George Parsons

Who was George Parsons?

George Parsons was born in Poole, the son of George Parsons, and was baptised at St James, Poole, 21 September 1729. His father moved to Portsmouth to take up a position as a shipwright in the Royal Dockyard in 1740. George junior began as a Quarter Boy entering 18 June 1744. He continued in the Royal Dockyard until, as a 2nd shipwright he was discharged 6 April 1763. His move to Bursledon therefore probably occurred later that year and certainly by 1764. His first employer there was a shipowner, Thomas Cooper, and a few years later, Philemon Ewer, a descendant of the pre-eminent local shipbuilder of the previous generation. He almost certainly moved into his own yard by 1774 at Bursledon Point on the Hamble, though the advertisement in 1776 for 'a good burthensome well built Sloop, about 30 tons, just finished' suggested this might have been built in partnership with Ewer. By late 1778 he was ready to build on his own account when a Navy Board letter of 19 December refers to an offer from him to build 'a Ship of 32 guns'.

The warships he built there were:

In addition to the above HMS Rattler was launched at Northam in 1795. The original contractor, Thomas Raymond went bankrupt in 1793 and Parsons took it over for which he received £3000 from the Admiralty. Quebec and Ardent were built in partnership with Robert Stares.