FRANCIS HENTY

Shipbuildervessel built by Alexander HALL & Co. (Footdee, Aberdeen)

Date1852

Object NameCLIPPER

MediumWOOD

ClassificationsShip

Dimensionslength 153.7' x breadth 25.5' x depth 16.6'
gross tonnage 432 tons

Object numberABDSHIP001069

Keywords

Aberdeen Built Ships

About MeYard: Alexander Hall & Co.
Yard Number: 181

Fate: broken up at Melbourne, December 1880.

Propulsion: Sail
Description: Ship rigged clipper, 3 masts.

Owners:
1852-69: Henty & Co., registered at Portland, New South Wales

Master:
1852-69: Master Cairncross

Voyages (Lloyd's Register):
1852-53: Aberdeen - Australia.
1854-69: London - Australia.

General History:
29/07/1852:
New ship FRANCIS HENTY to leave England for Portland Bay [Victoria] with despatch.
(Melbourne Argus)

18/03/1853:
The ship "FRANCIS HENTY" from Port Philip [Melbourne] has arrived off Plymouth with 65,166 ounces of gold or more than a quarter of a million sterling.
(Hull Packet & East Riding Times)

13/01/1854:
The ship "FRANCIS HENTY" of London, Captain Cairncross, 85 days from Melbourne, arrived Plymouth Friday. She brings home 66,800 ounces of gold, besides a quantity in the hands of her passengers, who express the greatest confidence in the gold fields. No passenger by this ship brings home less than £1000. One of them has 3,000 ounces of gold.
(Hull Packet & East Riding Times)

16/02/1856:
Ship FRANCIS HENTY left Liverpool 26 November and arrived Portland 8th February.
(Cornwall Chronicle (Tasmania))

05/04/1856:
Favourite Aberdeen clipper ship FRANCIS HENTY arrived at Melbourne Heads yesterday from Portland. She will take in gold and passengers and proceed at once on her homeward voyage. As there is no mail ship on the berth, this offers only present opportunity to send letters to Europe.
(Colonial Times (Hobart, Tasmania))

15/04/1856:
FRANCIS HENTY about to sail for London and judging from former voyages is likely to make rapid passage.
(Geelong Advertiser)

28/01/1859:
FRANCIS HENTY arrived Melbourne 27th January from Plymouth.
(Bendigo Advertiser (Victoria))

02/07/1859:
The ship "FRANCIS HENTY" arrived at Plymouth yesterday in 87 days from Melbourne.
(Leeds Mercury)

14/03/1860:
FRANCIS HENTY sailed from Portland, 13th March for London.
(South Australian Advertiser)

30/04/1863:
FRANCIS HENTY, 432 tons, master Cairncross, arrived Newcastle 29th April from Otago (New Zealand South Island).
Maitland Mercury (NSW)

17/07/1863:
FRANCIS HENTY sailed 16th July from Port Philip Heads (Melbourne) for Twofold Bay.
(Bendigo Advertiser)

07/07/1864:
FRANCIS HENTY master Cairncross, sailed from Newcastle 5th July for melbourne with 560 tons of coal.
(Sydney Morning Herald)

06/06/1929:
In 1864 ship FRANCIS HENTY made three voyages to New Zealand with sheep.
(Portland Guardian (Victoria))

06/12/1865:
FRANCIS HENTY sailed from Port Philip Heads 5th December for Auckland (NZ).
(Bendigo Advertiser)

16/05/1860:
FRANCIS HENTY arrived Melbourne from San Francisco (14th March).
(Sydney Morning Herald)

26/10/1866:
FRANCIS HENTY arrived Port Philip Heads 24th October from Chile.
(Bendigo Advertiser)

07/11/1866:
FRANCIS HENTY sailed 4th November for Guam.
(South Australian Register)

24/04/1867:
FRANCIS HENTY arrived Queenscliff, Victoria, 16th April from Mauritius.
(Cornwall Chronicle)

13/01/1868:
FRANCIS HENTY, master John Torrance, arrived Melbourne from Foo-chow-foo, 24th November.
(Melbourne Argus)

21/05/1868:
The smart little clipper ship FRANCIS HENTY, which left Melbourne early February for Calcutta with horses made a very good passage of 53 days and delivered her stock in fine condition. Only one horse was lost on voyage.
(Sydney Morning Herald)

28/07/1868:
FRANCIS HENTY, master Quayle, arrived Newcastle, 25th July from Melbourne.
(Sydney Morning Herald)

22/01/1874:
FRANCIS HENTY arrived Newcastle 21st January from Melbourne, master Beer.
(Sydney Morning Herald)

01/01/1881:
FOR SALE The barque FRANCIS HENTY, breaking up at Footscray-bridge, English hardwood, cabin fittings and decks in pine, in lots to suit purchasers: suitable for building outhouses &c. Firewood. Apply on the ground
(The Age (Melbourne))

Notes: Contract cost £5,870, or £11.10s. per ton. (Builder's List held in the Lloyd's Library of the Aberdeen Maritime Museum)
Re-rigged as a barque c. 1870
Named after Francis Henty (1815-89), the youngest son of Thomas and Frances Elizabeth Henty, born in West Tarring, Sussex, England. At the age of 17 he travelled to Launceston with his parents. Two years later he followed his brother Edward to Portland, becoming Victoria's second settler and reputedly the first to bring merino sheep across to the Port Phillip District. After his marriage to Mary Ann Lawrence in Launceston in 1842, Henty settled at Merino Downs in the Western District. [State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia].
A painting of "Francis Henty" appears in the book Shar Jones (1988), "Early Painters of Australia, 1788-1880" (Bay Books). This painting was done by Thomas Robertson, a Melbourne artist, whilst the vessel was at Portland Bay, Victoria, sometime in 1858.