Ramsgate Lifeboat Station

Ramsgate Lifeboat Station
Ramsgate Lifeboat Station.
Ramsgate, Kent
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationRamsgate Lifeboat Station, Western Crosswall, Ramsgate Royal Harbour, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9RN, England
Coordinates51°19′44.4″N 1°25′11.2″E / 51.329000°N 1.419778°E / 51.329000; 1.419778
Opened
  • 1802–1824
  • 1851–present
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Technical details
MaterialFabricated steelwork clad
with timber, and concrete
Website
Ramsgate RNLI Lifeboat Station

Ramsgate Lifeboat Station is located on Western Crosswall in the Ramsgate Royal Harbour. Ramsgate is a town on the south-east corner of the Isle of Thanet peninsula, in north-east Kent.

A lifeboat was first placed at Ramsgate in 1802 by the Harbour Trustees, operating until 1824. It was re-established by the trustees in 1851. From 1865, the station was jointly managed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Board of Trade, passing solely to the RNLI in 1922.[1]

The current lifeboat station, on the harbour wall between the inner and outer pools of the main harbour, opened in 1998, and currently operates an All-weather Tamar-class lifeboat, 16-23 Diamond Jubilee (ON 1303), on station since 2023, and a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, Claire & David Delves (B-878), on station since 2014.[2]

History

A lifeboat station was first established at Ramsgate Harbour in 1802 by the Ramsgate Harbour Trustees, pre-dating the formation of any national lifeboat organisation by more than 20 years, and is one of the oldest to operate in the British Isles. A lifeboat was purchased from Henry Greathead, and operated at Ramsgate until 1824.[1]

In 1851, Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland, of Alnwick Castle, had been appointed president of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), the Institution becoming the RNLI in 1854. He set a competition for the design of a Self-righting lifeboat, with the reward of £100, which was won by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth. The prize-winning lifeboat was purchased for £250 by the Ramsgate harbour trustees, and placed on service at Ramsgate in late 1851. Whilst no formal naming records have been found, the boat was subsequently referred to as Northumberland.[3][4][5][6]

In 1863, management of Ramsgate harbour was transferred to the Board of Trade. With the sanction of the Board, at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 3 August 1865, it was agreed that a new lifeboat was to be placed at Ramsgate. Funding was appropriated from the Bradford Lifeboat Fund, a sum of £425 raised by the efforts of Charles Semon, Mayor of Bradford and eleven other gentlemen, to pay for the cost of the lifeboat, transporting carriage and equipment.[7][8][9]

A new lifeboat was ordered from Forrestt of Limehouse. At the same time, whilst the new Ramsgate boat was in construction, another new lifeboat was dispatched to Selsey Lifeboat Station, and their old 29-foot lifeboat Friend was transferred to Ramsgate, both boats transported free of charge between London and Chichester by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. In lieu of the new lifeboat not to be exhibited in Bradford, the committee of the Bradford Lifeboat Fund requested via letter from Charles Semon, Mayor, that an exact model be supplied, to be permanently exhibited to the subscribers of Bradford, which was agreed.[10]

A 40-foot Self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sail and (12) oars, was towed to her station from London by the Ramsgate steam tug Aid in February 1866. The lifeboat was named Bradford, and was the first of four Bradford lifeboats at Ramsgate.[6]

During the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk in 1940, Ramsgate lifeboat Prudential (ON 697) was the first little ship to the rescue. The lifeboat left Ramsgate at 14.20 in the afternoon with Coxswain Howard Primrose Knight in command with her own crew of eight men. They had been issued with gas masks, steel helmets and the lifeboat was loaded with four coils of grass warp and cans of fresh water for the troops. She took in tow eight boats, most of them wherries, manned by eighteen naval men, and when she reached Dunkirk her role was to tow the wherries between the beaches and the waiting ships. In total she rescued 2,800 troops from the beaches. For his 'gallantry and determination,' Coxswain Howard Knight was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.[11]

The Ramsgate-class lifeboat Prudential, on service since 1925, and the first motor-powered lifeboat on station at Ramsgate, was one of four lifeboats that took part in the Coronation Review of the Fleet by the Queen at Portsmouth on 15 June 1953[12]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Ramsgate.[1][13]

Howard Primrose Cooper Knight, Coxswain - 1940[11]
Charles Edward Fish, Coxswain – 1881
Charles Edward Fish, Coxswain – 1891 (Second-Service clasp)
William Miller, Boatman – 1826
Capt. Edward Gimar, of the French Brig Le Norman – 1829
James Hogbin, Coxswain – 1857
Isaac Jarman, Coxswain – 1864
Isaac Jarman, Coxswain – 1870 (Second-Service clasp)
Charles Edward Fish, Bowman – 1870
Daniel Reading, Master of Ramsgate Harbour Steam Tug Vulcan – 1872
James Simpson, Mate of the Ramsgate Harbour Tug Aid – 1874
William Wharrier, Engineer of the Ramsgate Harbour Tug Aid – 1874
Richard Goldsmith, Second Coxswain – 1881
Henry Belsey, crew member – 1881
David Berry, crew member – 1881
Thomas Cooper Snr. crew member – 1881
Thomas Cooper Jnr. crew member – 1881
Thomas Friend, crew member – 1881
John Goldmith, crew member – 1881
Stephen Goldsmith, crew member – 1881
Henry Meader, crew member – 1881
Robert Penney, crew member – 1881
Charles Verion, crew member – 1881
Alfred Page, Master – 1881
William Wharrier, Engineer – 1881 (Second-Service clasp)
William Austen, crew member – 1881
Charles Knight, crew member – 1881
Edward Revell, crew member – 1881
George Woodward, Stoker – 1881
Richard Yare, Stoker – 1881
(Master and crew of the Ramsgate tug Vulcan)
William Wharrier, Engineer of Ramsgate Harbour Tugs – 1890 (Third-Service clasp)
Alfred Page, Tug Master – 1892 (Second-Service clasp)
Thomas James Watson – 1892
William Burton – 1892
Edwin Hurle – 1892
Arthur E. Fisher – 1892
(the crew of the smack Britain's Pride of Ramsgate)
Alfred Page, Tug Master – 1898 (Third-Service clasp)
John Hawkins, Harbour Boatman – 1906
William Cooper, Coxswain – 1916
Thomas William Read, Second Coxswain – 1917
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1986
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000 (Second-Service clasp)
Coxswain William Cooper – 1911
The Master of the Ramsgate Tug Aid – 1911
Douglas Stephen Kirkaldie, Coxswain – 1952
  • Royal Harbour Ramsgate (Indian Chief) Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry
Charles Fish, Coxswain – 1881
Richard Goldsmith, crew member – 1881
Henry Belsey, crew member – 1881
David Berry, crew member – 1881
Thomas Cooper Snr. crew member – 1881
Thomas Cooper Jnr. crew member – 1881[14]
Thomas Friend, crew member – 1881
John Goldmith, crew member – 1881
Stephen Goldsmith, crew member – 1881
Henry Meader, crew member – 1881
Robert Penney, crew member – 1881
Charles Vernon, crew member – 1881
Alfred Page, Master – 1881
William Wharrier, crew member – 1881
William Austen, crew member – 1881
Charles Knight, crew member – 1881
Edward Revell, crew member – 1881
George Woodward, crew member – 1881[15]
Richard Yare, crew member – 1881
(Master and crew of the tug Vulcan)
  • The Maud Smith Award
    (for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
Douglas Stephen Kirkaldie. Coxswain – 1952
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1985
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1999
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000
  • James Michael Bower Endowment Fund Award
    as one of the two Silver Medal awardees of 1999
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000
  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
Thomas J. H. Cooper, Coxswain – 1968
Michael Petts, crew member – 1975
Timothy Hurst, crew member – 1975
Malcolm H. R. Llewellyn – 1980
Bryan L. E. Morgan – 1980
(Coxswain and Launch Seaman of the Trinity House Pilot Vessel Versatile)
Timothy E. Hurst, Helm – 1985
Timothy Hurst, Emergency Mechanic – 2000
Lance Oran, crew member – 2000
  • A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
R. Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1983
D. Pegden, Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1983
D. Cooper, Emergency Mechanic – 1983
W. Blay, crew member – 1983
T. Brown, crew member – 1983
T. Hurst, crew member – 1983
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1984
D. Pegden, 2nd Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1984
T. Hurst, crew member – 1984
M. Mett, crew member – 1984
N. Stephens, crew member – 1984
R. Noble, crew member – 1984
Timothy Hurst, crew member – 1984
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000
Christopher Andrews, Helm – 2008
Harvey Cole, crew member – 2008
John Rabbatts, crew member – 2008
  • Inscribed Silver Plaques
    awarded by the Prudential Assurance Co., donors of the lifeboat, in recognition of the Dunkirk service
Coxswain and Crew – 1940
Gold watch to the Coxswain – 1919
Binoculars to the Second Coxswain – 1919
Gold Medals to the Lifeboat Crew – 1919
Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Retired Coxswain/Mechanic – 2017QBH[16][17]

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Ramsgate lifeboat.[1]

  • Lost when washed overboard, whilst on service to the barge Sarpsborg of Norway, 2 February 1873
William White
  • Trent-class lifeboat 14-02 Esme Anderson (ON 1197) at Ramsgate, 11 August 2009
  • Trent-class relief lifeboat 14-32 Corinne Whiteley (ON 1253) at Ramsgate, 4 April 2010
  • Tamar-class lifeboat 16-23 Diamond Jubilee (ON 1303) at Ramsgate, 25 May 2024

Ramsgate lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON[a] Name Built On station[18] Class Comments[19]
– Unnamed 1802 1802–1824 Greathead [Note 1]
Station Closed 1824–1851
– Northumberland 1851 1851–1865 36-foot Beeching Self-Righting [Note 2]
Pre-287 Friend 1854 1865–1866 35-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
Previously at Skerries and Selsey.
Pre-478 Bradford 1866 1866–1877 40-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [Note 4]
Specially designed for towing. Damaged 6 November 1877.
Pre-619 Bowman 1877 1877 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 5]
Temporary cover at Ramsgate, before assignment to Yealm River.
Pre-623 Bradford 1877 1877–1887 44-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [Note 6]
117 Bradford 1887 1887–1893 40-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [Note 7]
350 Bradford 1893 1893–1905 42-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [Note 8]
537 Charles and Susanna Stephens 1904 1905–1925 43-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [Note 9]
Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Motor lifeboats

ON[a] Op. No.[b] Name Built On station[20] Class Comments
697 – Prudential 1925 1925–1953 Ramsgate
901 – Michael and Lily Davis 1953 1953–1976 46-foot 9in Watson
1042 44-016 Ralph and Joy Swann 1976 1976–1990 Waveney
1154 47-036 Kenneth Thelwall II 1989 1990–1994 Tyne
1197 14-02 Esme Anderson 1994 1994–2023 Trent
1303 16-23 Diamond Jubilee 2012 2023– Tamar [21]

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No.[b] Name On station[22] Class Comments
A-500 Unnamed 1969–1971 A-class (Hatch)
A-502 Unnamed 1972–1975 A-class (Hatch)
A-510 Unnamed 1975–1984 A-class (McLachlan)
B-558 Ramsgate Enterprise 1984–2000 B-class (Atlantic 21)
B-765 Bob Turnbull 2000–2014 B-class (Atlantic 75) [23]
B-878 Claire & David Delves 2014– B-class (Atlantic 85)
  1. ^ a b ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ^ a b Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Greathead-class lifeboat, of unknown dimensions, built by Henry Greathead of South Shields.
  2. ^ 36-foot x 9-foot 6in (12-oared) Beeching-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth, costing £250.
  3. ^ 35-foot x 8-foot 2in (12-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr C. K Corker of Ramsgate, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £143 when new. Previously 29-foot 1in x 7-foot 9in (10-oared). Lengthened in 1860
  4. ^ 40-foot x 10-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the City of Bradford LB fund, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £400.
  5. ^ 35-foot x 9-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, anonymous gift of 'A.B.S', via Mrs Sharp of South Kensington, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £433.
  6. ^ 44-foot x 11-foot 1in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the City of Bradford LB fund, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £575.
  7. ^ 40-foot x 10-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the City of Bradford LB fund, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £843.
  8. ^ 42-foot x 11-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the City of Bradford LB fund, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £896.
  9. ^ 43-foot x 12-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mrs C. Stephens of Reading, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1,835.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Ramsgate's station history". Ramsgate Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  2. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. p. 128.
  3. ^ "The Beeching Model". The Lifeboat. XXXIII (369). September 1854. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  4. ^ "The Northumberland Prize Lifeboat". Morning Post. 5 December 1851.
  5. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 118.
  6. ^ a b "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. VI (61): 201. 2 July 1866. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Ramsgate Harbour: Deeds, Evidences and Plans". The National Archives. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. V (58): 742. 2 October 1865. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  9. ^ "General Summary to the 16th Dec, 1865". The Lifeboat. VI (59): 17. 1 January 1866. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  10. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. VI (59): 17–18. 1 January 1866. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  11. ^ a b "No. 34953". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 September 1940. p. 5711.
  12. ^ "The Institution and the Coronation". The Lifeboat. XXXIII (366). December 1953. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  13. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0907605893.
  14. ^ "Royal Harbour Ramsgate Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry". Royal Museums Greenwich. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  15. ^ "An R.N.L.I. / Indian Chief Medal pair awarded to Stoker George Woodward". Noonans. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". London Gazette. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  17. ^ Ray, John (17 June 2017). "Retired Ramsgate coxswain Ron Cannon awarded MBE in Queen's Birthday Honours". RNLI. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  18. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 6–36.
  19. ^ Farr, Grahame; Morris, Jeff (1992). List of British Lifeboats Part 1 & 2 (Second ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 1–88.
  20. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 44–71.
  21. ^ Ray, John (13 November 2023). "Arrival of RNLB 'Diamond Jubilee' at Ramsgate's Royal Harbour". RNLI. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  22. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 101, 81–84.
  23. ^ "Bob Turnbull". Royal National Lifeboat Institution Ramsgate. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.