Royal Charter Shipwreck
Further information: Royal Charter (ship)On the north coast of Anglesey, where the Royal Charter, a steam clipper, was approaching the end of her voyage from Melbourne to Liverpool, the wind at Point Lynas changed direction to ENE at 10 p.m. on 25 October and rose to gale force. By 10 p.m. the wind had reached force 10 and continued to increase, reaching force 12 by midnight. It continued to blow at force 12 until the afternoon of 26 October.
The Royal Charter was driven ashore on the east coast of Anglesey just north of the village of Moelfre in the early hours of the morning of 26 October 1859, eventually being smashed to pieces against the rocks, with the loss of over 450 lives. The public impact of the shipwreck may be judged by the fact that Charles Dickens travelled from London to Anglesey to report on the aftermath as described in The Uncommercial Traveller.
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