AH-WR-1211

HMS Fantome

Brig-Sloop · United Kingdom · Lost 1814 · Nova Scotia & Sable Island

A former French privateer turned Royal Navy brig-sloop was wrecked near Prospect, Nova Scotia in 1814, later linked to disputed rumors of War of 1812 plunder.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built in France as the privateer Fantôme, she was captured by the Royal Navy in 1810 and served through the War of 1812. Returning toward Halifax with a convoy in November 1814, she was driven onto a reef in Shag Bay near Prospect during a storm and lost, though her crew survived. Persistent stories that she carried goods taken during the British raid on Washington have made her wreck the subject of historical dispute and a controversial commercial salvage license.

Vessel

Built: 1809
Builder: Not established
Yard: Saint-Malo, France
Material: Wood
Length: 94 ft
Beam: 31 ft
Tonnage: 384
Propulsion: Sail, brig rig
Owners: Royal Navy (originally a French privateer)

Loss

Date: November 24, 1814
Cause: Storm
Location: Shag Bay, near Prospect, Nova Scotia
Water: Atlantic Ocean, approach to Halifax
Voyage: Bermuda (via the Chesapeake, following the 1814 raid on Washington) → Halifax, Nova Scotia
Cargo: Possibly including items taken during the burning of Washington, though this is disputed by historians
Aboard: 121
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Reported, unconfirmed
Nearest: Prospect, Nova Scotia
Region: Nova Scotia & Sable Island

General area of Shag Bay near Prospect is cited in Royal Navy records, but the precise wreck site remains disputed among researchers.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (70/100)

Whether Fantome's wreck contains material from the Washington raid, and the exact identification and position of the wreck site, are not firmly established in the sources reviewed.

Archaeology Magazine (Archaeological Institute of America)
Loss narrative, controversy over salvage, and treasure claims.
Government of Nova Scotia news release
Date and location of loss, survival of crew.
Wikipedia, citing Winfield's British Warships
Build details, capture, dimensions, and career.