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Wreck of the ROYAL CHARTER Steam Clipper on her passage from Australia to Liverpool October 26th 1859
Wreck of the ROYAL CHARTER Steam Clipper on her passage from Australia to Liverpool October 26th 1859

Wreck of the ROYAL CHARTER Steam Clipper on her passage from Australia to Liverpool October 26th 1859

Author
Date1860
Object number00017893
NameBook
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 190 x 116 mm, 0.15 kg
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis book recounts the wreck of the steam ship ROYAL CHARTER as it travelled between Australia and Liverpool on the 26 October 1859. It contains information about the event, written during the author’s residence at Moelfra, Wales where the catastrophe occurred. The ROYAL CHARTER sank on its return to Liverpool with a loss of 450 lives and gold, estimated to be worth over half a million pounds.HistoryDuring the 19th century many ships were lost at sea as a result of extreme weather conditions, poor design or overloading. The tragedy of these ship wrecks proved to be interesting stories then and now. The ROYAL CHARTER was an innovative vessel at the time of its production in 1857 at the Sandycroft Ironworks in England. The passenger ship incorporated a steel hull, steam engines with the sail power of clipper ships. It could carry up to 600 people and was used to transport passengers between Liverpool and Australia for Messers Gibbs Bright & Co of the Australian Steam Navigation Company. The ROYAL CHARTER was active for only two years before it became wrecked in a gale off the coast of Anglesey, Wales on 25 October 1859. Approximately 450 people consisting of crew and passengers were killed as the vessel smashed against the rocky coastline, about 25 men survived. The ship was carrying a large amount of gold and people returning from the Australian gold fields. A gold consignment on board was insured to the value of £320,000 and there was also an unknown quantity that was being carried by individuals. The wreck of the ROYAL CHARTER brought plunderers to the Welsh coastline in search of gold.SignificanceThis rare book highlights the clipper ship ROYAL CHARTER and one of the most devastating and publicised ship wrecks to occur during the Australian gold rush decade.