New Brighton Lifeboat Station

New Brighton Lifeboat Station is located on Kings Parade in the town of New Brighton, on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside. A lifeboat was first stationed at Magazines village by the Liverpool Dock Trustees in 1827. The station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1863.[1]

New Brighton Lifeboat Station
New Brighton Lifeboat Station
New Brighton Lifeboat Station is located in Merseyside
New Brighton Lifeboat Station
New Brighton, Wirral
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
AddressKings Parade
Town or cityNew Brighton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH45 2ND
CountryEngland
Coordinates53°26′22.1″N 3°02′50.2″W / 53.439472°N 3.047278°W / 53.439472; -3.047278
Opened1827 / 1863
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
New Brighton RNLI Lifeboat Station

The station currently operates a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, the Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.51) (B-837), on station since 2009.[2]

History

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In the 18th Century, vessels arriving in the Port of Liverpool were required to first deposit their gunpowder in the Gunpowder magazine, which was located in a secluded area on the Wirral, across the River Mersey from Liverpool. Over time, Magazine Village developed, and it was here that the Liverpool Dock Trustees placed one of their lifeboats in 1827, with a boathouse being constructed in 1828. The location was ideally situated to cover the mouth of the river. A second boat was stationed there in 1839.[3]

At a public meeting in 1862, it was discussed that a boat, located in the now increasingly populous area known as New Brighton, would be better positioned to effect a faster response into Liverpool Bay. The RNLI was approached, and agreed to provide a lifeboat station in New Brighton. An unusual new 'Tubular' type of lifeboat, named Rescue, was commissioned with J. Hamilton, Jnr, Windsor Works, Liverpool, and arrived on station in January 1863.[4]

Within 18 months, as the Liverpool Dock Trustees had found, it was necessary to place a second boat at New Brighton, and a No.2 station was started in July 1864. This boat too was unusual, as it was a 33-foot Iron boat rather than the usual wooden boats. She was named Willie and Arthur.[4]

In 1893, New Brighton received the Duke of Northumberland (ON 231), transferred from Holyhead, as their No.2 lifeboat. The boat was a 50-foot Steam-powered lifeboat, using Water-Jets as a means of propulsion, over 140 years before this technology was again utilised by the RNLI in the present day Shannon-class lifeboats. When the boat was required to be returned to Holyhead, the RNLI commissioned another Steam-class lifeboat. Arriving on station in 1897, she was named Queen (ON 404) to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.[4]

It would appear that in 1923, the replacement lifeboat for Queen, a 60-foot Barnett-class lifeboat William and Kate Johnston (ON 682) was assigned to be the No.1 station boat, with the No.1 boat becoming No.2.[2]

Both No.1 and No.2 station boats were retired in 1950, being replaced by just one boat, effectively closing the No.2 station. The 52-foot Barnett-class lifeboat Norman B. Corlett (ON 883) remained in service until 1973, when it was decided that the All-weather lifeboat would be withdrawn, and replaced with a fast Inshore B-class (Atlantic 21). With the Atlantic-class boat having to be stored 1.5 miles from the station until a new boathouse was built, a D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat was also placed on service for 18 months.[2]

In response to the number of rescues required on the large expanse of mud and sand at the end of the Wirral Peninsular, the RNLI placed one of their seven Griffon Hoverwork Type 470TD Hovercraft on station in 2004. This Hovercraft was relocated to Hoylake in 2016.[2]

Station honours

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The following are awards made at New Brighton[1][5]

  • Gold Medal, awarded by the American Government
To each of New Brighton lifeboat's crew - 1875
To each of the survivors of the crew of the Liverpool lifeboat - 1875
  • Gold Medal, awarded by the French Government
George Robinson, Coxswain - 1928
George Carmody - 1928
Samuel Jones - 1928
Peter Cropper, Liverpool Lifeboat - 1851
Thomas Evans, Magazine Lifeboat - 1851
Joseph Formby, Formby Lifeboat - 1851
Thomas Evans, Coxswain - 1863 (Second-Service Clasp)
Thomas Evans, Jnr - 1863
William Evans - 1863
Richard J. Thomas, Coxswain - 1870
Hiram Linaker, crew member - 1877
William Martin, Coxswain - 1894
George Robinson, Coxswain - 1928
William Henry Jones, Coxswain - 1938
Edward Brown, Coxswain - 1974
Robin Middleton, crew member - 1974
  • Silver Medal, awarded by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society
J W Bray, Mechanic - 1946
John Rowland Nicholson, crew member - 1928
George James Carmody, crew member - 1928
Ralph B. Scott, crew member - 1928
Wilfred Garbutt, crew member - 1928
Samuel J. Jones, crew member - 1928
William Liversage, crew member - 1928
John H. Moore, crew member - 1928
John Rowland Nicholson, Second Coxswain - 1938
Wilfred Garbutt, Mechanic - 1938
John E. Mason, Second Mechanic - 1938
William Stephen Jones, Second Coxswain - 1947
William Stephen Jones, Acting Coxswain - 1950 (Second-Service Clasp)
George Stonall, Coxswain - 1957
Edward Beverley Brown, Helmsman - 1982
  • The Ralph Glister Award 1987
    for the most meritorious service carried out in a lifeboat under 10 metres
Anthony Clare, Helmsman - 1988
Geoffrey Prince, crew member - 1988
Anthony Jones, crew member - 1988
  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
Clifford Downing, crew member - 1974
Alan Boult, crew member - 1974
Ian Campbell, crew member - 1974
Edward B Brown, Helmsman - 1976
Michael Jones, crew member - 1982
Anthony Clare. Helmsman - 1988
Michael Jones, crew member - 1994
Tony Clare, crew member - 1994
Michael Jones, Helmsman - 1995
Michael Jones, Helmsman - 2000
  • A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
Geoffrey Prince, crew member - 1988
Anthony Jones, crew member - 1988
Neil Jones, crew member - 1994
Barry Shillinglaw, crew member - 1994
Tony Jones, shore helper - 1994
Howard Jones, crew member - 1995
Neil Jones, crew member - 1995
Michael Haxby, crew member - 1995
Richard Finlay, County Rescue Boat - 1995
John Goodwin, County Rescue Boat - 1995
Mark Bland, Helmsman - 2005
Mark Harding, crew member - 2005
Greg Morgan, crew member - 2005
  • A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
Barry Shillinglaw, crew member - 1980
Paul Wright, crew member - 1980
Howard Jones, crew member - 1980
  • Collective Letter of Appreciation signed by the Director of the Institution
Eight shore helpers from the station - 1980
  • A Letter of Appreciation signed by the Chief of Operations
Station Honorary Secretary - 1980
Philip Gerald Hockey, Lifeboat Press Officer - 2007QBH[6]

New Brighton lifeboats

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All-weather lifeboats

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No.1 Station

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ON[a] Name In service[7] Class Comments[4]
Unnamed 1827−1845 Unknown
Unnamed 1845−1863 Unknown [Note 1]
Pre-387 Rescue 1863−1866 42-foot Tubular [Note 2]
Removed from service November 1866 for rebuild
Pre-380 Latimer 1866−1867 34-foot 6in Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
Pre-387 Willie and Arthur 1867−1876 40-foot 3in Tubular [Note 4]
Formerly Rescue at New Brighton, completely rebuilt
71 Willie and Arthur 1876−1890 45-foot Tubular [Note 5]
Withdrawn in 1890 when found to be defective.
221 Henry Richardson 1890−1898 43-foot Tubular [Note 6]
Became No.1 lifeboat when ON 71 withdrawn.
414 Henry Richardson 1898−1919 43-foot Watson (P&S) [Note 7]
637 Staughton 1919−1923 40-foot Watson (P&S) [Note 8]
682 William and Kate Johnston 1923−1950 60-foot Barnett [Note 9]
Largest RNLI lifeboat at that time.
883 Norman B. Corlett 1950−1973 52-foot Barnett [Note 10]
All-weather lifeboat replaced with a B-class (Atlantic 21) Inshore lifeboat, 1973

No.2 Station

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ON[a] Name In service[7] Class Comments
Unnamed 1839−1863 30-foot non-self-righting [Note 11]
Pre-406 Willie and Arthur 1864−1867 33-foot Iron Self-righting (P&S) [Note 12]
Pre-494 Lily 1867−1878 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 13]
Pre-625 Stuart Hay 1878−1888 40-foot Tubular [Note 14]
221 Henry Richardson 1888−1890 43-foot Tubular [Note 15]
Became No.1 lifeboat following withdrawal of ON 71.
No No.2 lifeboat between 1890 and 1893
231 Duke of Northumberland 1893−1897 50-foot Steam [Note 16]
404 Queen 1897−1923 55-foot Steam [Note 17]
Left station to take part in the 1924 Thames flotilla for the RNLI 100th Anniversary
637 Staughton 1923−1930 40-foot Watson (P&S)
550 Anne Miles 1930−1936 43-foot Watson (P&S)
535 Charlie Medland 1936−1938 43-foot Watson (P&S)
812 Edmund and Mary Robinson 1938−1950 41ft Watson
No.2 Station Closed 1950
Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

No.3 Station

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ON[a] Name In service[2] Class Comments
76 Unnamed 1884−1887 46-foot 2" Self-righting (P&S) [Note 18]
Later Edith at Fleetwood
No.3 Station Closed 1887

Hovercraft

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Op.No.[b] Name In service[2] Class Comments
H-005 Hurley Spirit 2004−2016 Hovercraft [Note 19]

Inshore lifeboats

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Op. No.[b] Name In service[2] Class Comments
D-42 Unnamed 1973–1974 D-class (RFD PB16)
B-509 Unnamed 1973–1981 B-class (Atlantic 21)
B-549 Blenwatch 1981–1996 B-class (Atlantic 21)
B-721 Rock Light 1996–2009 B-class (Atlantic 75)
B-837 Charles Dibdin
(Civil Service No.51)
2009– B-class (Atlantic 85)
  1. ^ a b c ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ^ a b Op.No. is the RNLI's Operational Number carried on the hull or vehicle.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Lifeboat, built by John Southern of Runcorn
  2. ^ 42-foot x 10-foot (P&S) Tubular-class lifeboat, built by J. Hamilton Jnr. of Liverpool, costing £230
  3. ^ 34-foot 6in self-righting lifeboat.
  4. ^ 40-foot 3in x 11-foot 6in Tubular lifeboat.
  5. ^ 45-foot Tubular (P&S) lifeboat , Iron Hull, built by J. Hamilton, Jnr, costing £562-10s-0d.
  6. ^ 43-foot x 12-foot 6in (14-Oared) Tubular-class lifeboat, built by the Naval Construction and Armament Co. of Barrow-in-Furness, and costing £637.
  7. ^ 43-foot x 12-foot 6in non-self-righting Watson-class (P&S) lifeboat, built by Henry Reynolds of Lowestoft, costing £694.
  8. ^ 40-foot x 11-foot Watson-class (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks, completed by S. E. Saunders, costing £2,279.
  9. ^ 60-foot x 15-foot Barnett-class lifeboat, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, with twin 80hp 'Weyburn' DE6 petrol-engines, producing 9½ knots, costing £16,084.
  10. ^ 52-foot x 13-foot 6in Barnett-class lifeboat, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, with twin 60hp 'Ferry' diesel-engines, producing 9 knots, costing £16,084.
  11. ^ 30-foot non-self-righting lifeboat, built by Thomas Costain
  12. ^ 33-foot x 8-foot 2in (10-Oared) self-righting (P&S) (Iron) lifeboat.
  13. ^ 33-foot x 7-foot 6in (10-Oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
  14. ^ 40-foot x 8-foot 10in (12-Oared) Tubular-class lifeboat, built by Hamilton, and costing £500.
  15. ^ 43-foot x 12-foot 6in (14-Oared) Tubular-class lifeboat, built by the Naval Construction and Armament Co. of Barrow-in-Furness, and costing £637.
  16. ^ 50-foot x 14-foot 4in Steam-class lifeboat, built by R. H. Green of Blackwall, London.
  17. ^ 55-foot x 15-foot Steam-class lifeboat, built by Thorneycroft, costing £4,850.
  18. ^ 46-foot x 11-foot (12-Oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, and costing £583.
  19. ^ Hovercraft transferred to Hoylake in 2016

References

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  1. ^ a b "New Brighton's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
  3. ^ "The Story of Magazine Village". historyofwallasey.co.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Morris, Jeff (January 1986). The Story of the New Brighton Lifeboats. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 1–26.
  5. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0-907605-89-3.
  6. ^ "British Empire Medal (Civil Division)". The Gazette. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
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