Captain Henry Mowatt

Captain Henry Mowatt: The Man Behind the Name

Captain Henry Mowatt was born in Scotland in 1734 and joined the British Royal Navy at 18. He spent six years as an able seaman and midshipman, mastering navigation and ship handling before earning his commission as a lieutenant in 1758.

In 1764, he was given command of HMS Canceaux, a 16-gun sloop tasked with mapping the rugged coastlines of Atlantic Canada and New England. For the next twelve years, Mowatt sailed these waters, charting bays, islands, shoals, and hidden ledges. He knew the Maine coast better than anyone alive.

The charts he created became the gold standard for navigation. Long after he left, Maine fishermen and harbor pilots relied on his work to find safe passage and avoid disaster.

That knowledge would later make him one of Britain's most effective naval officers in the American Revolution — and one of Maine's most controversial figures.

The Burning of Falmouth Neck

By the autumn of 1775, the American Revolution was in motion. That October, Mowatt received orders from Vice Admiral Samuel Graves to return to Falmouth (now Portland) and make an example of the town.

Mowatt knew Falmouth well. He had surveyed its waters and walked its streets during his years aboard the Canceaux. He had once called the harbor one of the most peaceful stations in America. Now he was being asked to reduce it to ashes.

On October 16, he entered Casco Bay with a small fleet: the Canceaux, Cat, Halifax, Symmetry, and Spitfire. He issued a formal proclamation giving the townspeople two days to evacuate.

At 9 a.m. on October 18, the fleet opened fire.

For nine hours, cannon fire echoed across the harbor. Fires spread from house to house, consuming churches, warehouses, and shops. By nightfall, more than 400 buildings were destroyed. Remarkably, there were no fatalities — a testament to the warning Mowatt had given.

The destruction sent shockwaves through the colonies. For many Americans, it erased any hope of reconciliation with Britain. It became a rallying point for independence and a direct catalyst for the formation of the Continental Navy.

For Mowatt, it was the defining act of his career. His name would be tied to the burning for the rest of his life.

Our sauces — Canceaux, Spitfire, and Halifax Jerk — are named after the ships in that fleet. Once instruments of war, their names now bring flavor instead of firepower.

The Penobscot Expedition

In the summer of 1779, Mowatt sailed into Penobscot Bay with a British force under General Francis McLean. With about 700 troops and three armed sloops, they established Fort George at Castine.

When a much larger American fleet arrived to dislodge them, Mowatt's deep knowledge of Maine's coastline and his disciplined defensive tactics allowed the small British garrison to hold out for three weeks.

The result was the complete destruction or capture of all 44 American vessels — the worst U.S. naval defeat until Pearl Harbor in 1941.

After the War

Mowatt's service continued long after the Revolution. In 1795, he was promoted to captain and given command of the 50-gun HMS Assistance.

On April 14, 1798, he died of apoplexy while sailing off the Chesapeake Bay. He was buried in the Episcopal churchyard in Hampton, Virginia, ending a career that left a lasting mark on Maine's history and its waters.

Why We Carry His Name

Captain Mowatt's legacy is complicated. But at Captain Mowatt's, we're not celebrating destruction — we're reclaiming the fire.

The Burning of Falmouth was a turning point in American history. It fueled the fight for independence and led directly to the creation of the Continental Navy. It's a part of Maine's maritime story that speaks to resilience, rebuilding, and the spirit of a community shaped by the sea.

What once came by cannon now comes by bottle. Still fiery. Still unforgettable. Still burning Portland since 1775.

Ready to taste the fire?