The Port of Pwllheli and Ships Built or Owned there
Pwllheli brig

LLongau wedi eu adeiladu neu yn perthyn i Bwllheli a hanes y porthladd
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Pwllheli has a much older history than Porthmadog and there has been a port at the mouth of the rivers Erch and Cymerau since mediaeval times. During the period from 1786 to 1878 four hundred and sixty three ships were built (AE). Many large barques and full rigged ships were built here during the first half of the 19th C. The largest was the MARY PUGH which was nearly 700 tons. Shipbuilding , as with Nefyn, stopped earlier than at Porthmadog. The last ships built were the CARL and LOUISE and the W.D.POTTS. There was a model of the latter, made by Capt W.Slade her last owner, in the Liverpool Maritime Museum. I don't know if it is displayed at the new museum at the Albert Dock.


With acknowledgement to the local maritime historians and authors who have provided most of this information via their many publications. Reading List.

Cydnabyddiad î'r hanesyddion arforol yr ardal ac awduron eraill sydd wedi darparu rhan mwyaf ô wybodaeth yma trwy eu waith. Rhestr Ddarllen

Trade was very varied. Farm produce, granite sets (from Gimlet Rock) and slate outwards; merchandise, wines, fruit, coal,  and hardware inwards. A huge quantity of timber was brought in, from across the bay in Ardudwy and from Quebec. This was to supply the shipbuilding industry of the port. The cargoes reflected the self sufficiency of the area. The coming of the Cambrian Coast Railway and the introduction of steam coasters in the 1860s took away some of this trade. This coincided with the boom in slate export from Porthmadog and Portdinorwig so from then to 1878 there was a flurry of shipbuilding and these fine, later vessels joined in with the slate and the Newfoundland salt cod trade.

Chart of Pwllheli from Lewis Morris's Survey. Published by his son William in 1800.


The main sources are Emrys Hughes' List and Lewis Lloyd's "Pwllheli, the Port and Mart of Llyn". Much information for the latter's lists were gleaned from "Hen Llongau Sir Gaernarfon" by D.Thomas.  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 below are for general indication only.

This represents only a few of the ships built and/or owned there. Any more information would be most welcome.
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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 "forms" i weld y rhestr oddi tan. Efallai neith o ddim weithio gyda hen versiwn o Internet Explorer.


email to Robert D. Cadwalader Bost-E
Name Ton nage Built/ Known Where By Rig Fate/Notes
Active 86 Built 1796 Pwllheli ? Brig ?
Agnes 85 Built 1817 Pwllheli ? Brig Owners W.Jones, BrynHyfryd, Melhuish, Liverpool
Agnes 280 Built 1831 Quebec ? Snow In the Canadian timber trade
Alert 123 Built 1812 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Alpha ? Known 1894 ? ? Smack Sank off Pwllheli 1894
Ancient Briton 411 Built 1848 Pwllheli R.Evans & R.A.Pritchard F.R.Ship Owned by the builders. Capt R.P.Jones. Wrecked Colombo1852
Andes 72 Built 1834 Pwllheli ? Schooner Owners, Griffiths & Co, Porthmadog
Ann ? Built 1835 Pwllheli ? Brig In the Canadian timber trade. Lost 1838
Ann 105 Built 1840 Pwllheli ? Schooner Owners, Roberts& Co
Ann & Ellen 110 Built 1831 Pwllheli ? Slp Owner H.Jones, Caernarfon
Ann & Jane Pritchard 139 Built 1859 Pwllheli Pritchard 3Mst Sch Lost in collision 1909
Ann and Elizabeth         Smack Driven onto beach at Pwllheli 6th Nov 1855. Crew rescued.
Ann Folliot ? ? / ?? ? Melhuish of Liverpool
Ann Jones 85 Built 1852 Pwllheli ? Schooner Lost in the Humber 1888.
Anne ? Known 1806 ? ? ? Capt.William Jones
Argo ? ? ? ? ? ?
Berry 46 Built 1759 Pwllheli ? Brig ?
Betsey ? Known 1807 ? ? ? Capt Richard Ellis
Betty 98 Built 1838 Pwllheli ? Schooner Owners, Jones & Co.
Blessing ? Known 1807 ? ? ? Capt. John Roberts
Bolina ? Built 1867 Pwllheli ? Schooner Lost Scilly Isles 1887
Britannia 161 Built 1853 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Brunswick 48 Built 1823 Nova Scotia ? Schooner ?
Carl and Louise 183 Built 1878 Pwllheli Williams Brigantine Last ship built at Pwllheli. Lost off Berwick 1890
Catherine ? Known 1806 ? ? ? ?
Catherine & Mary 73 Built 1836 Pwllheli ? Schooner ?
Catherine Alice 98 Built1850 Nefyn ? Brigantine Owners, Owens & Co
Catherine Thomas 104 Built 1850 Nefyn ? Schooner Owners, Thomas & Co
Ceres 126 Built 1798 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Cevn Amlwch 80 Built1838 Nefyn ? Schooner Owners, Jones & Co
Charles Brownwell 421 Built 1846 Pwllheli W.Jones Barque Owners Carter and Co of Liverpool
Charles James 148 Built 1877 Pwllheli Williams 3Mst Sch Foundered English Channel 1901
Charlotte Ann           Driven onto beach at Morfa Bychan 6th Jan 1867
Christiana 250 Built 1802 Pwllheli ? F.R.Ship ?
Claudia 149 Built1839 Pwllheli ? Schooner Owners,Jones & Co
Clothier 126 Built 1800 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Comet 52 Built 1841 Pwllheli ? Schooner owners, Jones & Co
Confidence 109 Built 1845 Pwllheli R.A.Pritchard Schooner Associated with Garibaldi
Cyrus 132 Built 1837 Pwllheli ? Pol Brig Owners, Richards & Co
Don Quixote 160 Built 1848 Pwllheli J.Roberts Schooner Owner W.Massey Williams, Ty hwnt i'r Bwlch, Porthmadog.
Draper 105 Built 1801 Pwllheli ? Snow Capt.John Roberts. captured by the French in 1808
E.L Margaret 229 Built 1873 Pwllheli Pritchard Brig Med. fruit trader. Lost off Whitby 1891
Edwin 158 Built1873 Pwllheli Williams Schooner Schooner later conv to 3Mast.Condemmed 1920
Eleanor 104 Built 1799 Pwllheli ? Snow Capt. Richard Williams
Eliza 83 Built 1811 Pwllheli ? Brig ?
Eliza 93 Built 1836 Pwllheli ? Schooner Watkins of Criccieth amongst the shareholders. Lost on passage Gloucester to Limerick 1850.
Eliza & Mary 46 Built 1841 Pwllheli J.Ellis Sloop ?
Elizabeth 97 Built 1836 Pwllheli J.A.Pritchard Schooner Capt Robert Thomas of Nefyn was part owner.
Elizabeth 79 1809? Traeth Bach   Schooner Wrecked at Pwllheli 1850
Elizabeth Grainge 351 Built 1845 Pwllheli W.Jones F.R.Ship Owned by Liverpool owners inc. Melhuish, Winch etc
Ellen 55 Built 1848 Nefyn ? Smack Owners, Owens & Co.
Ellen 38 Built 1838 Pwllheli ? Smack Master. Capt Hugh Roberts of Edern. John Hughes, coal merchant was one of the shareholders
Ellen & Mary 83 Built 1829 Pwllheli ? Schooner ?
Ellen Jones 179 Built 1867 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Ellen Morris 131 Built 1858 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Ellen Roberts 104 Built 1868 Pwllheli ? Schooner Sank off Co Cork 1917.
Emily Jane 130 Built 1840 Pwllheli R.A.Pritchard Schooner Capt. John Roberts. Coastal Trade
Empress 115 Built 1856 Pwllheli G.Evans Brigantine Brigantine later a schooner. Wrecked Isle of Man 1882
Energy 281 Built 1864 Pwllheli R.A.Pritchard Barque ?
Equity 51 Built 1829 Pwllheli ? Schooner ?
Fanny Sause 109 Built 1798 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Fossil 38 Built 1851 Pwllheli ? Smack Owned by and master David Davies. Disappeared at Llanbedrog 14th Oct 1902
Francis Henry 110 Built 1865 Pwllheli Williams Schooner Missing, Voyage fromLabrador to Gibraltar 1887. Capt. Jones of Criccieth
Friendship 90 Built 1800 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
George Henry 99 Built 1864 Pwllheli Owens Schooner Owen & Co owners. Sold to Ireland
George the Fourth 93 Built 1824 Nefyn ? Brigantine Owners Davies and Co
Great Britain 86 Built 1840 Pwllheli H.Griffith Schooner G.Griffith Portmadoc owner. Lost off Bardsey 1881
Grebe 78 Built 1816 Pwllheli ? Schooner ?
Gwen Evans 305 Built 1842 Pwllheli R.Evans Barque R.Evans main owner. Her master Capt D.Evans* of Portmadoc also had shares. She carried emmigrants to the USA. Her story is told in "Letters from America" by AE, LL and BJ. Lost off Alexandria, Egypt 1845.
Hannah and Jane 92 Built 1867 Pwllheli Jones Schooner Wrecked Co. Durham. Four lives lost
Henry Turner ? Known 1861 ? ? Schooner Wrecked Porthmadog Bar 5th Oct 1860. In ballast from Ireland.
Henry Winch 300 Built 1841 Pwllheli ? Brig ?
Henry Winch 474 Built 1845 Pwllheli W.Jones F.R.Ship Owned by James Baines, "Black Ball Line"
Hopewell           Driven ashore at Morfa Bychan 6th Jan 1868
Industry 90 Built 1786 Pwllheli ? Brig Lost 1794
Jane 23 Built 1784 Pwllheli ? Brig ?
Jane 73 Built 1804 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Jane 94 Built 1827 Pwllheli T.Griffith Schooner Lost 1898
Jane & Eliza ? Known 1845 Pwllheli ? Schooner Owned by Robert Evans of Pwllheli. Capt. D Evans* of Portmadoc was master of her at one stage.
Jane Owen 73 Built 1860 Pwllheli Evans Schooner Owner E.Roberts Barmouth. Lost Scily Isles 1889
Jane Roberts 100 Built 1848 Nefyn ? Schooner Owners, Roberts & Co
Janet 129 Built 1861 Pwllheli Jones Schooner First master was Capt. John Jones Wrecked Denmark 1910. All hands drowned.
Jasper 86 Built1840 Nova Scotia ? Schooner Evans & Co
John & Henry 80 Built1764 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
John Arthur Pritchard 197 Built 1851 Pwllheli J.A.Pritchard Brig/Snow Owned by builder. Capt.Samuel Jones. Lost 1863
John Roberts 222 Built 1875 Pwllheli ? Brig Stranded S.Shields 1901. Salvaged locally. Wrecked 1907
John Thomas 118 Built 1842 Pwllheli ? Schooner ?
Joseph         Sloop Wrecked at Abersoch 1st Oct 1891
Joseph Brindley 140 Built 1849 Pwllheli John Roberts Schooner Capt. John Ellis
Kitty 169 Built 1784 Pwllheli ? Brig ?
Koh-i-Noor 303 Built 1852 Pwllheli ? Barque Owned by J.Brown of Dundee
Laura 82 Built 1845 Pwllheli   Schooner  
Laura Griffith 100 Built 1865 Pwllheli Edward Williams Schooner Capt Edwards Hughes/ Lost off Pencilan Head, Pwllheli 12th Jan 1909
Leander 143 Built 1867 Pwllheli ? Brigantine Capt.Owen Lloyd. Vessel lost on voyage Liverpool to Cornwall 1877
Liberty 75 Built 1796 Pwllheli ? Brig Sold to London 1790
Liza Brindley 80 Built 1842 Pwllheli ? Schooner Jones & Co
Lucy March 260 Built 1876 Pwllheli D.Williams B'quentine Wrecked Dutch Coast 1893. No lives lost.
Margaret 102 Built 1797 Pwllheli ? Brigantine Later conv to brig. Captured by the French in 1808.
Margaret 140 Built 1840 Pwllheli J.A.Pritchard Schooner Capt Robert Jones. Coastal trade
Margaret & Jane 119 Built 1850 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Margaret Ann 99 Built1841 ? ? Schooner Jones & Co
Margaret Jane 119 Built 1850 Pwllheli ? Schooner Jones & Co
Margaret Pugh 693 Built 1862 Pwllheli W.Jones B'quentine Largest vessel built at Pwllheli. Owners Pugh & Co. Sold France 1878, Lost 1892
Maria & Ellen 107 Built 1852 Pwllheli ? Schooner T.Williams
Maria Catherine 89 Built 1841 Nefyn ? Schooner Jones & Co
Marvel 65 Built 1834 Pwllheli ? Schooner ?
Mary 137 Built1850 Nova Scotia ? Schooner R.Hughes
Mary 426 Built 1801 Pwllheli ? F.R.Ship Known as "Welsh Mary"
Mary 91 Built 1810 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Mary Eleanor 194 Built 1874 Pwllheli D.Williams Schooner G.Pritchard Portmadoc owner. Lost Germany 1903
Mary and Elizabeth         Schooner Wrecked at Dyffryn Harlech. Three crew died of exhaustion. Capt saved.
Mary Ann Folliot 408 Built 1847 Pwllheli ? F.R.Ship ?
Mary Elizabeth 83 Built 1840 Pwllheli ? Schooner Pritchard
Mary Owens 128 Built 1874 Pwllheli R.A.Pritchard Schooner Owned by Capt John Owen of Llanengan. Sunk in collision off Beachy Head 1893
Mary Reynolds 67 Built 1848 Nefyn ? Schooner Jones & Co
Mary Watkins 130 Built 1850 Nefyn ? Schooner Williams & Co
Mary Winch 252 Built 1844 Pwllheli ? Brig Owned by James Baines, "Black Ball Line"
Mermaid 88 Built 1842 Pwllheli ? Schooner Owner E.Jones
Molly 28 Built 1771 Pwllheli   Sloop Owned by Captains and farmers
Mona ? Known 1807 ? ? ? Capt. Hugh Davies
Morning Star 8 1730       Capt John Roberts
New Blessing 92 Built 1811 Traeth Bach ? Schooner Capt. John Watkins of Criccieth, part owner. Morris Jones of Parciau Mawr also had shares. Wrecked 1840.
Newham 148 Built 1855 Pwllheli Edward Jones Brig Built for Jersey men
Norah ? Known 1922 ? ? Smack Sank off Pwllheli 11th jan 1922
Northumbrian ? Known 1830s ? ? Brig In the Canadian timber trade. Lost 1838
Nymph 93 Built 1839 Pwllheli ? Schooner Owned by Roberts & Co. Coaster
Olivia 131 Built 1836 Nova Scotia ? Schooner Wrecked on Abererch Beach in 1853
Palmira ? Known 1808 ? ? ? Capt John Hughes
Peggy 19 Built 1789 Meirioneth ? Schooner First known Pwllheli schooner. Capt and owner was Capt. Morris Isaac of Llanfihangel y Traethau.
Penrhyn 76 Built 1811 Abersoch ? Schooner ?
Physician 79 Built 1861 Pwllheli Roberts Schooner Foundered in the North Sea 1898. No lives lost
Planet 134 Built 1860 Pwllheli Roberts Brigantine Lost off Llandudno 1890
Portland 83 1778 Pwllheli   Sloop Amlwch Shipping Co Capt John Pritchard
Power 37 1821 Pwllheli   Sloop 1851 N.Treweek Capt Richard Morgan
Prosper 130 Built1848 Nefyn ? Schooner Griffiths
Providence 92 Built 1803 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Providence 15 1730       Capt Thomas Samuel
Pwllheli Packet 20 Built 1831 Porthmadog ? Smack W.Williams
Quarry Maid 89 Built 1848 Pwllheli ? Schooner Jones and Co
Quarryman 99 Built 1840 Pwllheli ? Schooner Lost with all hands Land's End 1893
Queen 40 1730       Capt Morris Humphreys
Rapid 61 Built 1832 Pwllheli ? Schooner  
Reindeer 75 Built 1841 Nefyn ? Schooner Griffiths & Co
Richard 101 Built 1843 Nefyn ? Schooner Davies & Co
Richard Owen 169 Built 1875 Pwllheli D.Williams Brig Lost after collision off Newfoundland 1884. Only Master and Mate saved.
Royal George 12 Built 1802 Pwllheli ? Schooner First schooner built at Pwllheli
Ruby 55 Built 1847 Pwllheli ? Smack Williams
Sabrina 100 Built 1787 Pwllheli ? Brigantine ?
Sabrina 95 Built 1864 Pwllheli ? Schooner ?
Salem 100 Built 1838 Pwllheli W.Jones Schooner Jones & Co
Sally 120 Built 1800 Pwllheli ? Snow ?
San Pereil 61 1783 Pwllheli   Sloop Amlwch Shipping Co Capt William Hughes
San Pereil 61 1783 Pwllheli   Sloop Amlwch Shipping Co Capt William Hughes
Speedwell ? Known 1807 ? ? ? Capt Griffith Williams
Star 50 Built 1827 Ipswich ? Smack Williams
Superb 91 Built 1839 Nefyn ? Schooner Davies & Co
Susan & Ellen 80 Built 1834 Pwllheli J.A.Pritchard Schooner Builder was half owner. Capt Evan Roberts. Went missing on voyage from London 1879
Swallow         Sloop Wrecked Abersoch 1863
Sydney ? Known 1807 ? ? ? Capt Evan Jones
Sydney & Jane 178 Built 1841 Pwllheli R.Evans Brigantine Evans & Co
Theda ? Built 1876 Pwllheli Pritchard 3M Sch Jack Bqntine. Famous ship. Lost Morecombe 1903. Capt G.E.Dedwith
Thetis 62 Built1830 Pwllheli ? Schooner E.Williams
Thomas 54 Built 1831 Pwllheli ? Schooner Griffiths & Co
Three Brothers 93 Built 1845 Nefyn ? Schooner Jones & Co
Tower 37 1821 Pwllheli   Sloop 1836 N.Treweek Capt G.Rowlands
Twelve Apostles 118 Built 1858 Pwllheli H.Thomas & W.Jones Schooner Owner Capt. Pritchard.Wrecked Hell's Mouth 1898.
Two Brothers 76 Built 1851 Pwllheli ? Schooner Wrecked at Abersoch 1903?
Velocity 46 Built1825 Pwllheli ? Sloop Jones & Co
Venus 135 Built 1797 Pwllheli ? Brigantine Sold to London 1800
Vine 69 Built 1838 Pwllheli J.A.Pritchard Schooner Owned in Nefyn. Lost 1857
Vulcan 18 Built 1842 Pwllheli H.Griffith Smack Owned by builder
W.D.Potts 97 Built 1878 Pwllheli Williams Schooner Last but one vessel built at Pwllheli. Sold to Appledore. Sunk by U Boat 1917.
Water Lily 77 Built 1839 Pwllheli ? Schooner Jones & Co
William Carey 659 Built 1848 Pwllheli W.Jones F.R.Ship Owner W.Jones, Brynhyfryd. India and China trade. Wrecked Bass Hr. Australia 1864
William Henry 72 Built1847 Nefyn ? Schooner Evans & Co
Williams 28 Built 1840 Morfa Bychan ? Smack Known as "Williams Bach". Owners, Morris & Co Porthmadog. Capt R.Jones. Wrecked at Criccieth 1881.
Winifreda ? Known 1917 ? ? Smack Sank off Pwllheli 3rd Oct 1917.
Woodcock 70 Built 1840 Pwllheli ? Schooner W.Jones
Woodcock 336 Built 1859 Pwllheli ? Barque ?

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