Site Record

Archaeological remains associated with the loss of this vessel are not confirmed as present at this location, but may be in the vicinity.

Event and Historical Information:
On 6 October 1790, a French privateer entered Holyhead Bay showing distress signals to encourage the Customs Officer, Maurice Owen, to come out and board. The privateer took them captive and made to sail away. By the next day, a storm had dismissed the vessel and it was driven ashore at Penrhos Point. Some of the guns were thrown overboard to try and reduced the ship's list, other were fired in true distress this time. Seven local boats eventually went out. The crews boarded and took the 150 privateers in charge and released the captured customs officers. The privateers were subsequently marched to Beaumaris jail, whilst the officers were placed onboard the packet boat JAMES and sent to Dublin as prisoners. One of the cannons from the vessel was raised in December 1967 by members of the Merseyside BSAC.

Sources include:
Wynne-Jones, I, Shipwrecks of North Wales, 4ed, pg59-60

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, October 2010.