Girvan Lifeboat Station

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There were few lifeboats in south west Scotland in the 1860s but they had gradually been established along the Firth of Clyde, the shipping route to the industrial centre of Glasgow. One was placed at Ayr in 1803, Ardrossan in 1807, and Irvine in 1834.^[3]

It was decided that Girvan would also be a good place for a lifeboat, as it was a location where there were many fishermen who would be able to form a crew. In 1865, a 32-foot (9.8 m) self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, was constructed by Forrestt of Limehouse, and along with its transporting carriage, was conveyed to the town by the London and North Western and Glasgow and South Western railway companies.^[4]

"This life-boat will be able to command the coast for many miles north and south of Girvan, as there is a good road close to the shore, along which she can be transported on her carriage."^[4]

The gift to the Institution of £400 from Alexander Kay, an insurance broker of Glasgow, was appropriated towards the cost of the boat and carriage. At his request, the boat was named (The) Earl of Carrick. A boathouse was constructed at the seaward end of Knockcushan Street, at a cost of £191-16s, on land donated by Henrietta Dundas Dalrymple-Hamilton, Duchess of Coigny, daughter of Hew Dalrymple-Hamilton.^[4][5]

The Girvan lifeboat Earl of Carrick was launched on 26 October 1868, to the fishing smack Margaret Davis of Girvan, after she ran ashore in a gale, onto a reef of boulders, south of the harbour. The crew had hoped to re-float the vessel, but the gale turned to hurricane. After two hours of exertion, the lifeboat reached the vessel, and saved the crew of three.^[6]

In 1882, the gift of £500 from Mrs Popham of Ardchattan, Argyll was appropriated to Girvan lifeboat station. The lifeboat was renamed Sir Home Popham. A replacement 34 ft 0 in (10.36 m) lifeboat arrived on station in 1887, retaining the name Sir Home Popham (ON 167).^[7][8]

When the telegraph failed in 1898, two men, Mr McKenna and Mr Lawson, rode a tandem bicycle in poor conditions 13 miles (21 km) south from Girvan to Ballantrae Lifeboat Station, to alert the crew of a vessel in distress, arriving at 03:00 covered in mud and soaked from the rain. Each man was accorded 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' for their efforts.^[1]

A new boathouse was constructed in 1910, again at the seaward end of Knockcushan Street, just a few yards from the original boathouse, at a cost of £800.^[1]

Two of the earliest motor-powered lifeboats were dispatched to stations in Scotland in 1909, being placed at Stronsay and Stromness. However, it would be 1931 before one was assigned to Girvan. In the 66 years that a Pulling and Sailing lifeboat had been stationed at Girvan, the lifeboat had been launched at least 40 times, saving 64 lives.^[9][10]

In the presence of a large crowd, a ceremony was held on the 16 May 1931, with singing led by the Girvan Pipe Band, and a guard of honour provided by the Boy Scouts. A new 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) self-righting motor lifeboat, with a single 35-hp Weyburn AE6 engine, was presented to the Girvan branch by The Duke of Montrose. The lifeboat was the gift to the Institution from Mrs. Lawrence Glen, of Glasgow, wife of the head of the Glen Shipping Line. After a dedication by Rev. R. G. Colquhoun, MA BD, of Chalmers Church, Girvan, Mrs Glen named the lifeboat Lily Glen-Glasgow (ON 739).^[11]

With motor-powered lifeboats now at the flanking stations of Troon (1929) and Girvan, able to cover a larger area much faster and efficiently, the remaining P&S lifeboat at Ayr was effectively obsolete. At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 14 January 1932, it was decided to close Ayr Lifeboat Station.^[12]

On 12 May 1976, the Girvan lifeboat James and Barbara Aitken (ON 909), which had seen 14 years service at Troon, before being transferred to Girvan in 1968, suffered a fouled propeller, and was subsequently driven ashore. All the crew survived the incident without injury, but the badly damaged boat was withdrawn from service.^[1][13]

The station would receive a new class of lifeboat in 1983. 33-04 Philip Vaux (ON 1084) was a Brede-class 'Intermediate' lifeboat, designed to fill the gap between a full All-weather lifeboat, and the Atlantic 21-class Inshore lifeboat, and operated at Girvan until 1989. A second Brede-class lifeboat, 33-12 Amateur Swimming Associations (ON 1105), was on station until 1993.^[14]

After 1983, the lifeboat house was not required to house the lifeboat, with the Brede-class, and successive lifeboats, remaining afloat. A new station building was constructed in 1993, still on Knockcushan Street, but 1⁄4 mi (0.40 km) closer to the town, on a site overlooking the river. The old lifeboat house was subsequently demolished.^[1]

In the same year, a new Mersey-class All-weather lifeboat was placed at Girvan. 12-37 was the last of the fleet of 37 Mersey-class lifeboats constructed, costing £680,000. Over 600 invited guests attended a service of dedication and naming ceremony held on Saturday 16 October 1993.^[15]

The lifeboat was funded from the bequest of Miss Silvia Burrell, who died in 1992 at the age of 90. Until forced to stop through failing eyesight, she was well known within the RNLI, for having knitted almost 400 pairs of woollen mittens for lifeboat crews. Silvia Burrell, previously Marion Burrell until she changed her name, was also the daughter of Sir William Burrell, who inherited the Burrell & Son shipping line, and became one of the world's great art collectors. He ultimately donated the Burrell Collection to the city of Glasgow. 50 members of the Burrell family attended the ceremony, which was combined with the opening of the new boathouse, where the lifeboat was named 12-37 Silvia Burrell (ON 1196).^[15]

After serving Girvan for 25 years, Silvia Burrell was replaced in 2018 by a £2.1M Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat, 13-23 Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan (ON 1330).^[16]

A new pontoon berth was constructed at the station, and completed in March 2004, at a cost of £202,390.^[1]

The following are awards made at Girvan:^[1]

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

  Mr McKenna – 1898

  Mr C. Lawson – 1898

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

More information On station, ON ...

On station[17]	ON[a]	Name	Built	Class	Comments[10]
1865–1882	Pre-432	Earl of Carrick	1865	32-foot Prowse Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 1] Renamed Sir Home Popham in 1882.
1882–1887		Sir Home Popham			[Note 2] Sold in 1887.
1887–1901	167	Sir Home Popham	1887	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 3][18]
1901–1931	452	James Stevens No. 18	1901	35-foot Liverpool (P&S)	[Note 4][19]

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

Motor lifeboats

More information On station, ON ...

On station[20]	ON[a]	Op. No.[b]	Name	Built	Class	Comments
1931–1952	739	–	Lily Glen-Glasgow	1931	35-foot 6in Self-righting (motor)	[11] Last reported derelict at Rye, East Sussex, 2014
1952–1955	795	–	Frank and William Oates	1937	Liverpool	Previously at Eyemouth, withdrawn from Hastings in 1964. Sold in 1964, last reported as fishing boat Seren-y-Mor at Tenby, September 2025.
1955–1960	874	–	Robert Lindsay	1950	Liverpool	Originally stationed at Arbroath, withdrawn from Criccieth in 1968. Under restoration at Stiffkey, December 2025.
1960–1961	857	–	Glencoe, Glasgow	1949	41-foot Watson	Previously at Buckie, withdrawn from Portavogie in 1978. Sold and modified as a pleasure boat, last reported at Burghead in 2019.
1961–1968	897	–	St Andrew (Civil Service No. 10)	1951	41-foot Watson	Previously at Whitehills, transferred to Arklow in 1968 but returned to Girvan in 1976.
1968–1976	909	–	James and Barbara Aitken	1954	42-foot Watson	Previously stationed at Troon. Withdrawn after being wrecked in service. Sold in 1977, in storage awaiting restoration at Migennes in France, December 2024.
1976–1977	897	–	St Andrew (Civil Service No. 10)	1951	41-foot Watson	Previously stationed at Girvan in 1961–1968. It served in the Relief Fleet until 1982 when it was sold. Restored at Milford Marina, September 2025.
1977–1983	941	–	William and Mary Durham	1957	42-foot Watson	Previously at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Sold 1983. Last reported as fishing boat Ron Meadhonach, in storage at Portree, December 2018.
1983–1989	1084	33-04	Philip Vaux	1982	Brede	[21] Sold in 1990 and reported to now be the pilot boat Mourne Mist at Greencastle.
1989–1993	1105	33-12	Amateur Swimming Associations	1985	Brede	Sold in 1993 for use as a lifeboat in New Zealand. By 2021 it had been retired and operating as a pleasure boat at Picton.
1993–2018	1196	12-37	Silvia Burrell	1993	Mersey	[15] Sold in 2021. Renamed Ailsa Craig, at Island Harbour, Isle of Wight, October 2025.
2018–	1330	13-23	Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan	2018	Shannon	[16]

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1. [a]

   ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. [b]

   Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

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