Shipwreckers’ Hanging Site

What is it?

Somewhere in the vicinity of Traeth Crugan, two men were hanged in 1629 or 1630 for their part in a murderous attack on a French ship, according to the poet Ieuan Llŷn (1769-1832)

What’s there?

Not much marks the site, but the location is just off Llanbedrog beach

Facts -

▪ There were many instances of people in remote coastal communities using fires to lure passing ships onto rocks, usually with the aim of stealing valuable cargo

▪ The vessel in this case was a “pleasure ship” carrying gentlemen and young women from France. Llŷn explained that the ship was lured into Porth Neigwl using burning straw and bracken, and the looters cut off fingers and ears to steal gold rings and threw the innocent girls into the waves

▪ The two men convicted were Sion y Sarn and Huw Treheli. They were hanged on two large poles at “Morfa Crugan” (the salt marsh at Crugan).

▪ According to a different source, there was further punishment when crops across the Llŷn Peninsula failed in the following year