Shipbuilding in Llansantffraed
In the 18th and 19th centuries ships were built in the four shipyards that existed in Llansantffraed, located mainly near the mouth of the River Peris. When Captain Henry Harries arrived here in 1851, the size of the vessels constructed increased dramatically. Many generations of men became mariners here, some trading as far as South America; between 1786 and 1864 some 55 vessels were built in the parish.
In 1861, shipbuilding employed 130 men out of a population of 1,300. It was at this period that much of the village was developed including churches, shops, a bakery, three blacksmiths, five pubs and even a brewery.
The largest of the 13 ships Henry Harries built near the Peris was the square-rigged “Majestic” which was completed in 1858, was 248 tons and 111 feet in length. These large ships were launched as hulls, and towed to Aberaeron or Aberystwyth to be rigged and completed.
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