Whitburn Lifeboat Station

Whitburn Lifeboat Station
Whitburn Bay
Whitburn, Tyne and Wear
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationWhitburn Bents Rd, Whitburn, Tyne and Wear, SR6 7NX, England
Coordinates54°56′39.2″N 1°21′52.6″W / 54.944222°N 1.364611°W / 54.944222; -1.364611
Opened1818–1854 SLC
  • 1854–1918 RNLI
Closed1918

Whitburn Lifeboat Station was located at the lower end of Sea Lane, to the south of Whitburn, a village 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Sunderland, on the coast of the county of Tyne and Wear.[1]

A lifeboat was first stationed at Whitburn in 1818, by the Sunderland Lifeboat Committee (SLC). Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854.[2][3]

After 100 years service, Whitburn Lifeboat Station closed at the end of April, 1918.[4]

History

Inspired by the rescue efforts made to the vessel Ajax, wrecked on her maiden voyage just north of Sunderland harbour, Lord Dundas set about raising funds for a lifeboat. Thus was created the Sunderland Lifeboat Committee.[5]

In 1818, a new lifeboat station was opened at Whitburn by the Sunderland Lifeboat Committee, transferring a lifeboat from their 'North Side' station. A new boathouse was built at Marsden, on the north side of Whitburn. The 27-foot 6in boat had been built in 1800 by William Wake of Sunderland, influenced by the design of Henry Greathead. In 1830, Rev. Thomas Baker of Whitburn wrote to the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life From Shipwreck (RNIPLS) for help with the provision of a replacement lifeboat for Whitburn. With funds raised by the Rev. Baker, and a grant of £50 from Lloyd's, another 27-foot boat, costing £100, arrived in September 1830.[3]

In May 1854, the Rev. Baker again wrote to the RNIPLS, requesting that the Institution take over the running of the station, which they did, with the Institution becoming the RNLI later that year. No detailed records of service are available, but it is noted that at least 70 lives were saved by the two boats.[3]

The station was relocated in 1859, with a new boathouse constructed just to the south of Whitburn, at 'The Bents'. The RNLI also provided a new boat to Whitburn in 1859. A 32-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, costing £172-1s-0d, was constructed by Forrestt of Limehouse, London. The boat was named Thomas Wilson, after the former chairman of the RNIPLS, a native of the area.[6] On 12 January, 1864, battered by roughs seas, the Whitburn lifeboat saved the lives of seven crew from the steam-tug Rob-Roy, aground off Whitburn.[7]

A replacement 32-foot lifeboat, provided again from RNLI funds, and again named Thomas Wilson, arrived on station in September 1865. In November 1866, the boat launched to the barque Margaret and Jane, aground on the rocks at Whitburn, and rescued eight people. Within 24 hours, she was launched again to the Caroline Elizabeth, rescuing 13 lives.[8]

Two further lifeboats were placed at Whitburn. Provided by the gift of Miss C. L. Preston, they were both named William and Charles. They would be launched a total of 34 times, and save 107 lives. With the consideration that faster more capable motor lifeboats had been placed at Sunderland and Tynemouth, Whitburn Lifeboat Station was closed at the end of April, 1918.[9][3]

The William and Charles (ON 500) was placed on the relief fleet for a further 8 years. No evidence of either boathouse remains, with the site of the 1859 boathouse at 'The Bents' now occupied by the clubhouse for the Whitburn Angling Club.[10]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Whitburn.[11]

Eleanor Galbraith – 1855
William Rae, Fisherman – 1855

Whitburn lifeboats

Sunderland Lifeboat Committee lifeboats

ON[a] Name Built On service[12] Class Comments
– Unknown 1800 1818−1830 27-foot 6in North Country [Note 1]
Previously at Sunderland
Pre-147 Unknown 1830 1830−1859 27-foot 6in North Country [Note 2][3]
Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society,
to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

RNLI lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON[a] Name Built On service[12] Class Comments
Pre-352 Thomas Wilson 1859 1859−1865 32-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
Pre-439 Thomas Wilson 1865 1865−1881 32-foot Prowse Self-righting (P&S) [Note 4]
179 William and Charles 1880 1881−1902 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 5]
500 William and Charles 1902 1902−1918 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 6]
  1. ^ a b ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 27-foot 6in x 9-foot 6in (10-oared) North Country non-self-righting lifeboat, gift of the Lord Dundas fund, plus a donation from Lloyd's of London, built by William Wake of Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, costing £185 when new.
  2. ^ 27-foot 6in x 9-foot 6in (10-oared) North Country non-self-righting lifeboat, funded from local subscription plus donation from the RNIPLS, built by Thomas Wake of Sunderland, costing £100.
  3. ^ 32-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) Peake self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, from RNLI funds, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £172.
  4. ^ 32-foot x 7-foot 4in (10-oared) Prowse-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, from RNLI funds, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £252.
  5. ^ 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Miss C. L. Preston of Scarborough, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £363.
  6. ^ 35-foot x 8-foot 3in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Miss C. L. Preston of Scarborough, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £781.

References

  1. ^ "Durham VIII.3". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  2. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 115.
  3. ^ a b c d e Morris, Jeff (December 1999). Sunderland Lifeboats (1800–2000). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 1–14.
  4. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 115.
  5. ^ "Shipwrecks". Caledonian Mercury. No. 12216. 6 January 1800.
  6. ^ "The Late Thomas Wilson, Esq". The Lifeboat. 1 (7). December 1852. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Shipping Intelligence". Caledonian Mercury. No. 23260. Edinburgh. 22 January 1864.
  8. ^ "Shipping Disasters. A Shields Brig Lost, and a Barque Ashore". Dundee Courier. No. 4159. Dundee. 4 December 1866.
  9. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 22–23, 36–37.
  10. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 36–37.
  11. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0907605893.
  12. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 8–37.
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