Seahouses Lifeboat Station

Seahouses Lifeboat Station is located in Seahouses, a harbour village approximately 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the county of Northumberland.

Seahouses Lifeboat Station (formerly North Sunderland)
Seahouses Lifeboat Station
Seahouses, Northumberland
Former names	North Sunderland Lifeboat Station
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Seahouses Lifeboat Station
Address	Seafield Road
Town or city	Seahouses, Northumberland, NE68 7SH
Country	UK
Coordinates	55°34′58.4″N 1°39′14.4″W
Opened	1832 Crewe Trustees 1859 RNLI
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Seahouses RNLI Lifeboat Station

A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Crewe Trustees in 1832. The station was taken over by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1859. Originally known as North Sunderland Lifeboat Station, the name was formally changed to Seahouses Lifeboat Station in 1999.^[1]

The station currently operates a Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat 13-36 John and Elizabeth Allan (ON 1343), and a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Grace Darling (D-828).^[2]

History

When a harbour was created near the village of North Sunderland in Northumberland, it gradually developed to become the separate village of Seahouses. Over the years, the two villages grew in size, and have now effectively merged.^[3]

In 1832, three lifeboats were placed on public display at Newcastle Quay. The first was a new lifeboat for a new station at North Sunderland, established by the Crewe Trustees, a charitable organisation founded by Nathaniel Crewe, Bishop of Durham in 1704, and part of the Newcastle and District Shipwreck Association (NSA) since 1824.^[4] A stone-built boathouse was constructed, and the lifeboat was supplied by Mr E. Robson of South Shields ^[5][6][7]

There are no specific records of any service by this lifeboat. In 1838, the lifeboat was transferred to Holy Island, with North Sunderland receiving with the 27-foot lifeboat, designed by Capt. John Foulerton, RN, built by Shore, and previously stationed on Holy Island.^[8][9]

On 7 September 1838, the paddle steamer Forfarshire ran aground on the Farne Island Rocks and broke in two. Much is available to read of the subsequent heroism of Grace Darling and her father William Darling. The North Sunderland lifeboat did not launch to the wreck, the coxswain instead opting for a small coble that he believed more suited to effect a rescue around the rocks. One of the seven crew was William Darling, brother of Grace. They battled to arrive at the wreck, only to find the rescue had been completed, but unable to return home due to the weather, they then spent 2 days seeking shelter in a disused building, all other 'accommodation' at the Farne Island Lighthouse being full.^[10]

When the 1838 lifeboat was deemed unfit for service in 1851, an order was placed with Forrestt of Limehouse, London for a 30-foot 'Self-righting', similar in design to the James Beeching lifeboat, which had won the prize awarded by the president of the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland.^[10]

In 1859, the secretary of the Crewe Trustees requested that the RNLI take over the management of the North Sunderland Lifeboat Station, for which the trustees would give a grant of £30 per annum to the RNLI. The existing 30-foot lifeboat was never launched on service for the RNLI, who in 1865 decided to replace it. A 33-foot 10-oared self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, (one using oars and sail), was built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £274-19s-3d, and a new launch carriage cost a further £102-11s-0d. The lifeboat and carriage were transported to North Sunderland free of charge by the Great Northern and North Eastern railway companies. At a ceremony on 12 June, the boat was named Joseph Anstice by the donor, Mrs Anstice of Tynemouth.^[10]

Thomas Pringle retired in May 1886 after serving as Coxswain for 21 years. As was common practice, he was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal in recognition of his many service calls. Only 17 months later, he would drown in a boating accident on 6 October 1887.^[11]

RNLB Lizzie Porter (ON 597)

North Sunderland would receive their first motor-powered lifeboat in 1936, the non-self-righting Liverpool-class lifeboat, with a 35 hp petrol engine, delivering a speed of 7.47 knots. A new boathouse nearer the harbour was constructed. Previously, P&S lifeboats had cost a few hundred pounds. Costing £3,447, the cost was met from the combined funds of three legacies, and the boat was in effect given three names, The William and James, the Ridge Matthews, and the Abigail Gardiner, each chosen by the donor. At a ceremony on 5 September 1936, the boat was formally named W.R.A. (ON 781) by Helen Percy, Duchess of Northumberland. Each name was inscribed on a plaque inside the boat.^[12][10]

A D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboat would be stationed at North Sunderland in 1964. The rise in leisure activity at the coast demanded a quick response vessel, and these boats would quickly show their value. In the first 35 years on station to 1999, the inshore boats would launch just over 300 times, saving 85 lives.^[10]

Mersey-class 12-16 Grace Darling

In 1991, a new boathouse was constructed to house the Mersey-class lifeboat 12-16 Grace Darling (ON 1173) and Talus launch tractor, with improved crew facilities, and storage for the D-class.
On 9 April 1999, on the request of station personnel, the RNLI agreed that North Sunderland station be formally renamed Seahouses Lifeboat Station with immediate effect.^[1]

For two years, the station had the unusual occurrence of having two lifeboats with the same name, the new D-class (IB1) also being named Grace Darling (D-828) in 2018.^[13]

After 29 years on station, Mersey-class lifeboat 12-16 Grace Darling (ON 1173) was retired in 2020, and sold to the ADES Uruguay lifeboat service. She was renamed ADES 28 Grace Darling, based in Colonia del Sacramento. She would be replaced by 13-36 John and Elizabeth Allan (ON 1343), a 25 knot Water-jet powered Shannon-class lifeboat, costing over £2 million. The boat was funded by the late professor James Allan, and named after his parents.^[1][14][15]

Station honours

The following are awards made at North Sunderland / Seahouses.^[1][11]

• RNIPLS Gold Medal

Lt. John Brunton, RN, H.M. Coastguard – 1828

• Gold medallion, awarded by the Royal Humane Society

William Darling, Lighthouse Keeper – 1838

Grace Horsley Darling – 1838

• Silver Medal, awarded by the Glasgow Humane Society

Grace Horsley Darling – 1838

• Silver Medal, awarded by the Edinburgh and Leith Humane Society

Grace Horsley Darling – 1838

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

William Darling, Lighthouse Keeper – 1838

Grace Horsley Darling – 1838

John T Knight, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard – 1853

• RNLI Silver Medal

Thomas Pringle, Coxswain – 1886

James Robson, Coxswain – 1908

• Silver Medal, awarded by The King of Norway

James Robson, Coxswain – 1909

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Thomas Dawson, Coxswain – 1959

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Rev. F. R. Simpson, Honorary Secretary – 1876

Thomas Hall and the crew of the Golden Horn – 1932

George Dawson, Coxswain – 1943

Stephen Priestley, Helmsman – 1996

• Vellum Service Certificate

Darren Shell – 1996

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Thomas Douglas Dawson, Coxswain – 1971QBH^[16]

Robert Heslop Reay - Honorary Secretary – 1991^[17]

• British Empire Medal

Robert Charles Dawson Douglas, Coxswain – 1992^[18]

North Sunderland / Seahouses lifeboats and tractors

All-weather lifeboats

ON[a]	Op. No.[b]	Name	On Station[19]	Class	Comments
–	–	Unnamed	1832–1838	Non-self-righting	[Note 1][5]
Pre-127	–	Unnamed	1838–1851	27-foot Palmer non-self-righting	[Note 2][20] Previously at Holy Island
Pre-255	–	Unnamed	1852–1865	30-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 3]
Pre-428	–	Joseph Anstice	1865–1884	33-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 4]
2	–	Thomas Bewick	1884–1906	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 5]
557	–	Forster Fawcett	1906–1925	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 6]
597	–	Lizzie Porter	1925–1936	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 7] Now part of the RNLI Collection at Chatham Historic Dockyard.
781	–	W. R. A.	1936–1954	Liverpool
927	–	Grace Darling	1954–1967	Liverpool	Now part of the RNLI Collection at Chatham Historic Dockyard.
991	37-20	Edward and Mary Lester	1967–1989	Oakley
991	37-13	William Henry and Mary King	1989–1990	Oakley
982	37-15	Ernest Tom Neathercoat	1990–1991	Oakley
1173	12-16	Grace Darling	1991–2020	Mersey	Sold to ADES Uruguay, renamed ADES 28 Grace Darling
1343	13-37	John and Elizabeth Allan	2020–	Shannon	[21]

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No.[b]	Name	On Station[22]	Class	Comments
D-37	Unnamed	1964	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-53	Unnamed	1965	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-6	Unnamed	1966	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-37	Unnamed	1967	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-157	Unnamed	1968–1980	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-271	Unnamed	1980–1988	D-class (Zodiac III)
D-377	Unnamed	1988–1997	D-class (EA16)
D-529	Martin John and Ann	1997–2008	D-class (EA16)
D-686	Peter Downes	2008–2018	D-class (IB1)
D-828	Grace Darling	2018–	D-class (IB1)

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No.[b]	Reg. No.	Type	On Station[23]	Comments
T37	GGF 497	Case L	1954–1961
T48	KGP 853	Case LA	1961–1963
T70	12 GXD	Case 1000D	1963–1972
T71	519 GYM	Case 1000D	1972–1980
T74	136 HLC	Case 1000D	1980–1986
T97	C282 LNT	Talus MB-H Crawler	1986–1998
T98	B688 HUJ	Talus MB-H Crawler	1998–2006
T117	L784 JNT	Talus MB-H Crawler	2006–2021
SC-T19	HF69 CXV	SLARS (SC Innovation)	2020–	David Cooper

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.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

1. Non-self-righting lifeboat, built by Mr E. Robson of South Shields.
2. 27-foot Palmer-class non-self-righting lifeboat, built by Shore of Blackwall, London, modified to Palmer design, costing £95.
3. 30-foot 10-oared Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £150.
4. 33-foot (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £274-19s-3d.
5. 34-foot (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £363.
6. 35-foot 10-oared Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks, costing £810.
7. 35-foot 10-oared Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat