28.December 1781. The Caterina at Sker Rocks, many details of this event are preserved in the Gnoll Collection , and in Quarter Session records.
The vessels main cargo consisted of cotton, and most of this was swiftly stolen, in addition to several casks of wine and brandy, currants and other goods. In fact anything readily movable and of value was taken-- including the ship`s compass. Before the authorities could take effective measures to protect the vessel and her cargo, hundreds of people converged upon Sker, not only men from neighbouring parishes, but men fro widely scattered places such as Llanharry, Llantrisant, St. Bride`s, Penmark, Bridgend, Neath and Aberdulais. An attidavit signed by David Jones of the last named place, who filched cotton from the wreck on December 29th and 30th, conveys the impression that the people were utterly indifferent to the welfare of the crew. This deponent maintained that he had heard Hopkin Llewellyn, Esq. of Margam, steward of the Talbot Estate, say: " if ye People would let ye Men belonging to the ship have their Victuals and Cloaths they might take ye Rest- or words to that Effect." 
Another incident connected with the wreck, which reflects the lawless and vicious attitude of some of the people, involved Elias Jenkins, J.P., of Pyle. In a Quarter Sessions Order Book, it is recorded that whilst in company with the sherift he saw two men stealing cotton from the vessel and gave chase on horseback. He succeeded in capturing one of them - a Watkin David - but the other, in escaping over the rocks, shouted to his confederate in Welsh: " Take up a stone and strike him until the Devil is out of him.
According to a warrant issued by Sir Herbert Mackworth, J.P. of the Gnoll, Neath, information had been given to him, that large quantities of Cotton and other Goods were feloniously taken from the ship Caterina and carried to Sker House, its barns and other premises, all in the occupation of Morgan Howells, and " there is reason to believe that the said Goods do now lie conceled with an intent to dispose of the same." The chief and petty constables were charged with the task of making a diligent search of the said premises. It was later known that the ship`s captain, Vincenzo Tommasi, had secretly removed three boxes of coral to a house some distance away - presumable Sker House - and had afterwards delivered them to the Collector at Swansea. The High Sheriff of Glamorgan, Charles Bowen, reported in a letter to Mackworth that William Henry of Newton, farmer, had large quantities of cotton in his house, that people of Bridgend had been carrying cotton to hiding places, and that the wife of John David of New Park was seen in the act of hiding large quantities of the material. He adds that he had instructed the Crier of Bridgend Market and others to advertise the sale of the vessel.
The following list gives the names of the persons belonging to local parishes who were alledged to have looted goods from the Caterina, or who acted as receivers of the stolen property-:

Kenfig: William Harry [ butcher ]. Edward Evan [ shoemaker ]. William Owen [ carpenter ]. William John [ mason ]. Jenkin Evan [ blacksmith ]. John Hopkin [ butcher ]. John Evan [ weaver ]. William Hopkins and Evan Jones [ labourers].

Cornelly: Thomas Yorwerth [ Alehouse keeper ].

Pyle: William Thomas  [ farmer ].

Margam: William Thomas, Edward Davies [ collier ], Sarah, wife of Philip George [collier ], Hopkin Hopkin [ Smith ], William Tranter, Thomas Henry [ Labourer ], Morgan John [ farmer ]. Hopkin Bowen and his wife Anne, of Havodiga Farm.

Aberavon: Jenkin Griffiths.

Taibach: William David and William Ropeyer of Miners Row. Jenkin Aubrey, Watkin Robert, Thomas Price, and Watkin Price [ Coppermen ], Mary Richards wife of Richard Richards [ Copperman ] and Mary Mathews, wife of Mathew Mathews [ copperman ].

Llangynwyd: David and Thomas John, Aaron Bowen, David Griffith and Jenkin Williams.

In a sworn statement, the David John of Llangynwyd charged two men named Evan David and John Leyson with hijacking the cotton he had looted from the Caterina, accusing them with molesting him near the New House at Kenfig and theatening his life with bare knives. The victim of the alleged attack sought and optained a favourable testimonial to his character from the Rev. William Thomas Vicar of Llangynwyd and Aberavon.

A letter written by Henry Knight of Tythegeston to Sir Humphrey Mackworth shows that the local justices feared that an attempt migh be made by the " Country people " to rescue some of the prisoners concerned with pillaging the vessel. The writer suggested that it was impossible to optain a strong enough escort to take them to Cardiff Goal, they should be taken there with all secrecy at night. A document, endorsed " Receipt for Wreckers Committed to Cardiff Goal", and dated 2 January, 1782, was issued by the goaler to record the imprisoment there of William Harry of Kenfig and three other men. Several documents refer to Aaron Bowen of Llangynwyd, a farmer, whose activities were a matter of grave concern to the authorities. Edward Williams, curate of Llangynwyd, testified that Bowen had gone to his house on the evening prior to a meeting of the justices at Pyle and demanded the key to his church. The curate was bluntly told that the key was wanted so that Bowen could ring the church bell, which was to have been the signal for men of the neighbourhood to assemble in force with a view to descending upon the magistrates at Pyle - " to ask ye Gentlemen whether they would let ye people go free who were concern`d in ye Wreck, and if so they would be Engaged not to do such things in ye future. But if not they would go forward and break the Goal, and he apprehended some Hundreds might assemble for ye same purpose. "  The curate refused to give the key to Bowen, but the latter, not to be thwarted, optained it in the same manner, and when the bell was duly rung he found Bowen in the church in company with Richard Gibbon, Morgan Gibbon, Thomas Joseph and others. He angrily ordered them out, and they eventually left. David John, another Llangynwyd farmer, also confirmed Bowen`s intention in a deposition which stated that the latter had intended " to Mob ye Gentlemen at Pyle it they did not agree to what he would have them do. " Bowen             also went to the Taibach Copper Works and one John David Morgan, Copperman, deposed that he had urged the workers there to accompany him to the Pyle meeting. Thomas Tyler, the agent at the works, further swore that when he found his workmen in the Copper Refinery missing he discovered them later in the Operation House, where Bowen was holding forth in Welsh. Tyler thereupon , through an interpreter, ordered him away and declared that if any of the workers accompanied Bowen they would be discharged. Ultimately, Bowen was charged at the Ship and Castle Inn at Neath with inciting men to resist officers and threatening the Chief Constable of Neath Hundred and others.

Cotton stolen from the wreck was swiftly sold to traders at Swansea, Bridgend, Llanrisant, Cowbridge, Brecon and other places, and a reward of £10 was offered by the ship`s agents for information leading to the conviction of the looters. Some of the cotton recovered was sold on 10 June, 1782 at the Ship and Castle Inn, referred to above, for £39, and when the Caterina`s hulk, cables, masts and four guns were sold at a public auction the sale realised £143-3-0. Marble blocks, forming part of her cargo, were not recovered. Accounts compiled by the vessel`s agents show that they spent £321-3-6 in various disursements, and that coral bought by the licensee of the Bear Inn, Aberavon, was seized by the authorities. The accounts appear to absolve Morgan Howells of Sker from personal involvement in the looting, for they include an item of £43-18-6 paid to him for the hire of waggons and the use of Sker House, presumably for the storage of the salvaged cotton. Sixty men of the Swansea Volunteers were on duty at the wreck, £37-4-6 being paid for their services. Other sums paid for the hire of horses, for powder and shot, flints and cartridges, for men and women employed in filling  bags of cotton and for the expenses of the captain and crew to cover twenty days stay at the Ship and Castle.  £31-12-0 was paid to James Marment of Pyle for unspecified services, £1-6-0 to Thomas Thomas of the Ship Inn, Aberavon, for ale, and 10/4 to Benjamin Williams also of Aberavon, for meat and drink for 31 men. A total of £2-14-9 was also paid to the collectors at toll-houses belonging to the Bridgend Turnpike Trust for vehicles, etc, travelling to Swansea. The Quarter Sessions Order Book, shows that £300 was granted at the county`s expence to defray costs of prosecutions and maintainance of Militiamen`s wives, etc. 
Another document shows that the men of the Swansea-Neath district formed a " Protecting Fellowship " in 1782, as they were alarmed at the presence of French privateers in the Bristol Chanel-- " even anchoring in ye Mumbles Roads "-- and because of the plundering of stranded vessels. Uniforms worn by the association were to consist of blue coats, white waistcoats and breeches, with cross belts. Cutlasses, and horse pistols were to be used and horses provided to answer any summons. Ten guineas were paid to the " Gentlemen of the Association " for services connected with the wreck.

Transactions relating to the vessel were protracted, and in a letter to its agent, dated 26 August, 1783 Sir Humphrey Mackworth says: " The great trouble and Little Satisfaction I have had relative to the Catrina wreck makes me as well as yourself heartily Sick ofye Business " An echo of the nefarious practices of the men of the neighbourhood is recorded in an old triban noted by Cadrawd, which refers to a vessel called the Marina stranded on Sker Rocks with a cargo of cotton " worth £4,000 to the men of Pyle."

Rocau`r Scer le garwa,
Lle strandws llong Marina,
A bwnbast gwyn i wyr y Pil
Gwerth pedair mil o buna.

I have seen no reference elswhere to the stranding at Sker of a vessel called the Marina. As folk memory can become confused with the passage of time. It seems possible that the name Marina has been mistakenly substituted for that of the Catrina.
Or did the men of Pyle and Kenfig profit by two bumper harvests of cotton ?

By A.Leslie Evans Taibach.