The Fort George Fortification

A location that has played a significant role in our history is the Fort George fortification, which is located in Port-Louis, specifically at the harbor. This structure has been abandoned, neglected, and forgotten despite its historical importance. To put it simply, a fortification is a defensive structure, such as a wall, that is constructed to create a security perimeter that can withstand any kind of assault. The island nation of Mauritius has a history of a dozen fortifications, most of which are situated along the coasts.

Tonneliers Islet, No More!

In order to get a better understanding of the Fort George fortification, we need to go back in time. A long time ago, there was an islet known as Tonneliers that was located directly in front of Trou Fanfaron. People of the most recent generations will not be aware of this fact. Tonneliers Islet was made from remains of dead corals and basalt rocks, which was also referred to as Cooper Island under British administration. Fort George would be the name given to the military outpost that the British would erect there because it was a strategically important location.

Up until the late 1970s, the islet was a real place. The government then chose to expand the port area by filling up the islet, thus erasing it to the present day. A new topography phase, marked by the birth of a new map of Mauritius, throughout that era. An important note, the Tonneliers Islet hosted different batteries other than Fort George, which will be described later below.

Fort George, 19th Century

Named after King George III and IV, the Fort George fortification was established during the British era, precisely in the 19th century. It is basically situated in the North entrance of Port-Louis, on an old battery site, known as the Redoubt of Labourdonnais, which existed since the 1730s. However, there is no information when the Redoubt of Labourdonnais was demolished, or if it has been incorporated in Fort George.

The Fort George fortification was very advanced in its time. The main purpose of it was to safeguard the City of Port-Louis. In the 1830s, it was equipped with howitzers, 24-pounder carronades, 24-pounder guns, and others. It was later upgraded to more howitzers, 32-pounder, and 68-pounder guns in the 1860s. The weapon upgrades continued in the 1880s, with multiple Rifled Muzzle-Loading (RML) guns, and other types of artillery. The upgrades continued until 1940s, that is during the World War II. Certain modern firearms had a range that allowed them to aim up to the regions of Tamarin and Cap Malheureux. Presented below are some photos and a short video, that show what is left of Fort George:

Within the Fort George site, there was also a Martello tower named, Cunningham. It was named after LT.Col. Thomas Cunningham, who was the mastermind of the tower, built in the early 1830s. However, the tower does not exist anymore. There is no record of its existence after the beginning of the 1900s. The Martello Tower had three 24-pounder howitzers on the top.

Other Batteries Apart The Fort George

Prior to Fort George being the most important one, Tonneliers Islet was home to a number of smaller batteries. As evidenced by the records, the British government took possession of the Fort George fortification in the year 1841. Beginning in the year 1878, it was the sole battery located on the site. The previous batteries that were located on Tonneliers Islet had either been destroyed or had ceased to function at the time this statement was made. There is a clear illustration of the existence of the other batteries on an antique map of Port-Louis that dates back to the 18th century. As for Fort George, it did not exist throughout that time period.

On the map, as you can see some letters to identify the previous batteries. We will describe only the letters on Tonneliers Islet which are: T, V, W and X.

The letter T was Battery d’Alençon. It was a security wall, equipped with 8-pounder guns. It was established in the 1750s. The origin of the name is derived from a town located in Normandy.

The letter V was Battery de Revers. This battery was built by Denyon back in 1735. It was also a wall with three 8-pounder guns.

The letter W was Battery d’Orléans. It was equipped with ten 24-pounder guns pointing to the sea, protecting the port. That battery was the main one on the islet.

The letter X was Battery du Roy. It was an adjacent of Battery d’Orléans. General Dacean upgraded in 1803. Battery du Roy was also the main defensive line on Tonneliers Islet.

It appears that the Redoubt of Labourdonnais served as the foundation for Fort George. It had been constructed during the period of Mahé de Labourdonnais, and it was connected by three batteries. In spite of this, we do not yet possess any tangible evidence to determine whether Fort George was built on it. It was not until after the 1750s that the Redoubt of Labourdonnais was established.

Conclusion

Decades after, Tonneliers Islet is no longer in existence as a result of fillings that were done in order to expand the port area in the name of economic development. The important history that was associated with it has been destroyed. In order to protect itself from potential invasion, Port-Louis possessed a dozen batteries. The French began all of their efforts to defend themselves against the British, and when the British acquired control of Mauritius, they updated the same fortifications that their adversary had erected to protect themselves from them. History may be quite strange at times!

At the present time, the Fort George fortification is a restricted area. In order to gain entry, it is necessary to receive official permission from the Commissioner of Police and to be escorted by the Special Supporting Unit (SSU). Do not, therefore, make any attempt to trespass! Although it has been abandoned and neglected, the Fort George fortification has not yet been completely disappeared. For the sake of history, we can only hope that the authority will work to preserve this precious gem. In fact, it was classified as a National Heritage in 1998.

I personally thank the authority for granting us access to visit, specially to Sergeant Moorghen from the SSU Headquarters. Also, I would like to thank Mr Arrmaan Shamachurn, and Mr Keshaw Audit from SOS Patrimoine en Péril association.