The Great Storm of 1859
Over the night of 25-26 October 1859, one of the worst storms in history arrived over the British Isles and caused havoc amongst shipping. It also caused substantial damage on land. Amongst the shipping losses was the Liverpool-Australia passenger steamship, the ROYAL CHARTER, which was wrecked off Moelfre, Anglesey, with the loss of 450 lives. It was this tragedy that spurred on the implementation of the first storm warning service by the Board of Trade's new Met Office. This collections explores the individual stories of over 40 of the shipping casualties and the wider impact of the storm on the coastal communities of Wales.
