Amongst the graves in the churchyard at Granston church, is a memorial to Captain Charles Halket Nathaniel Bowlby and the crew of the CHARLES HOLMES, which was wrecked off on the coast nearby.

The CHARLES HOLMES was one of the casualties of the Royal Charter gale of 25-26 October 1859. The grave at Granston is not devoted to any one person (athough Bowlby's name is specifally mentioned), it is devoted to the entire crew.

The Vicar of Granston, Reverend Rowland Daniel, was only 20 when it fell to his lot to oversee the internments. The burial records of the parish of Llanwnda reveal a similar sad task for Reverend A H Richardson.

The following is an extract from the burial records of the parishes of Granston and Llanwnda:

Burials in the Parish of Granston in the county of Pembroke in the Year 1859
Name: 2 bodies names unknown, 1body name unknown, 4 bodies names unknown, 1 body name unknown, 2 bodies names unknown.
Abode: Part of the crew of the Charles Holmes of Liverpool wrecked at Aberbach.
When buried: October 28th 1859.
By whom the ceremony was performed: R. Daniel, Vicar.

Burials in the Parish of Llanwnda in the county of Pembroke in the Year 1859
Two bodies found under Llanverran supposed to be part of the crew of the ship Charles Holmes of Liverpool wrecked in Aberbach in that awful storm which took place Tuesday night the 25th October 1859, all hands were lost.
When buried: 9th November 1859
By whom the ceremony was performed: A.H. Richardson, Vicar

Sources include:
Burial Record of the Parish of Granston and Llanwnda, Pembroke, 1859, Pembrokeshire Record Office
http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?id=15732