Post by Administrator on Oct 26, 2021 4:45:52 GMT
VIA: The History of Wales
The Wreck of 'The Royal Charter'
The Royal Charter was a steam clipper, built at Sandycroft in Flintshire, which was wrecked off the beach of Porth Alerth in Dulas Bay on the north-east coast of Anglesey on 26th October 1859. With approximately 459 people killed, it is the highest loss of life in any shipwreck off the Welsh coast.
The Royal Charter was returning to Liverpool from Melbourne, when the wind rose to Hurricane force, grounding the ship on a sandbank before the rising tide, driven by 100mph winds, smashed her into rocks and she broke up. There were only 39 survivors.
Approximately 200 other ships were wrecked by the storm that night and it has become known as the 'Royal Charter gale'. Many of the victims were buried at nearby St Gallgo's Church, Llanallgo, where there is a memorial. There is also a memorial on the cliff top above the spot where the ship struck.
Interestingly, The Royal Charter was carrying a large cargo of Gold, much of which was washed ashore at Porth Alerth beach and the disaster was described by Charles Dickens, working as a journalist at the time, who visited the scene and spoke with the rector of Llanallgo, the Rev. Stephen Roose Hughes. It is thought that the trauma of the incident probably led to the rector’s own premature death soon afterwards.
The Wreck of 'The Royal Charter'
The Royal Charter was a steam clipper, built at Sandycroft in Flintshire, which was wrecked off the beach of Porth Alerth in Dulas Bay on the north-east coast of Anglesey on 26th October 1859. With approximately 459 people killed, it is the highest loss of life in any shipwreck off the Welsh coast.
The Royal Charter was returning to Liverpool from Melbourne, when the wind rose to Hurricane force, grounding the ship on a sandbank before the rising tide, driven by 100mph winds, smashed her into rocks and she broke up. There were only 39 survivors.
Approximately 200 other ships were wrecked by the storm that night and it has become known as the 'Royal Charter gale'. Many of the victims were buried at nearby St Gallgo's Church, Llanallgo, where there is a memorial. There is also a memorial on the cliff top above the spot where the ship struck.
Interestingly, The Royal Charter was carrying a large cargo of Gold, much of which was washed ashore at Porth Alerth beach and the disaster was described by Charles Dickens, working as a journalist at the time, who visited the scene and spoke with the rector of Llanallgo, the Rev. Stephen Roose Hughes. It is thought that the trauma of the incident probably led to the rector’s own premature death soon afterwards.