed and a mile of new drainage pipes. Much of the decoration was in the style of the reigns of Louis XIV-XVI and fleur de lys popped up everywhere including rainwater pipes.
His personal cipher also appeared around the house, for example on these rather splendid finger plates on the interior doors.
The Duc d’Orleans made himself unpopular with the locals, partly by cutting off access to what had been open land and partly by his support of the Boers during the Boer War. The result was that he spent less and less time in Twickenham, eventually selling the house to the Indian industrialist, Sir Ratan Tata, the owner of Tata Steel. The interior of the house was once again redesigned but the most striking addition was the construction of an elaborate fountain in the grounds, featuring sea nymphs and horses.
These are known locally as “the naked ladies” and have given their name to a craft beer brewed in the area.
The additions to the house are more obvious at the rear where the range of different architectural styles is more obvious.
York House is now owned by the local authority and used for ceremonial occasions and for council meetings. It’s a popular wedding venue. It’s unlikely that many of those posing for wedding photographs there realise that they are standing in front of a house that was built around 400 years ago and is one of the last survivors of the grand houses that used to line the Thames.
On New Year’s Eve I wrote about the year gone by, but now, with Twelfth Night almost on us, it’s time to look to the future.
I’ve been talking a bit lately about the latest Burke book, Burke and the War of 1812. It’s set, as you’d expect, in the war with the USA, which ran as a bit of a sideshow while Britain was more occupied with the war against Napoleon. It’s not often talked about on this side of the Atlantic. If it’s remembered at all, it’s probably because that’s the war where we burned down the White House. It was a strange and rather scrappy little conflict but it cast a long shadow. It defined the relationship between the USA and Canada for a long time. (No-one likes being invaded.) In fact, with Trump expressing his somewhat idiosyncratic notions on the USA’s relationships with its neighbours, memories of 1812 seem to be stirring for the first time in a while.
Last week, the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, was asked on Fox News about Trump’s reported joke about Canada’s joining the U.S.
Ford complimented Trump’s sense of humor. “It’s a funny comment. I guess he’s still upset that, you know, in 1812, we burnt down your White House, and he’s holding a grudge after 212 years,” he said.
NBC News: Dec 10 2024
In a recent interview on Fox Business, Canadian businessman and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary expressed support for President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada could become the 51st US state … Rooted partly in the 19th-century notion of “Manifest Destiny,” this concept has been fueled by historical events like the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and brief 19th-century annexation sentiments in Canada…
Pakistan Today: Jan 3 2025
If I were President Trump, I’d think twice before invading Canada. The last time the U.S. tried something like that— back in the War of 1812 —it didn’t exactly end well.
Jean Charest (former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada) on X: Dec 3 2024
For me, writing about that war has meant learning about a whole new theatre of war and the political background to the conflict. The book sees Burke spying in Washington and fighting alongside both Native Americans and British troops. I’ve done a lot of reading in my efforts to get things right and I’m still not sure I have. A couple of beta readers think the plot holds together but I’ll be sending it to more people who know enough about the time and the place to pick up some of the errors I’m sure remain. Let me know if you’re interested in helping with that.
It’s been harder work than most of my Burke series. I’m a lazy writer and I find the mechanics of writing hard work. If I manage a thousand words a day, I feel I’ve done well. I started writing sometime around April, having already done a fair bit of reading, and I’m pretty much written out. I suspect I may always feel this way at this stage but, right now, I’m tempted to walk away from James Burke. This will be the eighth book in the series and writing them just doesn’t seem to be as easy as it was.
Of course, a few good reviews and some sales may make me feel differently. I know writers are always asking people to leave reviews, and it’s true that they do sell books, but it’s also true that good reviews can keep us writing. As do sales. All the Burke books are available on Kindle at £3.99 or less. If you want me (or any of your other favourite authors) to write more (or faster) buying their books is a great motivator.
It’s been a long time since the last Burke book, partly because in 2023 I published the third of the Galbraith & Pole vampire fantasies. I’ve missed Galbraith & Pole while I’ve been writing Burke. Urban Fantasy is much easier to write than historical fiction, though the only time I’ve ever had to read 16th century French for my research was while I was writing the second in the series, Eat the Poor. With only three written, I’m still enjoying them. I saw a review somewhere that said it looked as if I was just having fun and taking the reader along for the ride, which is pretty much how I feel. If 2025 sees me writing something new, it will probably be the next Galbraith & Pole.
It’s about 15 years since my first novel, The White Rajah. Burke and the War of 1812 will be the 15th book. Perhaps it’s not surprising that I am drawing breath and wondering what comes next.
I’ve been traditionally published by a small press, but nowadays I self-publish. I’ve enjoyed the freedom and, unexpectedly, the improved sales that come with self-publishing. Still, it can be hard work and I don’t enjoy the marketing side of it – which is, perhaps, why I don’t give that nearly the attention that I should. It’s probably a bit late in the day to start the whole business of trying to find an agent and a publisher again but if anyone has an interest in buying the rights to an existing series, by now I’d probably be open to them. It won’t happen though.
So at the start of the New Year, like so many other people, I’m looking uncertainly at the paths ahead and wondering which one to take. There are a lot of alternatives to writing more fiction. There are tangos to dance, new places to see, even perhaps a return to non-fiction. We’ll see. In the meantime, I have a book to tidy up.
Burke and the War of 1812 should be published this Spring.
It’s a time of year for looking back and looking forward.
My son spent Thanksgiving with his in-laws who lived a while in the States and who take the holiday very seriously. Everyone had to say what they gave thanks for that year. As a buttoned-up Brit, I felt this was all a bit much but, on this last day of the old year, I feel an uncharacteristic urge to join in.
This year had a landmark birthday (no, I’m not telling you which one) and, even though the celebrations were back in April, the memory of a wonderful day in a house packed with wonderful friends is still fresh. So the first thing to be grateful for is that we have a place we can entertain, friends to share it with, and music we can all dance to. It was special.
Landmark birthdays, though, do rather remind us that we are getting older and the year saw some minor, but debilitating, health issues get suddenly worse, which was a concern. The NHS, though, with all its problems, came through for me. Just over a month ago, I had surgery that has essentially sorted me out. Because things had snuck up on me, I hadn’t realised how bad they had got until they were fixed. It is truly wonderful to have my health back.
I know I’m overusing the word ‘wonderful’ but that’s sort of the point of this little essay. Life this year has, indeed, been wonderful, and I want to acknowledge this at a time when the world looks an increasingly dark and dangerous place. As we face the vicissitudes of an uncertain 2025, we all need to remember the good stuff we have now.
What else? If you were reading this blog back in February you will know that after many years of promising to visit the home of an Indian friend, we finally made the trip. It was, yet again, and in the literal meaning of the word, wonderful. Our friend had arranged a tour that took us to some remarkable places and showed us a world we had never seen before. We are so lucky to know such a kind and generous person. Take a bow, Veena!
Summer saw, even by our standards, a ridiculous amount of dancing. When it finally stopped raining, Londoners took to dancing open-air tango every weekend and often during the week as well. Those afternoons and evening are certainly something else to be thankful for.
Somewhere in all this, I seem to have found time to write. I started Burke and the War of 1812 around April and I’m in the final throes of editing now. How I move on with writing is definitely something to consider under the ‘looking forward’ category. Perhaps that’s something to blog about another week but, for now, however frustrating this writing business can be, the fact that I’m still able to string a sentence together is another thing to be grateful for.
So to the end of the year and Christmas. We spent it in a Victorian castle, bringing a bit of Xmas movie romance to real life and it was everything we could have hoped.
None of this would mean much without my beloved and our son. At this time of year we should all be thankful to be able to spend time with the people we love.
So that’s my Thanksgiving done for the year. I promise I’ll be back to my regular cynical self as soon as we’ve seen out 2024.
This time next week Christmas will have come and gone, though our celebrations, like many other people’s, will still be in full flow. This will be my last blog post of the year so I wish you all a really lovely Christmas and I will see you in 2025.
My Christmas picture (above) shows the decorations in Seven Dials. They are really pretty. I posted this picture last month together with a bit of history about the sundial that all the lights are arranged around. You can read about it HERE.
At this time of year, writers often like to include something from one of their books that references Christmas. That’s always a problem for me. My characters are usually away from England at Christmas time and are often quite busy fighting wars. Christmas hardly features. There’s more than usual about Christmas in my current WIP, Burke and the War of 1812, but, even so, it barely rates a mention. Burke has gone off to do something important somewhere comfortable, leaving poor William Brown, who often gets left doing the hard work, to spend winter living with the Shawnee tribe in a camp in what is now Indiana. Here’s his experience of Christmas.
Christmas came and went. William wasn’t sure of the day but he taught the Shawnee some carol tunes which they sang with their own words. William didn’t understand what they were singing and thought he would be happier not knowing, but the tunes provided some comfort as the shortest day came and went and the weather grew colder.
I hope your Christmas is more fun than his.
I’m always impressed by people who turn out short stories at the drop of a hat. I did do a special Christmas short story last year but I’m not going to manage this feat twice. Last year’s story was not historical but features Galbraith and Pole, the main characters in my Urban Fantasy series. It’s set soon after the two of them meet (in Something Wicked) and it’s an unashamedly sentimental tale of Christmas Eve. If you haven’t already read it, it’s still available HERE.
That’s all for this week, this Christmas and this year. I wish you all the best for the holidays and hope people give you lots of books.
