Any of the diving community on here ever dived the wreck of the Royal Charter off the coast of Anglessey at Moelfre? Would love to hear your story / see any pictures.
Found out just recently that my GGG Grandfather was one of the few survivors from the wreck on 26th October 1859. For those who know the story, he was a rigger working his passage back from Ireland to Liverpool, not a gold digger returning from Australia with his haul of booty.
I'm planning a trip up there at the end of the month to visit the memorial and stand and stare. Unfortunately, diving is somewhere beyond my reach.
Managed to track down a book written in the 60's telling the story of the event, and imagine my surprise when I came across an extract from a letter written by my GGG Grandfather to his wife telling her that he was OK, but that his brother had been lost in the wreck. Of course the author is dead, and there is no reference saying where the letter came from - probably in the archives of some obscure museum somewhere...
The Royal Charter
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Renegadenemo
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Re: The Royal Charter
Never dived it but I have some good accounts of the wreck and rescue. Tales of the crashing waves being full of severed arms and legs and heads. I'd imagine it's a very boring wreck site, though. Ships driven onto rocks are usually bedded deep and totally unrecognisable but every once in a while a few sovereigns turn up on that one - or they did until relatively recently according to divers' unwaveringly truthful accounts. I'll no doubt know someone who's dived it if you want some first-hand info...
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
Re: The Royal Charter
Dived her a very long time ago, she is in little bits to put it mildly. Local underwater flora and fauna ok though.
The wreckage or whatever you want to call it is in very shallow water and a decent snorkeller can have a play on her. Getting there is the problem, she is under the cliff and there are 2 or 3 white marks on the cliff pointing out where she is.
Don't dive on the recent wreck though which is nearby.
I seem to remember the local graveyard has victims of the incident buried there.
There is a book about the storm which was very vicious, I think its by alexander Mckee or something like that. If I remember correctly it also tells of one of Brunels boats being caught up in it on the North side of Anglesey, she threw down the anchors and one of the chains stretched to breaking point.[ Possibly the Great Eastern??]
Someone does hold the rights to the wreck of the RC and if you find anything you are supposed to contact them via the local receiver. One diver local to me found a gold bar in the 1970's and the rumours of bullion are still about. Try dredging the sand like the TV programms you may get the dust up.[ The same diver blew up his house after recovering a shell from another Anglesey wreck where diving is now 'banned' and drying it one his mantlepiece over the fire!]
The wreckage or whatever you want to call it is in very shallow water and a decent snorkeller can have a play on her. Getting there is the problem, she is under the cliff and there are 2 or 3 white marks on the cliff pointing out where she is.
Don't dive on the recent wreck though which is nearby.
I seem to remember the local graveyard has victims of the incident buried there.
There is a book about the storm which was very vicious, I think its by alexander Mckee or something like that. If I remember correctly it also tells of one of Brunels boats being caught up in it on the North side of Anglesey, she threw down the anchors and one of the chains stretched to breaking point.[ Possibly the Great Eastern??]
Someone does hold the rights to the wreck of the RC and if you find anything you are supposed to contact them via the local receiver. One diver local to me found a gold bar in the 1970's and the rumours of bullion are still about. Try dredging the sand like the TV programms you may get the dust up.[ The same diver blew up his house after recovering a shell from another Anglesey wreck where diving is now 'banned' and drying it one his mantlepiece over the fire!]
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Stuart Baker
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- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 11:56 pm
Re: The Royal Charter
Bill, Polo,
Thanks for your comments. I didn't really know what I'd learn by posting, nor was I really looking for anything specific - sometimes you just go fishing to see what you catch!
I don't think I'll be snorkelling next week - temperature needs to be a few degrees warmer than the current forecast to get me in the sea!
I've read Alexander McKee's book - as you say, the storm was vicous and, the wreck is famous in more ways than one. From the Met Office's web-site:
Maybe a walk along the beach will be rewarded with a sovereign, but I think I'd get better odds by playing the lottery!
S
Thanks for your comments. I didn't really know what I'd learn by posting, nor was I really looking for anything specific - sometimes you just go fishing to see what you catch!
I don't think I'll be snorkelling next week - temperature needs to be a few degrees warmer than the current forecast to get me in the sea!
I've read Alexander McKee's book - as you say, the storm was vicous and, the wreck is famous in more ways than one. From the Met Office's web-site:
FitzRoy, for those who have forgotten their school science / history lessons was captain of Charles Darwin's Beagle.His [Robert FitzRoy's] job under the new department was to establish meteorology as a science and he set about developing the fundamental techniques of modern weather forecasting. He was spurred on by tragedies such as the sinking of the Royal Charter in 1859 - wrecked off the coast of Anglesey in a fearsome storm with the loss of nearly all of the 500 passengers on board.
Maybe a walk along the beach will be rewarded with a sovereign, but I think I'd get better odds by playing the lottery!
S
Re: The Royal Charter
If its gold your after try Kynance cove in Cornwall. After big storms the locals go down to the beach for a search, there is supposed to be a 'gold ship' wreck there. From memeory there was a 'find' there last year.