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The
Royal Charter Shipwreck
Self Catering Cottage Accommodation
Dafarn Rhos, Lligwy Beach, Moelfre, Isle of
Anglesey
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| The
Royal Charter Shipwreck |
Reproduced
with the kind permission of the artist E.D.Walker |
The 2700 tonne
steam clipper "Royal Charter" was built at the
Sandycroft Ironworks on the River Dee and launched to great
acclaim in 1857. It was a state of the art vessel built
specifically for the route to Australia. Built of steel with
the lines of a clipper it had auxiliary steam engines to
prevent it from being be-calmed in the tropics.
It was designed as a passenger ship with limited cargo
capacity and could accommodate up to 600 passengers and crew
- passenger accommodation ranged from sumptuous first class
to very basic third! The "Royal Charter" was the
fastest ship between Liverpool and Australia (less than 60
days) - however despite it being state of the art for the
time it was wrecked in a hurricane on the rocks around
Moelfre on 26th October 1859 with a loss of 454 lives.
One theory why the vessel got into difficulties was that it
was essential in those days for it to maintain its
reputation for speed (Australia in under 60 days ) and the
captain appears to have chosen to stay on his course for the
Mersey rather than change bearing to avoid the storm and
seek shelter - despite its steam engines it could not escape
the grip of the storm - it was de-masted, both anchor chains
broken, and even beached but it still foundered on the rocks
at Moelfre.
A fortune at the time but it is believed that £370,000
of gold was scattered in the waves - rumour has it that
Moelfre became rich overnight with many of the large houses
built (and still to be seen to this day) in Moelfre being
funded by gold either washed ashore or according to folklore
looted from the wreck !!
A memorial to the dead can be seen in the nearby Llanallgo
churchyard - check out www.royalcharterchurch.org.uk
for more informastion on Royal Charter shipwreck
Prints of the above
painting of the Royal Charter along with the rest of E.D
Walkers works can be obtained through www.edwalkermarine.com
- this site is well worth a visit to view the work of this
renowned marine artist |
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