Great Storm of 1859: Shipwreck Detective Tasks Pembrokeshire Archives

Description

This worksheet was generated to prompt and guide Welsh Baccalaureate students through an exploration of historic documents held by Pembrokeshire Archives. The documents include the Port Shipping Registers for Cardigan and Milford Haven, parish burial records and census returns.

The tasks relate to CHARLES HOLMES, JOHN SAINT BARBE, ABEONA, TRUE BESS and MATHILDIS. All vessels either wrecked on the Pembrokeshire coast during the storm of 25-26 October 1859, or which were registered at Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire ports (i.e. Milford Haven and Cardigan). Their stories are featured in the Great Storm of 1859 collection.


The CHARLES HOLMES was a full-rigged ship, built in 1851 at Rockland, Maine. At time of loss it was outward bound from Liverpool to Mobile. It was wrecked at Aberbach.

http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/collections/378072

The JOHN SAINT BARBE was a wooden schooner built at Rye in 1827. At time of loss, it was registered at Milford Haven, but driven ashore at Lavernock Point near Cardiff.

http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/items/44509

The ABEONA was a wooden smack built at Dogmaels in 1852. At time of loss, it was owned by the Stephens family of Llechryd, slate merchants. It was wrecked near Fishguard.

http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/items/44503

The MATHILDIS was a wooden schooner built at Newquay in 1842. It was wrecked at Dinas Head.


http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/items/45146

The TRUE BESS was a wooden smack or sloop built at Aberaeron in 1846. It was driven ashore from the anchorage Goltrop Road, St Bride's Bay.

http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/items/45149

Please contact the RCAHMW's Education Officer or Pembrokeshire Archives, if you would like to utilise these worksheets for a group visit to the archives.