Captain Swayze and the Angel Inn

In May 1813, the Americans took Fort George and the adjacent town of Newark. During the American invasion, one officer decided to remain behind in order to find his true love.

Legend has it that Captain Colin Swayze delayed joining the British retreat from Fort George in order to find his true love. As the captain was searching, an American patrol was sent to search the Angel Inn, where Swayze decided to hide from American patrols. Swayze was hiding in an empty barrel to avoid detection when American soldiers started to bayonet the barrels to find the captain. In the process, the Americans found Captain Swayze when they bayoneted the barrel where he was hiding, causing a fatal wound.

Some believe that Captain Swayze is still on his mission to find his true love as some claim to have seen his ghost walking to the Angel Inn. There are also reports of noises from the Angel Inn dining room and the rearranging of place settings. Legend has it that the ghost of Captain Swayze will remain harmless as long as a British flag flies over the inn. Today, the Angel Inn continues to fly a British flag.

If you want to hear some more ghost stories, head to Fort George and Old Fort Erie for their annual Halloween tours. In addition, make sure to check out the Olde Angel Inn and other locations in Niagara for their 1812 related ghost stories.