“Lady Laurel”
Built in Sandy Ground in 1952 by master shipwright Ellis Franklin and his son Harry, of South Hill, ‘Lady Laurel’ was unique in that she was the sole schooner ever built in Anguilla by the owners themselves. Lady Laurel was 65 ft. long with 20 ft. beam, 8 ft. deep and stoutly built.
In the capable hands of conservative Captain Harry Franklin, Lady Laurel sailed the Northeastern Caribbean and Trinidad route for years.
Following the hurricane of January 2nd 1955 Lady Laurel arrived in Anguilla with a large shipment of hurricane relief supplies including a powerful pump to assist in re-floating the Excelsior. However, very rough seas in Sandy Ground made unloading impossible and Excelsior was wrecked before the heavy pump could be landed and taken to the Forest where Excelsior was stranded on a reef.
In the 1960’s she was beached and stretched to 85 ft. and 22 ft beam and fitted with an engine and became one of the largest and best sailing vessels ever built in Anguilla.
Lady Laurel made several voyages to Trinidad with salt, returning with petroleum products and general cargo before settling in to the ever expanding trade in general merchandise from Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands and the Leeward Islands. Lady Laurel was lost in 1988 to windward of Virgin Gorda on her way to the Leeward Islands from Puerto Rico.
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