Archaeological remains associated with the loss of this vessel are not confirmed as present at this location, but may be in the vicinity.

Event and Historical Information:
The FRANCHISE was a full-rigged ship built on the east coast of America for the Tucker family of Wiscasset, Maine. Surviving family papers include letters relating to the loss of the FRANCHISE at Porth Ceriad on 26 February 1855. The FRANCHISE set sail with a cargo of cotton and rosin from Charleston on 14 January 1855. It reached the coast of southern Ireland on 23 February, and began to head for Liverpool. At 10am on the morning of 26th - 'We then sounded 33 fathoms and about 10 minutes afterwards the lookout, the appearer William Lewis announced he could hear a steamer ahead and the appearer James H Scott immediately went forward and judging that the sound proceeded from breakers and not from a steamer we braced the yards sharp up and put the helm hard down to haul off the larboard tack. We could not see at this time 20 yards from the vessel, but when the ship came up to the wind we made out breakers close under our starboard quarter and the wind soon after falling calm (caused we subsequently found by being under a headland) our vessel was swept by a current towards them. We immediately let go both anchors but before they could bring the ship up she struck heavily. She continued striking heavily and in a short time started several of the butts and we cut away the masts to ease her. The sea now making a fearful breach over her threatening every moment to dash her to pieces and as the only means of saving our lives not daring to launch the boats in such a sea we fastened a line to a cask. It floated ashore and we were hauled along it, one by one, by the people and all escaped.' Three local surveyors (Robert McKie from Liverpool, Robert Griffiths, Lloyds agent at Pwllheli, and Robert Hughes, master mariner of Pwllheli) very quickly decided that as she was on her beam ends, a hole should be cut in the hull and the cargo extracted. However, the FRANCHISE was soon smashed to pieces. The Tuckers agent at Liverpool, Captain Scott, wrote to Wiscassett on 3 March 'there has been a meeting of the consignees today to see what was best to be done for the advantage of all parties concerned, I shall proceed to Wales and save all that is possible and sell it to best advantage? '
In subsequent letters, Scott noted - 'In my letter of the 12th I let you understand that the FRANCHISE had become a total wreck. She was sold by public sale on the 16 March. There was very little saved from the wreck as it was sanded up so very quickly and we were not able to work at it only a low water but I saved a good deal of the metal from the bottom with some of the rigging which I had to dig out of the sand. The proceeds of the sale brought £819. We have saved 2,300 bales of cotton which is now up off the beach in safety but has to be carted 2 miles on a very bad road to be reshipped for Liverpool. We are able to ship about 80 bales per day, I have engaged vessels to carry it to Liverpool at 7 shillings per bale... Have engaged several small vessels to take the cargo to Liverpool that has been saved, five of them now loaded waiting for the springs, there being only 8 foot at spring tides in the harbour so that it will take a long time to get it all shipt for Liverpool but I expect to have it all shipt by the 16 April?. We have got 500 bales carted down to Abersoch, the place of shipment, but we can't get vessels in account of the harbour being so shallow that they cannot get in only at springs tides and then we have a cart it half on the sand to get alongside. There is 2,300 bales saved but it is badly damaged by beating against the rocks so that we have to put new bands on a great many of them before we can load them on the carts?' The shipping of cotton took until 23 April, when Scott quit his lodging at Abersoch.

Source;
Stammers, M K , 1987, The Wreck of the Franchise, in C