# Onward & Leslie in Grimsby



## Lemo (Feb 19, 2009)

Hello

I haven't been around here for long but i'm hoping someone can help with some info on the fishing vessels Onward & Leslie. I don't know where they were registered but they were both in Grimsby at one time or another.

It seems there are/were several Onward's but the one I need was in Grimsby in 1881, sorry I don't know her number but it's not GY 87.

My interest in the Leslie is around 1900 also in Grimsby. I have been told my ancestor was her skipper in 1899 & 1900 & he was lost at sea 1902 or 1903. I wonder if he was still on the Leslie??

The only other thing I have found out about the Leslie was that she was owned by R B Kennedy (Robert Baird) in 1900. 

any info at all about either of these boats or even R B Kennedy is appreciated. 

thanks
Lemo


----------



## Steve Farrow (Sep 9, 2006)

Lemo,

The ONWARD was a ketch rigged wooden sailing smack, GY 173 and was built in 1866. She had her registration changed in March 1869 to GY 196. She fished with long lines as opposed to using a beam trawl, and normally carried four men and seven boys. In June 1898 she was sold to Norway.
The LESLIE was registered as GY 829 in 1882 and was built by Smith, Stephenson & Vere, Grimsby. She was also a long-liner with dimensions, 76.4' x 20.4' x 11.35' In January 1895 she was converted to steam power. In May 1901 she was sold to Norway. In Jan 1896 her owner was R. B. Kennedy and her skipper was C. Lucas. In September of that year it was F. Rushworth and her skipper was F. Croft.
I hope this helps.

Regards

Steve


----------



## Lemo (Feb 19, 2009)

Hi Steve

That's brillant. My grt grt grandfather Albert Emerson was skipper in Aug 1899 & Jan 1900. So she was sold, which means he wasn't aboard her when he was lost at sea 1902-3, which means I have at least one other boat to try & track down. Don't suppose you know of any pics of these trawlers do you? But at least now I have their numbers thanks to you so I know what I'm looking for. 

Many Thanks

Lemo


----------



## Steve Farrow (Sep 9, 2006)

Lemo,

I posted a painting of the smack JOHN BULL in the Gallery on 11the January 2008. This will give you a general idea of their overall appearance. If you send me a private message (P.M), I can send you some photos.
Here is a list of lost Grimsby fishing vessels for the years you are looking for. Of course it could be that he was washed overboard as often happened.

Regards

Steve


----------



## birgir (Sep 4, 2006)

THE ELUSIVE LESLIE.

Steve Farrow.

In 1905, a group of men in Iceland bought a wooden steam ship from Norway, named Leslie. It is recorded as built in England in 1884, 92 brt, with a 120 hp compound engine. I wonder if it is the same ship?

The buyers were 3 fishermen, and a skipper turned shipowner. The ship was registered as Leslie GK 315, with homeport at Hafnarfjörður. In 1908, the shipowner (August Flygenring) became sole owner, and sold the ship along with his other ships to a company called Hf. Sjavarborg, which was a ship-operating subsidiary of one of the biggest trading firms operating in Iceland at the time, known locally as Edinborgarverslun, (The Edinburgh trading company), but was in fact a branch of a Scottish trading company Copland and Berrie.) The Leslie was sold in 1908 for 8000 kronur, which was equal to 445 pounds), so she was valued about the same as a sailing smack.
The Sjavarborg company was one of the three largest sailing smack operators in Iceland for a few years, but then sold it´s ships to the Faroes at the start of WW1, when the era of the sailing smack with large crews handlining came to an end. The Leslie was however used in a different way. She seems to have been primarily a herring-drifter in summer, and a long-liner in winter, and is therefore a un-noticed pioneer in Icelands fishing history.

Leslie was however sold to Asgeir Petursson, Akureyri, in 1915. He was the premier entrepreneur in the herring fisheries at the time. The Leslie was re-registered as EA ? in 1917, but the exact fishing number is unknown, as the ship disappears from the records that year for an unknown reason. (Asgeir Petursson was a self-made man, and keeping official records were not high on his agenda).

I have been unable to track down a picture of the Leslie GK 315.

Birgir Thorisson


----------

