The horrific wreck of Royal Charter in 1859 had all of the elements of a sensational story: huge loss of life and riches in the form of Australian gold. Men were seen 'picking sovereigns out of the holes and crevices of the rocks as they would shell…

Between 25 and 26 October 1859, one of the strongest storms of the 19th century hit the Irish sea. Known as the ‘Royal Charter’ storm , the tempest was named after the ship Royal Charter which was caught on its way from Australia to Britain,…