This record comprises a documentary reference to a shipping casualty which has been assigned to the maritime named location CAERNARFON BAR pending more information which may allow a more precise location for the loss to be assigned.

Event and Historical Information:
The TICKLER was a wooden brigantine built in 1865 by merchant Angus McMillan at Egremount Bay, Prince Edward Island. Technical and configuration specifications are given as 169gt; 99ft length x 24ft breadth x 11ft 2in depth; fastened with iron bolts. At time of loss on 20 October 1873, the vessel was owned by W Gilmore and was registered at Liverpool. The TICKLER was carrying iron ore from Barrow-in-Furness to Porthcawl under the command of master Thomas George Cowan. The Board of Trade Inquiry into the loss held at Belfast were told of voyage beginning on 23 September 1873 at Barrow, followed by three attempts to get to southward of Bardsey Island after which the vessel had had to run for Holyhead Harbour to take shelter. On the 19 October, at 4pm in the afternoon, the vessel was off Bardsey with the weather worsening and the vessel labouring heavily. The maser turned again and headed for Holyhead. The South Stack lighthouse was spotted at 3am in the morning, but by that time the vessel was too far inshore to weather Holy Island. The vessel became embayed and drifted down to near the Caernarfon Bay lightship. The master ran up a flag for a pilot to cross the bar, but none came out. The master then attempted to cross the bar on his own. The vessel grounded, but continued over and then sank soon after. The crew saved themselves in their own boat and the Caernarfon lifeboat put out to assist. The Inquiry found that the prime reason for the loss was overloading (284.5 tons instead of 247 tons)

Sources include:
Board of Trade Wreck Inquiry 1873 Part IV Table 42 pg209 (389)
Larn and Larn Shipwreck Database 2002
Lloyds Register of British and Foreign Shipping, 1 July 1872 - 30 June 1873, number 216 in T

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, March 2010.