# R N L I 1866



## treeve

Royal National Lifeboat Institution – 1866.
During the year of 1866, which is just closing the lifeboats of the National Lifeboat Institution have saved the crews of the following distressed ships on the coasts of the British Isles.
381 Lives saved from 70 vessels. 15 vessels saved. 
In addition this year the RNLI lifeboat crews have launched 122 times, which have not eventually required assistance. 
During this year of 1866, a number of fishing vessels and others have saved 493 lives, which have been acknowledged with awards.
876 Lives have thus been saved, and the attendant suffering of families and communities relieved. 
No less than 15,586 lives have been saved since the beginning of the RNLI in 1824. 
82 gold medals, 767 silver medals and cash awards of a total of 23,380 pounds sterling have been given. 
In this year of 1866, the expenditure of the RNLI has been 29,667 pounds sterling on its 172 lifeboat stations on the coasts of England, Scotland and Ireland; The total since inauguration being 160,400 pounds sterling.

SS Bessie, of Hayle, 9
Barque Reliance, of Whitby, 9
Barque Victorine, of Ostend, 1
Brig Osep, of Fiume, 7
Schooner Black Agnes, of South Shields, 3
Brigantine Fremad, of Bergen, 7 
Schooner Laurel, of Goole, 3 
Brig Tartar, of Sunderland, saved vessel and crew, 8 
Schooner George, of Goole, saved vessel and crew, 6 
Ship Thoughtful, of Sunderland, 8
Brig Jessie, of London, 8
Brig Cheshire Witch, of London, 3
Schooner Zephyr, of Banff, 6
Barque Lymon Cann, of St. John's, New Brunswick, 1
Ship Iron Crown, of Liverpool, rendered assistance
Brigantine Isabella, of Waterford, assisted to save vessel and crew, 5 
Brig Pero, of Whitby, 1
Smack Lily, of Wexford, 6
Schooner Sarah Ann, of Jersey, saved vessel and crew, 6
SS Lady Beatrix, of Sunderland, saved vessel
Brig Altivo, of Lisbon, 10 
Flat Morning Star, of Carnarvon, 3 
Galliott Johanna, of Soon, Norway, 7
Ship Amsterdam, of Sunderland, 14 
Brig Mazurka, of Dundee, 10
Brig Claudia, of Belfast, saved vessel and crew, 7 
Brig Vesta, of Whitby, 7
Schooner Leader, assisted to save vessel and crew, 6 
Billyboy Gipsey, of Wisbeach, 4 
Barque Julia, of Liverpool, 9 
Schooner Peerless, of Aberystwith, 5 
Smack Elizabeth, of Cardigan, 6 
Smack Jenny Jones, of Barmouth, 5
Brigantine Pearl, of Montrose, saved vessel 
Schooner Ann, of Torquay, 3 
Ship Alarm, of Belfast, 11
B Providentia, of Svelvig Drammen, 8 
Smack Shamrock, of Wexford, 6 
Barque Mary and Elizabeth, of Whitby, 11 
Schooner Treaty, of Goole, saved vessel and crew, 4 
SS Carbon, of Newcastle, saved vessel and crew, 12 
Cutter yacht Dagmar, of Middlesborough, 2 
Ship Mary Roe, of Quebec, 7
Lugger Betsy Ann, of Port Gordon, NB, 5 
Brigantine Jenne Francois, assisted to save vessel and crew, 6 
Brigantine Nicholas Harvey, of Hayle, 8
Brigantine Columbia, of Carnarvon, 5
Pilot coble of Blakeney, saved coble and crew, 3
Fishing smack Favourite, of Peel Isle of Man, 8
Barque Voluna, of Liverpool, saved vessel and crew, 5
Barque Coriven, of Londonderry, rendered assistance
Schooner Margaret Caldwell, of Portrush, 6
Sloop Pomona, of Ipswich, 2
Sloop Superior, of Goole, 2
Sloop Queen of Goole, 3
Sloop Cupid, of Goole, 4
Smack Cymru, of Amlwch, 2
Schooner Anaconda, of Lerwick, 5
Schooner Swann, of Goole, 4
SS Buda, of Leith, assisted to save vessel and crew
Schooner Coronation, of London. 4
Barque Indus, of Maitland Nova Scotia, 2
Schooner Tay, of Dundee; 5
Barque Salmi, assisted to save vessel and crew
Barque Margaret and Jane, of Shields, 8
Barque Caroline Elizabeth, of London, 13
Lugger William and Mary, of Yarmouth, 1
Norwegian Barque Inga, 14
Ship Himalaya, of Liverpool, rendered assistance
Brig George, of Lowestoft, 6

140 years later the RNLI announce in 2006
that their income stands at £139,000,000.
Expenditure amounts to £122,000,000, 
with expenditure on new Lifeboats and Shoreworks at £21,000,000; 
in 2006 the RNLI saved 299 lives, 
with a further 8,015 people rescued by RNLI Lifeboats. 
In 2006, the RNLI Lifeboats were called out 8,377 times.
There are now 230 Lifeboat Stations in UK and Ireland, much as it was in 1920.

Between 1824 and 1919, 57,069 lives were saved. 

During WWI, the lifeboats were launched 1,778 times, with the saving of 5,242 lives and 179 vessels. Casualties reported arising from war resulted in 549 launches and 1,666 lives. There were 22 lives saved from aircraft casualties.


----------



## Guest

Interesting read Treeve, ta for posting


----------



## treeve

Glad you enjoyed that John ...
I have recently been assisted (by email) by the very pleasant helpful staff at 
Royal National Lifeboat Institution, West Quay Road,
Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ, to find the crews of the Isles of Scilly Lifeboats in 1917.
Their Honorary Librarian must have spent some time searching .
But, they do have records, and the full crew lists were not kept until 1960, by the way.

Just to illustrate the dedication of these men of 1866, which I am sure is no less than is given today ...

The Times 23rd August 1866
REWARDS T0 A LIFEBOAT'S CREW.—The French Emperor has presented a first-class gold medal and certificate to Mr. N. Levett, coxswain of the St. Ive's lifeboat, belonging to the National Lifeboat Institution, and a first-class silver medal and certificate to each of the crew consisting of eight men, of the lifeboat, in acknowledgment of their very noble and persevering services in saving, at great risk of life, four men belonging to the brig Providence, of Granville, France, which was wrecked last winter during a fearful storm on Hayle Bar, Cornwall. 
When seen the sea was making a clean breach over the wreck, and the crew were supposed [assumed] to be in the rigging. The St Ives lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution was at once launched. In crossing the bar with the drogue or drag bag, in tow, which carried her safely over two heavy surfs, a tremendous sea broke over her stern, and the drogue rope breaking from the immense strain on it, she flew before the crest of the surf in almost a perpendicular position, and, running her bow under water, broached to and upset. She soon, however, righted, and all her crew managed to get on board. Two oars, grapnel anchor, and rope were lost, and two crutches broken. Although rowing four oars only, the crew persevered, and contrived to get her under the lee of the vessel, which was the French brig Providence, bound from Cardiff for Dieppe with coal. With a heavy sea and strong undercurrent, however, the lifeboat found it impossible to get alongside. Nearly an hour passed in signalling to the French crew to send a rope by means of a spar or raft, and when this at last was done the coxswain signalled to haul on board the lifebuoy, intending to take the men off through the water, but he could not make himself understood. Two of the crew now endeavoured to reach the lifeboat by means of the connecting rope one was being dragged on board and the other was within four or five yards, when a fearful sea broke on the broadside of the boat and upset her a second time. 
She righted instantly, but the poor fellow who was on the rope lost his hold, and was never seen again. The other held fast to the boat, and the crew once more got into her without accident. The communication with the vessel had not been broken, and the lifeboat again hauled up as near as possible to her. The captain and remaining two men then took to their boat, when the second wave capsized them. Through a fearful sea the lifeboat was hastily hauled ahead, and the three men were most fortunately picked up. 
The crew of the lifeboat landed at Hayle thoroughly exhausted. A more heroic service was, perhaps, never rendered by any boat. In admiration of it, a local contribution was raised to present as suitable acknowledgment of their bravery and endurance to the lifeboat's crew, in addition to the reward of the Lifeboat Institution, consisting of a silver medal and 2 pounds, to the coxswain, and a beautiful illuminated testimonial and 2 pounds to each man of his brave crew.


----------



## Guest

On board Samuel J ex Sir William Arnold when I got her were loads of records on shouts etc. Makes interesting ...hairy reading.
Found then (online ) a 2nd hand bookshop in guernsey that had 3 last copies of Mayday Mayday...history of the Guernseys boats... Copy here at home, one onboard and one for my old man... gave us a real feeling of the great work she and her hardy _real_ crew did.
brgds
John

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/39017/ppuser/9452


----------



## Guest

Tough men is all I can say after reading the above....and long before survival suits, drysuits, goretex ...tough as nails them lads


----------



## treeve

Have you seen the type of lifeboat they were using ...
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=88242
18 years later that is, new fangled safety in 1884.


----------



## Guest

When GPS meant 'Get pulling sonny'

AIS meant 'Always in Spray

and EPIRB was 'Everyone Pulls in Rescue Boat'(Thumb) 

Mighty men....


----------



## treeve

And what was keeping it all going? Much as it is now ...

The Times 8th October 1866
PRESERVATION OF LIFE FROM SHIPWRECK. A meeting of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution was held on Thursday at its house, John-street, Adelphi, Mr. Thomas Chapman, F.R.S., in the chair. There were also present Sir Francis Outram, Admiral W. H. Hall, C.B., Sir E. Perrott, Admiral McHardy, and many other gentlemen. The secretary having read the minutes of the previous meeting, a reward of 6pounds 10 shillings was granted to the crew of the institution's lifeboat, the Isis, at Hayle, for going off in a strong gale of wind and heavy ground sea on the 10th ult. and resccuing the crew of eight men of the brigantine Nicholas Harvey, of that port, which vessel had stranded on Hayle Bar. A reward of 6 pounds was also voted to the crew of the Porthdinllaen lifeboat, for putting off to signals of distress, and bringing ashore the crew of five men of the brigantine Columbia, of Carnarvon, which was in a very dangerous position near the rocks in Porthdinllen Bay, having parted from one of her anchors. A reward of 7 pounds was likewise granted to the crew of the Blakeney lifeboat for being instrumental in bringing safely into harbour a pilot coble and her crew of three men during a strong wind on the 12th of August. Rewards amounting to 34 pounds were also voted to pay the expenses of the lifeboats of the institution stationed at Blackpool, Lytham, Shoreham, and North Deal, for various services during the past month. The thanks of the institution, inscribed on vellum were ordered to be given to Mr. Henry B. Gawler, R.N., inspecting officer of Coastguard at Ballyheige, county Kerry and 1 pound each to three of his men, in acknowledgment of their services in wading into the surf with life-lines round them and effecting communication with the barque Anne, of London, which had gone ashore during a strong gale and heavy sea on the 11th ult. By these means 12 out of 14 of the crew of the vessel were rescued. A reward of 2 pounds 10 shillings was also granted to some men who assisted the Coastguardmen in hauling the shipwrecked crew ashore on the occasion. Various other rewards were also voted to the crews of shore boats for saving life from shipwreck on our coasts. It was reported that the inhabitants of Bristol and Clifton had, through Miss Hill, Mr. E. Austin. Mr. E. Hancock, and gentlemen belongong to the Bristol Histrionic Club, contributed to the institution the cost of a new lifeboat, to be stationed at Lossiemouth, North Britain [ouch]. Mr. Robert Taylor Heape, of Rochdale, had also collected 479 pounds from among the residents of that town to defray the expense of a lifeboat to be stationed At Polkerris, near Fowey, Cornwall. A contribution of 360 pounds had also been received from E. P. S., to pay the cost of a new lifeboat for Barmouth. Miss Hamill, of Kingstown, had also forwarded to the institution a donation of 50 pounds, by direction of her brother, the late Mr. James Hamill. The institution had, during the past month, forwarded new lifeboats to Queenstown, Poolbeg, and Brixham; the railway and steampacket companies kindly gave them a free conveyance to their destinations. 
The Poolbeg lifeboat, the G.V. Brooke, was exhibited on the Adelphi terrace, London, before being sent to her station, and was publicly launched at Dublin on the 20th ult. The City of Exeter lifeboat, for Brixham, was also taken to Exeter, on the way to her station, when a grand demonstration took place with her. The London Sunday Schools' Lifeboat was also publicly presented to the institution on the 25th ult., at the Agricultural hall, Islington, in the presence upwards of 24,000 of the Sunday-school children. Payments amounting to 3,250 pounds were ordered to be made on various lifeboat establishments. It was reported that the society was now collecting estimates from different places for the construction of some safety fishing-boats. These boats are intended to become practical specimens of what may be termed life-saving fishing-boats, and it is hoped that after sufficient trial other boats on this model may be built by fishermen on various parts of the coast of the United Kingdom. Thus a permanent improvement would be established, which might lead to the saving of many lives on occasions of such boats being overtaken by gales of wind when pursuing their avocations at long distances from land. A working drawing of a new lifeboat built at Port Adelaide, South Australia, on the plan of the institution, was brought under the notice of the meeting by the Marine Board of that place. Reports were read from the inspector and assistant-inspector of lifeboats of the institution on their recent visits to different lifeboat stations on the English and Irish coast. The proceedings then terminated.


----------



## g0elz

Interesting reading for a fifth Generation RNLI crew member.

What did they say the fool of the family went to sea.

Only Joking I go back to the days before the Drysuits and other wet weather gear, we got a Oilskin and Bullky Lifejacket and Thigh Waders, every trip worth while though and would not have missed growing up in a RNLI Family

New Brighton Wallasey Station.

Bill Cross


----------

