In 1811 a Captain Drouville submitted a paper "On the Formation of British Lancers" to the commander in chief and other similar papers were presented right through to 1814.
Anglesey believes it was the "limited" success of the 1st Lancers against the 7th Hussars at Genappe that finally convinced the British Army to introduce lancers into the cavalry, initilally by with one troop to each regiment. A September 1816 General Order directed that the 9th, 12th, 16th and 23rd Light Dragoons be armed with the lance and other regiments were converted the following year.
This change of weaponry was met with great controversy and debated through the remainder of the century. Many officers condemned its use. Cavalry being cavalry, there was a sense of romanticism associated with it and I am certain preferred the Polish style uniforms. Nonetheless, there are numerous examples of its utility against both infantry and cavalry.
Incidently, for those looking for further information on British units that served in Canada/America during the War of 1812, check out the War of 1812 Magazine on this site, or consult J. Mackay Hitsman "The Incredible War of 1812: A Military History." This book was republished in 1999 and a number of excellent appendices were added giving details on unit service. There is also a wonderful source by Stuart Sutherland, titled "His Majesty's Gentlemen: A Directory of British Regular Army Officers of the War of 1812." Iser Publications, 2000. The directory presents information on the careers and service of 2,900 officers of the British regular army who served in North America during the war, including essays on officer's careers, key battles and engagements, lists of officers by unit and a list of actions fought by each unit. A very impressive piece of work.
Merry Christmas to all.