Welsh Journals

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in 1868, having been built in 1865 in New Brunswick then came the 257 ton brig Derby built in Prince Edward Island by Benjamin Davies in 1867 and owned in New Quay the following year the Resolven built in P.E.I. in 1872, another brig of 143 tons, brought to New Quay in 1873 the Maggie Cummins, built at Egmont Bay, P.E.I. by William Henry in 1873 and owned in New Quay two years later, a 293 ton brig, her career here was short for she was lost off Mexico in 1880. The Pearl, a 145 ton brigantine built at Bideford P.E.I. in 1875 survived until 1913 but she was sold from New Quay in 1891. The Lynwood, 175 tons, another brigantine, built in P.E.I. in 1875 came to New Quay the following year together with the Raymond already described. In 1877 the 295 ton Adrienne a brig newly built in P.E.I. was purchased but she too was soon lost, off the Azores in 1883. The Hero, 362 tons, a three-masted barque built at P.E.I. in 1874, was also purchased by New Quay shareholders in 1879. Because these ships were built where timber was plentiful they were a good deal cheaper than their British equivalents. There was also an American-built barque the Adela S. Hills built at Rockland by Sandford Storritt in 1874; 463 tons, she was the largest vessel ever owned in New Quay and was purchased outright by Evan Thomas, Cambria House in New Quay in 1876, although he subsequently sold 24 shares to her master David Jenkins of Llanarth. She was sold abroad in 1885. The last big vessel acquired by New Quay shipowners briefly in 1892 and sold the same year was the composite barque Theodore Engels built at South Shields in 1869, iron- framed and wood-planked. New Quay's vessels had lovely names Confidence, Perseverance, Loyalty, Alert, Integrity, some of which are perpetuated in the names of houses where their masters or owners lived. Among the most unusual was Sanballet, along with Eleemosyna and Naphthali, but more usually they were given girls' names Eliza, Anne, Mary, Eleanor, Catherine and Rachel being the most popular but also Laura, Priscilla, Gertrude, Susannah Gwenllian and Magdalen Esther. Strangely enough in such a Welsh community only one vessel had a Welsh name, the Llaethlliw, a schooner launched in 1846. The names of the earliest shipbuilders have not been recorded in the registers. The earliest we know of is John Evans of Morfa Gwyn, one of five enterprising brothers who between them owned a fair amount of property in New Quay and also a number of ships. The eldest was Evan Evans of Penllwybr 1784-1847, then came John 1789-1871, Job Evans Llaingrog, 1791-1844, Morgan Evans White Hart, 1804-1863, and Francis Evans, Penrhiwpistyll, 1806-63. Morfa Gwyn's fields with the big whitewashed farmhouse built by John himself lie above the long beach of Traethgwyn which forms the half-moon curve of New Quay bay. Here many of New Quay's ships were built. With