Bridlington Lifeboat Station

Bridlington Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station based in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Having been instituted in 1805, it is the oldest working RNLI lifeboat location in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.[2]

Bridlington Lifeboat Station
Bridlington Lifeboat Station from the south
Bridlington Lifeboat Station is located in East Riding of Yorkshire
Bridlington Lifeboat Station
Location within the East Riding of Yorkshire
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationBridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire
CountryEngland
Coordinates54.0785°N 0.1978°W / 54.0785; -0.1978
Opened2017
Cost£3 million[1]
OwnerRoyal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Official webpage

A new lifeboat station was opened closer to the sea in September 2017, replacing an older facility built in 1903. There are two lifeboats based at Bridlington; Antony Patrick Jones, a Shannon-class Class All-Weather Lifeboat (ALB) and '’Ernie Wellings, a D-Class Lifeboat (ILB).[3]

History

In 1804, the residents of Bridlington raised the £150 needed to pay for a lifeboat, which became operational in 1805 with the first lifeboat house recorded as being operational in 1806.[4] In December 1852, the local committee in charge of the boat relinquished control to the RNLI after they took the decision not to launch during bad weather. This was seen as the wrong decision, as three men on a stricken ship drowned, and so the committee decided the best option was to transfer control to the RNLI.[5][6]

A lifeboat station was built near to the harbour, but was vacated in 1903 in favour of a new build slightly to the south along Marine Drive.[7]

In 1871, a huge storm hit the east coast of England and became known as the Great Gale of 1871. Many boats were wrecked, including The Harbinger, a private lifeboat which is sometimes erroneously referred to as an RNLI boat. The storm took its toll on dozens of ships, which were trying to stay safe in Bridlington Bay, which was sometimes referred to as the Bay of Safety. Between 70 and 150 people died, including six members of the lifeboat crew from The Harbinger.[8] At the time, the RNLI boat was known as the Institution Boat and The Harbinger was known as the Fishermen's Boat.[9] After the gale, it was commented upon by some, that the design of The Harbinger led to its capsizing. A local benefactor paid for a new boat (The Seagull), of a new design and paid for a lifeboathouse to accommodate it, something that The Harbinger never had and she later became weathered after being exposed to the elements.[10]

Between 1884 and 1898, there was as secondary lifeboat in the village of Barmston some 6 miles (9.7 km) to the south of Bridlington. This was crewed by the RNLI men from Bridlington, though how long it would take them to reach the lifeboathouse at Barmston from Bridlington is unknown.[11][12][13]

A lifeboat station was opened in 1903 on South Marine Drive,[14] and in 1921, along with Boulmer Lifeboat Station, Bridlington undertook trials in launching lifeboats across open beaches into water with the aid of a specially adapted tractor.[15]

In 2017, the previous lifeboat station on South Marine Drive in the town, was replaced with a larger facility on the seashore which enabled the RNLI to house both their All-Weather Lifeboat (ALB) and their Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) in the same facility. Previous to this, the ILB was housed in a separate facility from the ALB.[16] The new build lifeboat station also allows the launch vehicle and boat to stay permanently fixed when not in use. This allows for a speedier deployment into the sea when an emergency call is made.[17]

Notable launches
Old Bridlington Lifeboat Station

Great Gale of 1871
Main article: Great Gale of 1871

The Bridlington RNLI Lifeboat was launched many times and rescued 16 people from three wrecked ships.[2] The local rescue boat, Harbinger, a gift from Count Gustave Batthyany, also took to the sea and rescued sailors, but capsized and six of her crew of nine were drowned.[18]

Seagull Lifeboat (1898)

After the sinking of The Harbinger, a private donation paid for a second lifeboat (outwith of the RNLI's responsibility) which was called The Seagull. This operated in conjunction with the RNLI lifeboat until 25 March 1898, when the RNLI were called out to rescue the crew of The Seagull. The Seagull had been dashed against the sea-wall and ropes had been thrown to aid the crew. One of the RNLI crewman who had been decorated for his bravery during the Great Gale of 1871, drowned during the rescue.[19][20]

March 1915

Whilst the lifeboat was being launched to go to a stricken Minesweeper in Bridlington bay, one of the carriage horse riders was knocked off his horse, swept out to sea and drowned.[21][22] Two of the horses and all twelve sailors aboard the minesweeper drowned too.

The Tillie Morrison, Sheffield (1952)

On 19 August 1952, two girls, Joan Ellis and Gillian Fox, were swimming in the sea off the coast at Flamborough when they got into difficulties. The Flamborough lifeboat could not be launched as its slipway was under repair, so the Bridlington lifeboat, the Tillie Morrison, Sheffield was launched instead. Unfortunately, both girls drowned and during the search, and the lifeboat was capsized by rough seas, killing one of the lifeboatmen, bowman Robert Redhead. It was later speculated that the Bridlington lifeboat crew were unfamiliar with the area they were searching, and so were not aware of the dangerous waters around Flamborough Head.[23] A plaque at Thornwick Bay commemorates the tragedy.[24]

Fleet

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, named the current Shannon-class Class Lifeboat in April 2018, but the boat had been operational since November 2017.[25]

Dates in service Class ON[lower-alpha 1] Op. No.[lower-alpha 2] Name Comments
1805–1824 Unknown Cost defrayed by Lloyd's of London[26]
1824–1865 Unknown [26]
1865–1866 Robert Whitworth [27]
1866–1871 Robert Whitworth (II) [27]
1871–1885 John Abbott [28]
1885–1898 9 William John & Francis[lower-alpha 3]
1898–1899 10 George and Jane Walker This lifeboat was specially designed for Barmston.[29] It spent 14 years at Barmston before being moved to Bridlington in 1898.[30]
1899–1931 433 George and Jane Walker (II)
1931–1947 747 Stanhope Smart [31]
1947–1953 851 Tillie Morrison, Sheffield [32][33]
1953–1967 Liverpool-class 914 Tillie Morrison, Sheffield II [34]
1966–1970 D-92 [30]
1967–1988 Oakley-class 980 William Henry and Mary King [35]
1971–1983 D-188 [30]
1984–1991 D-299 Lords Feoffees [30]
1988–1995 Mersey-class 1124 12-001 Peggy and Alex Caird [36]
1992–2000 D-class D-426 Lords Feoffees II [37]
1995–2017 Mersey-class 1169 12-12 Marine Engineer [25]
2000–2009 D-class D-557 Lords Feoffees III [38]
2009– D-Class D-721 Windsor Spirit [39][40]
2017– Shannon-class 1329 13-22 Anthony Patrick Jones [25]
  1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.
  3. Spellings vary between Frances and Francis.

References
  1. "Plans for a new lifeboat station". York Press. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. "Coastal rescue". BBC News. 15 September 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  3. "Bridlington's lifeboats". rnli.org. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  4. "Fred publishes book on lifeboat". Bridlington Free Press. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  5. Hickling, Michael (17 August 2005). "The heroes of the high seas". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  6. Chrystal 2012, p. 69.
  7. Jones 2013, p. 72.
  8. "The fateful day as a Great Gale killed 150 mariners". The Yorkshire Post. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  9. Jones 2013, p. 3.
  10. "Genuki: BRIDLINGTON: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1892., Yorkshire (East Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  11. "BARMSTON: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1892". genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  12. "The history of Barmston". Bridlington Free Press. 25 May 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  13. "North division: Barmston". British History Online. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  14. "Plans for Bridlington new lifeboat station get go ahead". ITV News. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  15. Leach 2018, p. 36.
  16. Kennedy, Poppy (26 September 2017). "New Bridlington lifeboat station is now complete". Bridlington Free Press. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  17. Davidson, Trudi (7 November 2017). "Huge crowds expected to greet Bridlington's new £2.2m new lifeboat". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  18. "Bridlington station history". RNLI. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  19. Jones 2013, p. 76.
  20. Stanway, Kate (1909). Britannia's Calendar of Heroes. London: G Allen & Sons. p. 94. OCLC 5957418.
  21. "Bridlington Station history". RNLI. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  22. Wood, Aexandra (26 June 2005). "Town pays tribute to lifeboat heroes of past and present". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  23. "Lifeboat disaster recalled on its 60th anniversary". The Yorkshire Post. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  24. Campbell, James (August 2021). "The bravery and tragedy in the waves honoured by plaque at coastal beauty spot". Hull Daily Mail.
  25. "Bridlington Royal National Lifeboat Institution officially names its new Shannon class lifeboat". The Archbishop Of York. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  26. Walkington 2005, p. 141.
  27. Jones 2013, p. 4.
  28. Jones 2013, p. 75.
  29. Ellis, Linda (2014). A snapshot of Bridlington in the 1920s. Bridlington: Lodge Books. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-326-02004-0.
  30. Walkington 2005, p. 142.
  31. Leach 2018, p. 38.
  32. "Name Tillie Morrison". National Historic Ships. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  33. "Llandudno: Historic lifeboat will return to former glory". North Wales Post. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  34. "RNLI_Liverpool". www.lifeboatsonline.com. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  35. Leach 2018, p. 2.
  36. Edwards, John (9 November 2017). "Do you remember the last time Bridlington received a new lifeboat?". Bridlington Free Press. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  37. Floyd, Mike, ed. (Winter 1993). "What and Where? The Lifeboat Fleet of the RNLI...". The Lifeboat. Poole: RNLI. 53 (526): 131. ISSN 0024-3086.
  38. "That's the Spirit... pub cash pays for new lifeboat". The Yorkshire Post. 16 September 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  39. "Pub raises money for new lifeboat". BBC News. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  40. Leach, Nicholas (1 December 2017). "New Shannon for Yorkshire arrives in style… and hail". Fishing News. Retrieved 13 February 2019.

Sources
  • Chrystal, Paul (2012). Lifeboat Stations of North East England; From Sunderland to The Humber, Through Time. Stroud: Amberley. ISBN 978-1-4456-1376-5.
  • Jones, Richard M. (2013). The Great Gale of 1871. Cirencester: Mereo. ISBN 978-1-909544-72-7.
  • Leach, Nicholas (2018). The Lifeboat Service in England; the North East Coast, Station by Station. Stroud: Amberley. ISBN 978-1-4456-6832-1.
  • Walkington, Fred (2005). The Bridlington Lifeboat; the first 200 years, 1805–2005. Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 1-86077-335-4.
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