Former home of RMS Mauretania captain, Ship & Castle, Caernarfon
The Ship & Castle Inn was once the home of Captain John Prichard, who captained the world’s largest ship to win the Blue Riband for the fastest-ever crossing of the Atlantic.
John Pritchard (1845-1922) was living at 38 Pool Hill, Caernarfon, when the 1851 census was taken. He attended the National School and learned navigation from Robert Morris.
Orphaned at 13 years old, he started his seafaring career as a cook on the William of Carnarvon. After various Caernarfon ships, he joined the Duleep Singh of Liverpool, sailing to Calcutta and Australia. He obtained his Second Mate ticket by 1868, followed by First Mate in 1870. At that time papers for him were sent to the Ship & Castle.
He became a Master Mariner in 1875. Papers for him were then being sent to the Drum Inn on Market Street, where his brother-in-law, David Thomas Edwards, was a brewer. David later became the owner of the brig Sybil Wynn, which was John’s first command.
During his early years John bought shares in at least two ships, with the help of in-laws and his wife, Elizabeth Catherine. One was the Princess of Wales, the smallest ship to come out of the Swan Hunter shipyard at Wallsend, on the Tyne. Little did he know that he would return to Wallsend 32 years later to take command of the largest ship in the world, the RMS Mauretania, in 1906.
He had worked his way up the ranks of the Cunard Line and received a Royal Humane Society medal in 1881 for his part in rescuing 15 men from a sinking barque. Under John’s command, the Mauretania regained the Blue Riband for Britain. President Theodore Roosevelt honoured him in 1909 for using the liner to rescue shipwrecked American sailors adrift in a dory in January 1908.
John was very influential in the Cunard Line’s decision to use Fishguard as a port of call. He was promoted to Commodore of the Line. After 53 years at sea, he retired in 1910 to Hoylake, Wirral. He is buried in West Derby cemetery with his first wife and granddaughter.
With thanks to Ifan Erwyn and Caernarfon Civic Society
Postcode: LL55 1AT View Location Map
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