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• The History of Victoria Dock

 Caernarfon's first lifeboat

1866 Launching of the Caernarfon-Llanddwyn Lifeboat

During the nineteenth century, Caernarfon was a prosperous commercial town with a majority of its trade focused on the maritime industry. There existed a tremendous amount of sea traffic travelling to and from Caernarfon Bay, including the slate and timber ships, passenger and goods steamers, and the emigration ships that travelled frequently between Caernarfon and America.

Typical early 1900's lifboat (without sails)

Life at sea was hard, dangerous, poorly rewarded and often brief. Sailing was the most dangerous occupation of the nineteenth century. Many of Caernarfon’s inhabitants were lost at sea and there were many more with tales of harrowing experiences and lucky escapes. Many shipwrecks had occurred within Caernarfon Bay and the Menai Straits. Large sailing vessels travelling from Liverpool preferred to prolong their journey and travel around the coast of Anglesey rather than navigate through the Swellies, a part of water between the Menai and Britannia Bridges that was a particular danger. Other vessels used the Straits regularly. Pilots were stationed at Llanddwyn and the Swellies to guide vessels through the Straits. 

Pilot houses on Llanddwyn Island

On Friday 31^st August 1866, Caernarfon Bay was provided with a new lifeboat to combat the dangers of the sea. It was to be based at the Llanddwyn Station. It was presented by an anonymous lady donor, known only as H.W.,who had donated £1,000 for the purchase of the new boat.  The launch of the lifeboat, which was called ‘John Grey Bell’, aroused the interest of all classes of society, and they crowded around Caernarfon’s quay to witness the event. The majority of vessels in the port were decorated in the best flags, as were many of the town’s houses. The lifeboat itself arrived at Caernarfon Train Station and was brought to the quay followed by a procession headed by the High Sheriff of Caernarfon, J.D. Whitehead Esq., including men of the Coast Guard and Naval Reserve in their uniforms carrying arms. Caernarfon’s Mayor, Llywelyn Turner, and the Reverent James Crawley Vincent, vicar of Llanbeblig were also present.

 Typical Early 1900's Lifeboat Crew, wearing cork portion / canvas covered buoyancy life jackets.
This was made up of sufficient buoyancy to keep two men affloat for many hours.

The ‘John Grey Bell’ was decorated with flags and manned by her crew, all wearing their lifebelts. She was 32 feet in length and had ten oars. She had been built by Messrs. Forrest of Limehouse and had a number of significant features that made her one of the finest lifeboats built. She had great lateral stability, speed against a heavy sea, the facility for launching and taking the shore, immediate self-discharge of any water breaking into her, tremendous strength, the advantage of self-righting if upset, and most importantly, storage for large number of passengers.  On the jetty at the quay the Reverent Vincent offered a prayer for the success of the boat and the lady who had most generously donated the lifeboat. She was launched with the crew on board, oars in hand. She went on to save a number of lives at sea. Without her presence Caernarfon Bay would have lost a great deal more of her inhabitants.