Australian videographer Paul Sheaffe and his family will be in Ogdensburg next week to check out some family history with the War of 1812 in Canada.

What a history.

Mr. Sheaffe, 58, is the great-great-grandson of William Sheaffe, who was the nephew of Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe. Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe was the commander of British, Canadian and Indian forces who defeated American troops in the Battle of Queenston Heights, Ontario, overlooking the Niagara River, on Oct. 13, 1812.

Mr. Sheaffe, accompanied by his daughters, Hannah Ruth, 11, and Sarah Grace, 15, his cousin, Stephen Sheaffe and his wife, Glenda, will be in Ogdensurg on Tuesday to visit the Lighthouse Point site of Fort La Presentation, the 1749 French settlement, and Morristown. The February 1813 Battle of Ogdensburgh resulted in a British victory over the Americans and led to the capture of what was then a village.

“Sir Roger raised some of his brother’s children following his brother’s early death and sent William off to military school,” Mr. Sheaffe said in an email Wednesday from Boston. “William then served in the British military and was the first Sheaffe to come as an officer on a convict ship in 1834 and settle permanently in Australia. The Coat of Arms was granted to Sir Roger and his descendants — who all predeceased him — and to William and his descendants. Sir Roger’s artifacts were handed down to William and his family, and so ended up with me.”

Sir Roger had no role in the Battle of Ogdensburgh and the family’s knowledge of Fort La Presentation and the Battle of Ogdensburgh is scant. But that hasn’t stopped his descendants from taking an American detour on their three-week Canadian War of 1812 history tour.

“I am making a video documentary of Sir Roger’s life, in particular at this point where it aligns with Canadian history and that part of Canadian history slightly left and right of Sir Roger’s involvement, as we will discover next week,” Mr. Sheaffe said.

The visit to Ogdensburg and Morristown will be an extra learning experience for the Sheaffes.

“The whole family is excited about visiting New York,” Mr. Sheaffe said. “This trip will take us to some places Sir Roger must have seen while traveling in Upper Canada during the War of 1812, and places we have never been.”

Fort La Presentation Association President Barbara O’Keefe is looking forward to the Sheaffes’ visit here.

“We are pleased the Sheaffe family will have time during their tour of the Ontario side of the St. Lawrence to cross over to New York,” she said earlier this week. “This informal visit is an opportunity for the Sheaffes to experience the American point-of-view on Forsyth’s Raid on Brockville, the Battle of Ogdensburgh and the War of 1812 in general.”

The Sheaffes will be present for the 200th anniversary observance of the Battle of Queenston Heights. While in Eastern Ontario, they family’s itinerary includes Fort Henry in Kingston, Fort Wellington in Prescott, Upper Canada Village, the Battle of Crysler’s Farm Memorial and the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Mr. Sheaffe is producing a documentary for Australian television on his family’s visit here.

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