PRISCILLA lost Aberdaron 25-26 October 1859

Description

The sloop PRISCILLA was built by Hugh Evans at Leri Bridge, Ynyslas, in 1845, and is one of the shipping losses during the Royal Charter Gale, 25-26 October 1859. Its port of Aberystwyth registration entry provides a technical description:
32 3427/3500 tons burthen. 1 deck, 1 mast, that her length from the inner part of the Main Stem to the forepart of the stern aloft is 45.9ft, her breadth in midships is 12.6ft, her depth in hold at midships is 7.5ft. Sloop rigged with a running bowsprit, square sterned, carvel built.
A shipyard had been established at Leri Bridge by 1842. Other vessels built there include the sloops MARY REES in 1842 and MARY ELLEN in 1843; the schooners GLEANOR and RESOLUTE in 1849, and another PRISCILLA in 1855; the brigantine ISLAND MAID in 1851; and the smacks CLAUDIA in 1850 and CATHERINE in 1864. A small section of wharf is shown on the western side of the Leri on estate sale particulars dating to 1862 (National Library of Wales MAP7613). It is likely that shipbuilding activity was based around this wharf.
If you move your mouse tool over this image, you'll find more clues to the sloop's working life and the Welsh people who were associated with it. The name of the nominated master is shown at the top right hand corner of the page - Evan Jenkins. He was also the sloop's owner (see under the section heading Subscribing Owners on the page).
You'll also see that the sloop's registry was closed in June 1873 with the annotation 'vessel lost with all hands, 3 in number, in Aberdaron Bay in Royal Charter Gale'. However, the Board of Trade report into shipping losses for 1859 gives the loss location as Porth Oer, on the northern side of the Lleyn peninsula. Over to you to solve the mystery of the true loss location with your own local history research...
Sources include:
Board of Trade Harbours of Refuge Inquiries, Parliamentary papers 1959 pg122 (564)
Board of Trade Wreck Return 1859 Table 19 pg26 (528)
Mercantile Navy List 1858, pg290 (www resource Google books)
Port of Aberystwyth Shipping Register 1840 - 1853, Ceredigion Archive Service AT/SHIP 3, Folio 80 (http://archifdy-ceredigion.org.uk)
Use the historic Ordnance Survey maps provided by the People's Collection Wales to identify where shipbuilding took place at Ynyslas. Click on the MENU tab on the map to see which editions are available. What industry replaced the shipyard after the coming of the railway in 1864? What is shown occupying the site today?
Borth has produced many seafaring families. How many mariners are recorded as living at Borth in 19th century census returns? Or in trade directories, such as Slater's?
http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/index.asp