The American ship Olive S Southard of San Francisco in French waters off Le Havre

Thomas Jefferson Southard (1808-1896), a descendant of Samuel Foster and therefore 'A Son of the American Revolution', was born in Sagadahoc, Maine and, after starting work as a blacksmith, became a famous shipbuilder in Richmond, Maine. Beginning in 1840 over the next fifty years he and his company built some sixty sailing vessels, including in 1871, the 1200-ton ship, Olive S Southard, named after a daughter-in-law. Later T.J. Southard became a shipowner, hence his house flag which showed his initials and an anvil in its centre. The Olive S Southard traded on the Pacific coast of North America and her master in the years 1883 to 1889, even after she was taken over by Montgomery & Colwell, was M.H. Walker. She is seen here 'making her number', JQWP.