Amlwch - some notes on the history of the port and ships built there
	Amlwch - Hanes y Porthladd a llongau cafod eu adeiladu yn y fan
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	Many small ships were built in the creeks and on the beaches of Anglesey. The small sloops and smacks were used to carry any cargo - lime, slates, stone, coal, salt, wine, dairy products household goods, livestock etc. You name it, they carried it. Roads were non existant or deplorable so the sea was the main means of transport. Copper had been mined on the island since Roman times and transported to main centres by these small craft. In the 18th C it became more organised and the mine owners and managers started buiding or investing in their own ships. The ore was partially smelted then transported to Swansea or Liverpool. Amlwch was one of the main loading places but was not much of a harbour then. Lewis Morris, the famous cartographer, who charted the coast of Wales in 1748 did not bother with a plan of the port as he considered it to be no more than a creek! "no more than a cove between two steep rocks...provided the Mouth of the Harbour can be discovered, which is now difficult for a Stranger...... here the Liverpoole Pilot Boats lie afloat, to be ready to meet any Vessels in the Offing". Towards the end of the century a Harbour Act was passed which required that the creek be widened and deepened. This was the start of the modern port. During the 19thC one of the main shipbuilders were the Treweek family who originated from Cornwall but came to work as mine managers. Then came Capt. William Thomas who built, owned or managed many schooners and ketches. He had dealings with another William Thomas (not to be confused with him) who ran a fleet of large square riggers out of Liverpool. Capt Thomas's descendants continued the business changing to iron and steel auxiliary sailing ships and finally steam coasters which they built and owned up to the 1950s (see my page on North Wales Steam Coasters). Capt. Thomas also had a yard at Duddon in Cumberland and there were other close ties between the two areas. Shipowners from Millom and Barrow had schooners built in Amlwch and local men sailed on the vessels of both ports. Tim Latham has a list of the Barrow ships on his website at http://sites.netscape.net/tjlathamtim/maritime_history/barrowships_list.htm Bryan Hope has written a book about Amlwch's early industries called "A Curious Place" (I have not read it yet). He is currently working on a book about Capt William Thomas and Sons. Several of the local vessels sailed on, well into the 20th century. For a brief history of some of them see my "End of an Era" section. (under construction still) Another good website is the Parys Mountain site. This tells the history of copper mining on the island. It also includes much local and maritime history.
	The main sources are the late Aled Eame's books, "Maritime Wales" publications, various autobiographies and booklets. (see my reading list) Some information has been received by email and I thank those people. The crew articles, and some logbooks and other papers for the later vessels are held by Gwynedd Archives Service.
	Tonnage is complicated as the method of measuring changed. The figures in the table below are for general indication only. This represents only a few of the ships built and/or owned there or were regular callers. Any more information would be most welcome. The list requires "Tables and Frames" support. It may not work with old versions of Internet Explorer. Y mae y rhestr hon yn cynrychioli ond ychydig o'r llongau adeiladwyd ac/neu yn perthyn i'r porthladd. Byddwn yn ddiolchgar am mwy o wybodaeth Mae gorfod defnyddio "Tables a Frames" i weld y rhestr oddi tan. Efallai neith o ddim weithio gyda hen versiwn o Internet Explorer.
	Recent additions can be found at the end of the table. 16th Feb 2000
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Following received from Dave Owen

PRINCESS OF WALES Call sign: WJGP Official registration #: 50470 Master: Captain W. Roberts, appointed to the shipping line in 1867 and to the ship in 1873. Rigging: iron Schooner; 1 deck; 2 cemented bulkheads. Tonnage: 115 tons gross, 115 under deck and 99 net. Dimensions: 93.5 feet long, 20.3 foot beam and holds 10.3 feet deep. Construction: 1864 by Treweek in Amlwich; repairs to damages in 1872; new deck in 1877 Owners: R. Hughes & Sons Port of registry: Liverpool Port of survey: Bangor.

ANNIE PARK Official registration #: 93411 Master: Captain I. Willian Rigging; steel 3 masts Schooner; iron floors; 1 cemented bulkhead Tonnage: 214 tons gross, 211 under deck and 192 net. Dimensions: 134.2 feet long, 24.1 foot beam and holds 10.2 feet deep. Construction: 1886 by P. Rodgers in Carrickfergus Owners: J. Fisher & Sons Port of registry: Barrow Port of survey: Belfast

ENTREPRIZE (note the spelling) Call sign: NGSD Official registration #: 21543 Master: Captain J. Evans Rigging; wood Schooner; partly fastened with iron bolts. Tonnage: 118 tons gross, 118 under deck and 102 net. Dimensions: 87.3 feet long, 19.3 foot beam and holds 10.6 feet deep. Construction: 1846 in Newport; ship lengthened in 1875 Owners: T. Morgan (J.W. Paynter, manager) Port of registry: Beaumaris Port of survey; Bangor. TOP