Falstaff

Official Number 70923

The Falstaff was the second  full-rigged sailing ship built by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company. She was Yard No. 20 and was launched on the 24th February 1875. The Falstaff had single topgallant sails and a long jibboom on her bowsprit.

The Falstaff was built for James Beazley & Sons. Beazley was already managing Barrow's first iron ship, the British Duke, built the previous month for the British Shipowners Association. He was a Liverpool shipowner, respected for his treatment of  his ships' crews, and he had been owner of the famous tea clipper Robin Hood.

Source 2 reports that the Falstaff was commanded for a year by Capt. Thomas Yardley Powles, who operated the ship in the Calcutta trade, probably bringing  jute to Barrow. His best outward passage time was 85 days, and the best return time was 99 days.

In 1891 the Falstaff made the passage from Iquique (a Chilean nitrate port) to Falmouth by way of Cape Horn in 81 days. In 1898-9 she dragged her anchor and collided with the steamship Victoria at Valparaiso, Chile. At this time she was owned by W.B.Jones, Swansea,  the owner since at least since 1895. By 1905 the Falstaff was being used as a coal hulk at Callao, and was owned by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. The hulk of the vessel still survives today, in use as a breakwater at Punta Arenas, Chile.
 

Further Information :

1. The Falstaff is mentioned by Basil Lubbock in "The Last of the Windjammers" Vols. 1 and 2.

1. "Portrait of a Shipbuilder: Barrow-Built Vessels since 1873", ed. Nigel Harris ISBN 0 947971 32 7 (published 1989)
2. "A History of Local Sailing Ships" by H.Peck, an article in "The Proceedings of the Barrow Naturalists Field Club" Vol.7 (1951).
3. There is a photo of this ship in the Multimedia Catalogue of the State Library of Victoria
4. Fredrik Sandström's Sailing Ships site
5. Info from Tony Salter-Ellis, BAE Systems, Editor, Marine Publications.
6. " Record of American and Foreign Shipping 1895 " names owner as W.B.Jones, master as Capt.Thomas and describes the vessel as belonging to Swansea.
7. Photo of Falstaff available at the San Francisco Public Library.