Lifeboat services in 1896
The last three years have been somewhat remarkable for the absence of any long continuance of stormy weather, and the year 1896, taking it altogether, proved to be one of the finest and quietist years experienced during the last decade. Whole weeks past without a single lifeboat being launched on service, and it was only, speaking generally, in the early closing months of the year, that the services of the lifeboats and their crews were frequently called for. Whenever, however, these were needed, there was no timid hanging back, and many a shipwrecked mariner was gallantly rescued by them.
The heaviest gales of the year occurred on the 25th September and the 6th October. During the first of these 25 lifeboats were launched, resulting in the saving of 24 lives, and the landing of 39 other persons from vessels in dangerous positions. An enormous amount of damage was done, particularly on the west coast, to the lifeboat houses, stages, slipways etc, during these two gales. The tide which accompanied the gale of the 8th October was alleged to have been the highest, in many places on record. Only one lifeboat man lost his life on service during the year, and that from an accident not in any way due to the lifeboat.
The details of the services rendered by the lifeboats during the year are as follows:-
Brigantine KELPIE of South Shields, 7 lives saved
Coble SECRET of Whitby, 4 lives saved
Brigantine MARIE LOUISE, stood by vessel
Steamer DUNDEE of Glasgow, 4 lives saved
Steamer LIFFEY of London, remained by vessel
Schooner REGINA of Jersey, 4 lives saved
Coble YOUNG JANE of Cullercoats, stood by vessel
Lugger ISABELLE of Wick, 6 lives saved
Barquentine ALBERT. T. YOUNG of Faversham, landed 6 men and remained by vessel
Barque GLENBERVIS of Glasgow rendered assistance
Coble FRIENDS OF ROBIN HOOD'S BAY, stood by vessel
Steamer ROSSTREVOR of Dublin, landed 17 passengers
Smack GOVERNOR READY, of Douglas saved vessel and three lives
Yawl ANNIE of Wexford rendered assistance
Fishing Coble LIONEL stood by vessel
Schooner REFORM of Stavanger, saved 9 lives
Schooner SCOTIA of Inverness remained by vessel
Cutter ADELINE of Great Yarmouth saved one life
Schooner LIZZIE of Chester, landed 5 people
Schooner LADDIE of St John's Newfoundland, landed 7 people
Schooner JANET of Carnarvon, rendered assistance
Brigantine WAREE of WARCE ? of Dundalk, saved 4 lives
Ketch TEMPTER of Hull, landed 3 people
Steamtug ALBERT of Chester, assisted crew
Fishing smack HARRIET of Marshside saved vessel and 4 lives
Ship MACMILLAN of Glasgow, assisted to save vessel
Ketch RIVAL, of Rye, saved 2 lives
Fishing smack, PRAIRIE FLOWER, saved vessel and one life
Cutter LUFFRA of Douglas, saved one life
Brig FLAMINGO, of Farsund, assisted to save vessel and 8 lives
Ship MARECHAL SUCHET, of London, stood by vessel
Dandy CHANTIELEER of Lowestoft, assisted to save vessel
Steamer FLYING FALCON of Liverpool, landed 76 passengers
Schooner NOBLE of Banff, assisted to save vessel
Cutter GRACE DARLING of Ramsey, saved 3 lives
Schooner KATE of Peel, rendered assistance
Pilot cutter POLLY of Barry, saved vessel and two lives
SS. LADY GREY of West Hartlepool, assisted to save vessel
Cutter ATALANTA, landed crew and took vessel into harbour
Brig PRINCE CONSORT of Faversham, rendered assistance
Smack CHRISTIANA of Cardigan, saved 2 lives
Steamer EGLINTON of Glasgow, rendered assistance
Dandy ENDEAVOUR of Lowestoft, landed 4 people
Barque AGDER of Frederickstadt, saved 4 lives
Lugger MYSTERY of Lowestoft, saved vessel and five lives
ANNE AND BETSY of Aberporth, landed 2 people
Ketch ELIZA AND ALICE of Goole stood by vessel
Flat CATHERINE of Liverpool, saved 2 lives
Ketch SUSSEX BELLE of London, saved vessel and 6 lives
ALBATROSS of Aberporth, landed two people
Schooner AIRE of Goole, saved 4 lives
Barquentine LIANA, rendered assistance
Ketch CLARA of Milford, assisted to save vessel and 3 lives
Schooner TOM HENRY of Kirkwall, saved 5 lives
Steamer ELLINGTON of Newcastle, rendered assistance
Schooner MERSEY of Dublin, saved 3 lives
Barque BANKLANDS of Liverpool landed three passengers
Ketch KATE MUDD, stood by vessel
Barque GIOVANNI of Lillesand, saved 13 lives
Barque PALME, saved 5 lives
Schooner LAKE PATAS, of Barrow, landed five people
Schooner WILLIAM AND HENRY of Wicklow, saved vessel and crew of 3
Ketch SAGE of Caernarfon, landed three people
Barque MINDE of Farsund, saved 11 lives
Trawler HADASSAH of Aberystwyth, saved vessel
Schooner SAMUEL DIXON of Wexford, landed four people
Schooner MARGARET of Wexford, landed three people
Brigantine BROTHERS of Drogheda, saved 5 lives
Brigantine RIVAL of Belfast, landed five people
Flat SEFTON of Liverpool saved 4 lives
Smack MARY of Lynmouth, rendered assistance
Schooner MOUSE of Cardigan, landed three people
Barge RUBY of London, saved vessel and 4 lives
Schooner JOHN GIBSON of Fleetwood, landed four people
Schooner KER PLANT of Padstow, landed eight people
Dandy JOLLY TAR of Lowestoft saved 5 lives
Smack TOPAZ of Milford landed three people
Ketch W. S. SCOTT, of Newport, landed four people
Southend Pier Extension Works, saved 7 lives
Barquentine MARIA BERNER, landed ten people
Dandy SILVER KING of Hull, saved 6 lives
Lugger JULES NOEMI of Redon, saved 7 lives
Schooner DOROTHY WATSON of Shields, rendered assistance
Fishing lugger OCEAN PEARL, saved 8 lives
Schooner WATER BIRD of Liverpool, landed five people
Ship SOUDAN of Liverpool, saved 35 lives
Brigantine EMMA IVES of Dublin, stood by vessel
Galliot DINA, of Groningen, saved 6 lives
Schooner THOMAS of Liverpool assisted to save vessel and 3 lives
Brigantine THYRA of Ronne, saved 9 lives.
Barque AMALIA of Gothenburg, rendered assistance
Barquentine GOLGOTHA of Riga, saved vessel and 10 lives
Ketch ASKELON of Jersey, landed three people
Schooner OCEAN BELLE of Beaumaris, saved 3 lives
SS ARDLE of Dundee, remained by vessel
Skiff JANE of Swansea, save one life
Steamer BLESK of Odessa, saved 43 lives
Steamer PROPITIOUS of Sunderland remained by vessel and landed 47 men
Steamer MENZALEH of London, rendered assistance
Brigantine LORD GAINSBOROUGH of Jersey, assisted to save vessel and 7 lives
Cutters HILDA and LAUREL, remained in attendance on boats
Barque OPHIR of Arendal saved 2 lives
Ketch PROGRESS of Aberystwyth landed five people
Steam trawler PANSY of North Shield, saved 8 lives
SS. HAWK, of Hull, rendered assistance
Ketch ELIZABETH, of Newport, saved 2 lives and assisted to save vessel
Ketch LITTLE JANE of Plymouth rendered assistance
Schooner EVA of Runcorn saved 2 lives
Brigantine NEPTUNE of Helsingborg remained by vessel
A man who fell from the quay at Penzance saved his life
Brigantine ELIZABETH JANE of Fowey rendered assistance
Schooner FLORA EMILY of Burghead, saved 5 lives
Barque SOPHIE of Frederickstadt remained by vessel
Good service was rendered to fishing vessels in danger during stormy weather at Arbroath, Berwick-on-Tweed, Flamborough, Cullercoats, Holy Island, Runswick, Whitby, North Sunderland, Scarborough, Newbiggin, Staithes, Redcar, Montrose, Port Erin, St Andrews and Eyemouth.
This grand list of services includes saving 312 lives and much valuable property, 20 vessels having been rescued from total or partial loss, besides which scores of fishing boats returning from the fleets would have been unable to make the harbours, and would probably have been wrecked, had it not been for the important assistance of the lifeboats. Altogether the boats were launched for service 341 times during the year, and the crews of the lifeboats also assembled on 49 other occasions in readiness to go off in their boats should their services be required. Rewards were also granted by the institution for the saving of 149 lives by means of shore-boats during the year, bringing up the total number of lives for the saving of which the society granted rewards in 1896 to 451 and to 39,815 since 1824. The cost of maintaining the institutions fleet of 298 lifeboats in thorough efficiency is increasingly heavy and the amount received in annual subscriptions and accruing from assured income is insufficient for the purpose. Annual subscriptions and donations will be gladly received by the secretary Charles DIBDIN Esq., 14 John St, Adelphi, London, by any of the branch honorary secretaries and by all the bankers in the United Kingdom.
Copyright 2002 / To date