Newbiggin Lifeboat Station

Newbiggin Lifeboat Station
Newbiggin Lifeboat Station
Newbiggin, Northumberland
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Town or city	Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, NE64 6DX
Country	England
Coordinates	55°11′09.4″N 1°30′23.7″W
Opened	1851
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Newbiggin RNLI Lifeboat Station

Newbiggin Lifeboat Station is located at Sandridge (street), in the seaside town and fishing port of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, on the east coast of the county of Northumberland.

A lifeboat station was first established at Newbiggin in 1851 by The Duke of Northumberland. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1852, becoming the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854.

The station currently operates the B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat Richard Wake Burdon (B-864), on station since 2012.

History

On the 22 March 1851, the fishing cobles of Newbiggin set out for a days work. Caught by a sudden storm, four boats were capsized, and 14 men drowned. For their gallantry and rescue efforts, resulting in the saving of two lives, five fishermen from Newbiggin were each awarded the Silver Medal from the RNIPLS.

The Duke of Northumberland, the driving force of the Newcastle Shipwreck Association, and soon to be president of the RNIPLS, ordered and funded a lifeboat house to be constructed on the shore at Newbiggin. In 1852, a 30-foot Self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, named Latimer, was placed at the station by the RNIPLS, with them taking on management of the station.

The lifeboat Latimer was launched on 7 January 1854, to the aid of the vessel Embla of Norway, on passage from Setúbal, Portugal to Stavanger, when she wrecked off the coast of Northumberland. All 13 men aboard the Embla were lost. The lifeboat had launched without a full crew, and despite their best efforts, failed to reach the wreck. In recognition of their extraordinary efforts, Coxswain Philip Jefferson, one of the five fishermen recognised in 1851, was awarded a second-service clasp to his silver medal.

Coxswain John Brown was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal, for the service to the steamship Northumberland, which ran aground in a severe gale on 14 October 1881. The lifeboat William Hopkinson of Brighouse rescued her crew of four.

In January 1927, the 37-foot Newbiggin lifeboat Ada Lewis (ON 566) was called to the Newbiggin fishing fleet. With most of the usual crew out fishing, the boat was manned with miners, who had just finished a shift at the local colliery. The boat would not have got away, without the extraordinary efforts of the 25 local women helpers, who ended up waist deep in water. They were collectively accorded 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum'.

It was decided to withdraw the All-weather lifeboat in 1981. The boathouse was modified to accommodate a new Atlantic 21-class lifeboat along with the Talus MB-764 amphibious tractor, and improved crew facilities were constructed in an extension. Oakley-class lifeboat 37-17 Mary Joicey (ON 984) was withdrawn on 26 February 1981, with the relief B-class (Atlantic 21) lifeboat Co-Operative No.1 (B-511) temporarily assigned to the station on 15 March 1981. The stations permanent lifeboat, Atlantic 21-class Kirklees (B-553) arrived in 1982.

Newbiggin Rocket House

Further modifications to the boathouse were required to house the larger B-class (Atlantic 75). Works were completed in July 1998, and RNLB CSMA 75th Anniversary (B-745) arrived on 3 August 1998, replacing Kirklees. On 19 September 2012, the Atlantic 85-class Richard Wake Burdon (B-864) was placed on service, costing £204,000, funded by the legacy from Mr Hylton Burdon, of Wallsend, North Tyneside, and named in honour of his elder brother Richard, who was lost at sea while serving with the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

The Newbiggin Lifeboat House is the oldest boathouse still operated by the RNLI. Mention must be made of the Newbiggin Rocket House, whilst not managed by the RNLI, was constructed as an extension to the lifeboat house in 1866. In addition to lifeboats, many sea rescues were performed by the Rocket Brigade, who could effect rescues by firing rocket-powered lines to wrecks close to the shore. The Newbiggin Rocket House, was refurbished in its 150th anniversary year in 2016.

Notable Rescues

In a south east gale, and the extremely cold night of 4 February 1940, the 32-foot twin-engine Surf-class lifeboat Augustus and Laura (ON 810) was launched at 05:00 to the aid of the motor-vessel Eminent of Belgium, which had been forced to remain at sea, when the port at Newcastle-upon-Tyne closed due to the bad weather. The vessel had been driven ashore at Newbiggin Point. Unable to make headway, the lifeboat returned. In an extraordinary effort, 45 launchers then hauled to lifeboat overland to Newbiggin Point. The lifeboat was launched for the second time at 08:10, and all 11 crew were rescued. For their efforts, the women helpers of Newbiggin were again collectively awarded 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum'. Coxswain George Ralph Taylor received the RNLI Silver Medal

Station honours

The following are awards made at Newbiggin

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

John Dent - 1851

Philip Jefferson - 1851

William Armstrong - 1851

Henry Brown - 1851

Robert Armstrong - 1851

• RNLI Silver Medal

Philip Jefferson, Coxswain - 1854 (Second-Service clasp)

John Brown, Coxswain - 1881

John Brown, Coxswain - 1888 (Second-Service clasp)

George Ralph Taylor, Second Coxswain - 1940

• RNLI Bronze Medal

William Robinson, Coxswain - 1926

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Watson Brown, Coxswain - 1914

The women helpers of Newbiggin - 1927

The women helpers of Newbiggin - 1940

George Dawson, assistant mechanic, acting coxswain - 1975

John Lisle Robinson, skipper of the fishing coble Margaret Lisle - 1975

George Dawson, Coxswain - 1976

• Vellum Service Certificates

Each member of the lifeboat crew - 1975

Each member of the crew of fishing coble Margaret Lisle - 1975

Each member of the lifeboat crew - 1976

Roll of Honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Newbiggin lifeboat.

• Collapsed and died after swimming out to a fishing boat heading for the rocks, 14 July 1972

Campbell Storey , Branch Chairman

Newbiggin lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON	Op. No.	Name	In service	Class	Comments
Pre-256	–	Latimer	1852−1860	30-foot Self-righting (P&S)
Pre-380	–	Latimer	1860−1866	34-foot 6in Self-righting (P&S)
Pre-447	–	William Hopkinson of Brighouse	1866−1885	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)
3	–	Robert and Susan	1885−1906	37-foot Self-righting (P&S)
566	–	Ada Lewis	1906−1931	37-foot Self-righting (P&S)
619	–	Arthur R. Dawes	1931−1938	35-foot Self-righting Rubie (P&S)
810	–	Augustus and Laura	1938−1950	32-foot Surf
875	–	Richard Ashley	1950−1966	Liverpool
984	37-17	Mary Joicey	1966−1981	Oakley

All weather lifeboat withdrawn in 1981

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.	Name	In service	Class	Comments
B-511	Co-Operative No.1	1981−1982	B-class (Atlantic 21)
B-553	Kirklees	1982−1998	B-class (Atlantic 21)
B-745	CSMA 75th Anniversary	1998−2012	B-class (Atlantic 75)
B-864	Richard Wake Burdon	2012−	B-class (Atlantic 85)

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No.	Reg. No.	Type	In service	Comments
TW03	RLJ 367R	Talus MB-764 County	1981
TW09	PEL 169W	Talus MB-764 County	1981–1992
TW21Hc	J495 XUJ	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	1992–1998
TW19Hc	J120 VNT	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	1998–1999
TW21Hc	J495 XUJ	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	1999–2003
TW20Hc	J125 WUJ	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2003–2014
TW59Hc	DU04 DVW	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2014–2015
TW22Hc	K501 AUX	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2015–

See also

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

External links

• Amble Lifeboat Station