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Early life

St Peter Port, where Brock was born in 1769.

Brock was born at St Peter Port on the Channel Island of Guernsey, the eighth son of John Brock (1729–1777), a former midshipman in the Royal Navy. His mother was Elizabeth de Lisle, the daughter of Daniel de Lisle, the lieutenant-bailiff of Guernsey. The Brocks were an English family who had been established in Guernsey since the sixteenth century. Brock earned a reputation during his early education on Guernsey as an assiduous student, as well as an exceptional swimmer and boxer. At age eleven, he was sent to school in Southampton, and afterwards to Rotterdam where he became fluent in French.

Although his formal education ended when he was a teenager, Brock appreciated its importance. As an adult, he spent much time reading in order to broaden his knowledge. He read many works on military tactics and science, but also read ancient history and other less practical topics. At the time of his death, he owned a modest library of books, including classic works by Shakespeare, Voltaire, and Samuel Johnson.

Brock kept his reputation as an "unusually tall, robust" man throughout his life, with an adult height of about 6 ft 2 in (188 cm). Measurements taken from his uniform show that at his death he had a waist size of 47 inches (120 cm) and the inside brim of his hat measured 24 inches (61 cm) in circumference. Though Brock was noted as a handsome man who enjoyed the company of women, he never married.

Military service

Brock had a successful pre-war military career and a quick rise through the ranks, which many commented on at the time. Some credited luck, and others skill, in his rapid promotions. Brock had substantial portions of both on his way to prominence. Lacking special political connections, Brock's ability to gain promotions even when Britain was at peace attests to his ambition, and his skills in recruiting men and organizing finances.

Early career

Brock joined the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot on 8 March 1785 with the rank of ensign,. As was common at the time, Brock's commission was purchased for him by his family. When Brock joined the 8th Foot, its commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Arent DePeyster who had served in North America during the Revolutionary War as commandant of Fort Detroit, and who had substantial experience negotiating with Britain's Indigenous allies. On 16 January 1790, Brock purchased the rank of lieutenant and later that year raised his own company of men. As a result, he obtained a commission as captain of an Independent Company|Independent Company of Foot on 27 January 1791, but transferred to the 49th (Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot on 15 June 1791.

When Brock transferred to the 49th Foot, the regiment was stationed in Barbados in the West Indies. His nephew and biographer, Ferdinand Brock Tupper, asserts that shortly after Brock arrived in Barbados, a "professional dueller" forced a match on him. As the one being challenged Brock had his choice of terms, and he insisted that they use pistols. His friends were shocked as Brock was a large target and his opponent an expert shot. Brock, however, refused to change his mind. When the duellist arrived at the field, he asked Brock to decide how many paces they would take. Brock insisted that the duel would take place not at the usual range, but at handkerchief distance (i.e., close range). The duellist declined and was subsequently forced out of the regiment. This contributed to Brock's popularity and reputation among his fellow officers, as this duellist had a formidable reputation and was regarded as a bully.

Several months after Brock had joined the 49th Foot, the regiment was ordered to Jamaica, where in 1793, Brock fell victim to yellow fever and became seriously ill. He did not fully recover until after he had returned home to Guernsey on leave. After regaining his strength, he became involved in recruiting efforts and the training of volunteer companies raised for home defence. Brock purchased his majority on 27 June 1795,. He rejoined the 49th Foot in the summer of 1796 when the regiment returned from the West Indies.

First command

Brock purchased the rank of lieutenant-colonel for £3,000 in October 1797. He served as the acting commanding officer of the 49th Foot for several months, and officially assumed command of the regiment on 22 March 1798 with the retirement of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Keppel.

Landing of the English Troops at Calantsoog by Dirk Langendyck, 1799

In 1799, during the War of the Second Coalition, the 49th Foot was assigned to the Anglo-Russian expedition against the Batavian Republic. The 49th Foot were attached to Major General John Moore's 4th Brigade, part of the division commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby. The expedition faced minimal opposition when they landed at Callantsoog, south of Den Helder on 27 August. Brock first saw combat when the 49th Foot helped fend off a French attack on 10 September. On 19 September, the 4th Brigade captured Hoorn without a shot but withdraw from the city shortly thereafter.

On 2 October, the 49th Foot was actively involved in heavy combat at the Battle of Alkmaar. During the battle, the 4th Brigade served as the vanguard of a column that steadily proceeded south along the beach from Petten towards Egmond aan Zee. As it advanced, the column was increasing harassed by French sharpshooters hiding in patches of thick scrub. Eventually, the French blocked the advance by taking up a strong position in the sand dunes overlooking the beach. Moore's brigade was ordered to dislodge the French from their position with a bayonet charge. In a letter to his brother Brock wrote that he "ordered a charge, which I assure you was executed with the greatest gallantry, though not in the greatest order, as the nature of the ground admitted of none."

The engagement continued for several hours until the French finally gave way and the British were able to push forward. By the end of the day the 49th Foot had suffered 33 killed including 2 officers, 56 wounded, and 24 missing. Brock himself was injured during the fighting when he was hit in the throat by a spent musket ball. His neck cloth prevented a possibly fatal injury. Brock wrote, "I got knocked down shortly after the enemy began to retreat, but never quitted the field, and returned to my duty in less than half an hour."

Nelson Forcing the Passage of the Sound, 30 March 1801, prior to the Battle of Copenhagen by Robert Dodd.

The 49th Foot returned to Great Britain at the end of October. They garrisoned Jersey for several months beginning in July 1800. Early in 1801, the regiment was chosen to act as marines for a naval expedition against Denmark. The 49th Foot was tasked with assaulting the forts at Copenhagen, however, the outcome of the naval battle made such action unnecessary. Brock sailed aboard the 74-gun HMS Ganges commanded by Captain Thomas Fremantle, with the rest of the regiment distributed on the Defiance, Agamemnon, Russell, Polyphemus, Edgar, Bellona, and Monarch. The Monarch suffered the highest number of casualties during the battle, including eight members of the 49th Foot.

Transfer to Canada

The 49th Foot was back in England by September 1801, and on 6 June 1802 embarked for the Canadas. Brock arrived at Quebec on 25 August and then travelled up the St Lawrence River to Montreal where the regiment would spend the winter. The following spring, the 49th Foot was assigned to garrison Fort York on Lake Ontario, Fort George on the Niagara River, and Fort Amherstburg at the mouth of the Detroit River. Brock established his headquarters at York, the capital of Upper Canada.

In the summer of 1803, Brock was confronted with the desertion of several men, which was an ongoing problem at posts located close to the American border. Five men of the 49th Foot and three others had stolen a boat, fled across Lake Ontario, and landed near the mouth of the Niagara River. Despite having no jurisdiction on American soil, Brock dispatched a party across the border in pursuit and the fugitives were soon apprehended.

Mutiny

A short time later, Brock received a report from Fort George that some of the garrison were planning to confine or murder the officers then cross over to the United States. Brock immediately boarded the schooner that had brought the message and headed to Fort George. According to Tupper, a hastily assembled honour guard formed to greet Brock's unexpected arrival. Alone on entering the fort, Brock ordered the sergeant of the guard to disarm and had him confined. As it was the dinner hour, all the soldiers were in barracks. Brock ordered the drummers to call out the men. He ordered the first officer on the scene, Lieutenant Williams, to bring him a soldier suspected of being one of the mutiny's ringleaders. Pinning the man with a sabre, Williams took him into custody. Ten other suspected mutineers were also taken prisoner.Tupper (1847) pp. 26–30</ref>

Brock sent the twelve mutineers and the eight deserters to Quebec for court martial. Nine were transported for life and seven were sentenced to death. The mutineers testified that they were forced to such measures by the rigid discipline imposed by Lieutenant Colonel Roger Hale Shaffe, who commanded at Fort George. They said if they had served under Brock's command, they would never have taken such action. Subsequently, Brock was ordered to move his headquarters to Fort George. In a letter, Brock expressed regret that the conspirators had been executed, as some had been men who had been with him in Holland and at Copenhagen.

Pre-war preparations

After a period of leave in Guernsey and a promotion to colonel on 29 October 1805, Brock arrived back in Canada in September 1806 and took temporary command of all British forces in Upper and Lower Canada. By 1806, the United States had becoming increasingly hostile to the United Kingdom. Relations between the two nations continued to deteriorate until war broke out in 1812.

Many in the United States were upset by British violations of American sovereignty and the restriction of American trade during the Napoleonic Wars. Their grievances included the searching of American ships for deserters, the impressment of American sailors by the Royal Navy, and the naval blockade of French and allied ports. In response to incidents such as the Chesapeake–Leopard affair, an influential group of American congressmen known as the War Hawks began to lobby for an invasion of Canada to punish the British. At the same time there was growing sentiment that the British were inciting Native Americans to attack American frontier settlements. Finally, the War Hawks were convinced that the inhabitants of Upper and Lower Canada would rise up in support of any invasion. Shortly after war was declared, Thomas Jefferson wrote, conquering Canada would be "a mere matter of marching".

In response to this emerging threat, Brock moved quickly to bolster Canadian defences. He strengthened the fortifications of Quebec by reconstructing walls and creating an elevated artillery battery. He reorganized and strengthened the Provincial Marine, creating a naval force capable of giving the British naval command of the Great Lakes. Brock's appropriation of civilian lands and labour for military use, however, brought him into conflict with the civilian authorities including Thomas Dunn, the Lieutenant Governor of Lower Canada,

In 1807, Brock was appointed a brigadier general by Sir James Henry Craig , the newly appointed Governor General of British North America. Brock remained in Lower Canada until 1810 when he was given command of all British forces in Upper Canada. During this period Brock had lobbied for a posting in Europe, but in June 1811 he was promoted to major general, in October of that year was appointed administrator of Upper Canada when Francis Gore, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, went to England on leave. As commander of British forces in the province and as the senior member of the Executive Council, he became fully in charge of both the military and civil authority. When permission to leave for Europe finally came in early 1812, Brock declined the offer, believing he had a duty to defend Upper Canada against the United States.<ref>

As Upper Canada's administrator, Brock made a series of changes to prepare for war. He amended the Militia Act to allow use of all available volunteers, and ordered enhanced training of new recruits, despite opposition from the provincial legislature. He continued the strengthening and reinforcing of defences. He also began seeking out Indigenous leaders, such as the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, to build an alliance with the British against the Americans in the event of war. Although the conventional wisdom of the day was that Canada would fall quickly in the event of an invasion, Brock pursued these strategies to give the colony a fighting chance.

Meanwhile, in Guernsey, Brock's family faced financial difficulties, as the bank in which Brock's brother William was a senior partner failed. Isaac Brock's commissions had been purchased with a loan entered into the bank's books by his brother, and the family faced demands for payment. Brock did not have the resources to pay off the £3000 debt, but turned over the whole of his salary to his brother Irving, to be used for whatever was considered most critical: his commission debt or the family's other bills.