Borth produced some 300 master mariners throughout the peak of Britain’s sailing ship era in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many worked out of the nearby port of Aberdyfi. Borth’s mariners were, in turn, supported by countless other crew members.
Terry Davies, who has been researching the history of Borth, explained: “This is one of the many photographs that inspired me to write Borth’s maritime history in 2002… The image features one of my antecedents, Captain John Richards of the schooner Catherine. Most of these men had only known poverty and their own language, yet circumnavigated the world in sailing ships two centuries ago”.
Contributor: Terry Davies