Francis

Official Number
28007

The Francis was a three-masted schooner built at Barrow-in-Furness by Rawlinson & Reay. She was launched in January 1861, and was owned by James Fisher & Sons from 1872 . She was sold in April 1915 after being dismasted at Padstow in the previous month.

A Mr.Pearson wrote to the magazine "Sea Breezes" about his experiences in the Francis in 1911. The schooner was a leaky vessel at that time. They carried cracked stone from Guernsey, china clay from Fowey to Runcorn and soot for fertilizer from Runcorn to Waterford.

In 1918 the Francis was owned by Miss E.M.Brown, registered at Lancaster and commanded by Capt.D.Forshaw, according to Lloyd's Register. She was still  listed in the Shipping Register in the 1950's, owned in Bristol, and her ultimate fate is unknown.
 
Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Francis
 1861
130
89.0
21.2
11.0
 3
 
 
A1, 7 years 

Sources :

  1. Research by Derek Blackhurst
  2. Clayton's Register of Shipping 1865: Francis, schooner, 128 tons, built in 1861, registered at Lancaster, owned by Joseph Rawlinson, iron ore merchant, of Dalton, master Capt.Kirkby.
  3. Mercantile Navy List 1918: Francis, schooner, 98 tons, built at Hindpool in 1861, official number 28007, signal letters PTQC, registered at Lancaster, managing owner James Fisher, of Barrow.
  4. Mercantile Navy List 1918: Francis, schooner, 127 tons, built at Hindpool in 1861, official number 28007, signal letters PTQC, registered at Lancaster, managing owner Miss Elsie Mary Brown, of Knowle, Bristol.
  5. Lloyds Register of Shipping 1922-3.
  6. Mercantile Navy List 1935: Francis, schooner, 127 tons, built at Hindpool in 1861, official number 28007, signal letters MQYR, registered at Lancaster, managing owner Miss Elsie Mary Brown, of Knowle, Bristol.
  7. "A History of Local Sailing Ships", by H.Peck, in "Proceedings of the Barrow Naturalists Field Club" Vol. 7 (1951).