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FRANK MORLEY GURNEY

On the picturesque St Cwfans island, Anglesey `Church in the bay` there is a gravestone for Frank

Morley Gurney who drowned in July 1869.

To the memory of Frank Morley Gurney son of Mr F K Gurney of Moore Park Villas Walham

Cross London who was drowned in Porth Trecastell the 31st of July 1869 in his 21st year.

I `ve often visited this lovely place and always wondered about this young man, who was he; what

about his family, and more importantly are there any relations around now that probably dont even

know that he existed?

With a little research I have managed to discover the event that happened all those years ago, and a

little more about the young man and his family

The North Wales ChronicleAugust 7th 1869

Wreck of a Vessel and Loss of Life.During a gale on Friday the Iron Barque Dalton (Capt. Towill ) bound from Valparasio to

Liverpool with a cargo of wheat, copper ore, honey etc was driven out of her course and struck

between 12 and 1 o` clock on the rocks near Trecastell in Anglesey. In getting to the boat to save

themselves one of the crew was thrown into the water and drowned, and another received very

serious injuries from falling to the deck while trying to reef the sails. The ship, which is the property

of Captains Steel and Bell is still on the rocks, but so far steady, and it is the opinion of the owners

and experienced engineers that she can be got off without any serious damage should the weather

continue fine. All hands are hard at work to save ship and cargo, and the owners and Captain

Cawkit with the skilful aid of Mr Paul the engineer and other of their staff are labouring hard for

this object.

The Dalton was a fairly new vessel, registered at 592 tons, she had been launched by Messrs

Bowdler , Chaffer and Co a few weeks earlier and Capt Towill, an experienced seaman was well

known on the West Coast Trade.

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Valparasio is on the coast of Chile, and played an important geopolitical role in the second half of

the 19th century, when the city served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic

and Pacific oceans by crossing the straights of Magellan and Cape Horn.

Western Mail Cardiff Friday, August 6, 1869;

Obituaries

`On the 31st

July drowned while nobly volunteering to save papers of value from the ship Daltonwrecked in Carnarvon Bay, Frank Morley the dearly beloved son of Mr F K Gurney of

Woodstock Street, and Moore Park Villas, Fulham, in his 21st year. `

Even though he died in July 1869 the death wasn`t registered until June Qtr 1870 at Anglesey.

Frank was born in 1848 and was the youngest son of Frederick Kingston Gurney and Matilda nee

Morley; his brothers were Frederick Kingston and John Henry

By 1871 John Henry has become an Heraldic Artist` and Frederick Kingston jnr had joined Her

Majestys Navy.

Frederick Kingston senior was an engraver and draughtsman with his own business.

Sadly his wife Matilda died in 1850 leaving him with three young sons, they were cared for by

Matilda`s mother for a while He remarried ten years later.

Frederick Kingston Gurney died in 1906 at the age of 90.

St Cwyfans