Francis Arthur was the only surviving son of Patrick Arthur, a prominent wine and timber merchant in Limerick city and developer of the new suburb, Newtown Pery. Patrick also built Arthur’s Quay on the Shannon and laid out a number of streets which he named after members of his own family. Francis was in partnership with his father on these projects from about the mid-1770s. By the early 1790s, Francis Arthur was one of the leading Catholics of Limerick City and doing successful business not only in Limerick but also in the neighbouring counties, most notably Cork and Kerry.
In 1796, Francis Arthur raised and trained a corps of yeomanry artillery at his own expense as protections against a feared French invasion. In May 1798 he was accused of treason for concealing weapons and advancing money to Lord Edward Fitzgerald, the leader of the United Irishmen. At his trial, which took place a month later, Francis was refused counsel and most of his witnesses were excluded from the court. He was sentenced to transportation for life to Botany Bay and fined £5,000. After a petition by his wife to the Lord Lieutenant, Francis was liberated on condition that he leave Ireland. He moved to England but retained his business interests in Limerick and made sporadic visits to the city. He died on 17 June 1824 in Dunkirk, France, where he had been living for some years prior to his death.
Francis Arthur married Ellen née Sexton in 1779 and by her had a son, Patrick Edmond (1783-1814), who qualified as a barrister and married Susanna Grainger in 1812; and at least four daughters: Catherine (1780-1867) who became a nun; Alicia (1785-1859), who married Jeremiah Scully in 1809; Margaret (b. 1789) who married Daniel Leahy in 1818; and Ellen (1793-1842), who became a nun. Some records identify a fifth daughter, Maria, who married Patrick Greene in 1806, while other records state that Patrick Greene was Margaret Arthur’s first husband.
