New Brighton Lifeboat Station

In the 18th Century, vessels arriving in the Port of Liverpool were required to first deposit their gunpowder in the Gunpowder magazine, which was located in a secluded area on the Wirral, across the River Mersey from Liverpool. Over time, Magazine Village developed, and it was here that the Liverpool Dock Trustees placed one of their lifeboats in 1827, with a boathouse being constructed in 1828. The location was ideally situated to cover the mouth of the river. A second boat was stationed there in 1839.^[3]

At a public meeting in 1862, it was discussed that a boat, located in the now increasingly populous area known as New Brighton, would be better positioned to effect a faster response into Liverpool Bay. The RNLI was approached, and agreed to provide a lifeboat station in New Brighton. An unusual new 'Tubular' type of lifeboat, named Rescue, was commissioned with J. Hamilton, Jnr, Windsor Works, Liverpool, and arrived on station in January 1863.^[4]

Within 18 months, as the Liverpool Dock Trustees had found, it was necessary to place a second boat at New Brighton, and a No.2 station was started in July 1864. This boat too was unusual, as it was a 33-foot Iron boat rather than the usual wooden boats. She was named Willie and Arthur.^[4]

In 1893, New Brighton received the Duke of Northumberland (ON 231), transferred from Holyhead to be the No.2 lifeboat. The boat was a 50-foot Steam-powered lifeboat, using Water-Jets as a means of propulsion, over 140 years before this technology was again utilised by the RNLI in the present day Shannon-class lifeboats. When the boat was required to be returned to Holyhead, the RNLI commissioned another Steam-class lifeboat. Arriving on station in 1897, she was named Queen (ON 404) to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.^[4]

The 60-foot Barnett-class lifeboat William and Kate Johnston (ON 682), replacement for Queen, was assigned to be the No.1 station boat in 1938.^[5]

Both No.1 and No.2 station boats were retired in 1950, being replaced by just one boat, effectively closing the No.2 station. The 52-foot Barnett-class lifeboat Norman B. Corlett (ON 883) remained in service until 1973, when it was decided that the All-weather lifeboat would be withdrawn, and replaced with a fast Inshore B-class (Atlantic 21). With the Atlantic-class boat having to be stored 1.5 miles from the station until a new boathouse was built, a D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat was also placed on service for 18 months.^[6]

In response to the number of rescues required on the large expanse of mud and sand at the end of the Wirral Peninsular, the RNLI placed one of their seven Griffon Hoverwork Type 470TD Hovercraft on station in 2004. This Hovercraft was relocated to Hoylake in 2016.^[7]

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

The following are awards made at New Brighton:^[1][8]

• Gold Medal, awarded by the American Government

Each of New Brighton lifeboat crews – 1875

Each of the survivors of the crew of the Liverpool lifeboat – 1875

• Gold Medal, awarded by the French Government

George Robinson, Coxswain – 1928

George Carmody – 1928

Samuel Jones – 1928

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

Peter Cropper, Coxswain, Liverpool Lifeboat – 1851

Thomas Evans, Coxswain, Magazine Lifeboat – 1851

Joseph Formby, Coxswain, Formby Lifeboat – 1851

• RNLI Silver Medal

Thomas Evans, Coxswain – 1863 (Second-Service Clasp)

Thomas Evans, Jnr – 1863

William Evans – 1863

Richard J. Thomas, Coxswain – 1870

Hiram Linaker, crew member – 1877

William Martin, Coxswain – 1894

George Robinson, Coxswain – 1928

William Henry Jones, Coxswain – 1938

Edward Brown, Coxswain – 1974

Robin Middleton, crew member – 1974

• Silver Medal, awarded by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society

J. W. Bray, Mechanic – 1946

• RNLI Bronze Medal

John Rowland Nicholson, crew member – 1928

George James Carmody, crew member – 1928

Ralph B. Scott, crew member – 1928

Wilfred Garbutt, crew member – 1928

Samuel J. Jones, crew member – 1928

William Liversage, crew member – 1928

John H. Moore, crew member – 1928

John Rowland Nicholson, Second Coxswain – 1938

Wilfred Garbutt, Mechanic – 1938

John E. Mason, Second Mechanic – 1938

William Stephen Jones, Second Coxswain – 1947

William Stephen Jones, Acting Coxswain – 1950 (Second-Service clasp)

George Stonall, Coxswain – 1957

Edward Beverley Brown, Helm – 1982

• • The Ralph Glister Award 1987
  • for the most meritorious service carried out in a lifeboat under 10 metres

Anthony Clare, Helm – 1988

Geoffrey Prince, crew member – 1988

Anthony Jones, crew member – 1988

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Clifford Downing, crew member – 1974

Alan Boult, crew member – 1974

Ian Campbell, crew member – 1974

Edward B. Brown, Helm – 1976

Michael Jones, crew member – 1982

Anthony Clare. Helm – 1988

Michael Jones, crew member – 1994

Tony Clare, crew member – 1994

Michael Jones, Helm – 1995

Michael Jones, Helm – 2000

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Geoffrey Prince, crew member – 1988

Anthony Jones, crew member – 1988

Neil Jones, crew member – 1994

Barry Shillinglaw, crew member – 1994

Tony Jones, shore helper – 1994

Howard Jones, crew member – 1995

Neil Jones, crew member – 1995

Michael Haxby, crew member – 1995

Richard Finlay, County Rescue Boat – 1995

John Goodwin, County Rescue Boat – 1995

Mark Bland, Helm – 2005

Mark Harding, crew member – 2005

Greg Morgan, crew member – 2005

• A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Barry Shillinglaw, crew member – 1980

Paul Wright, crew member – 1980

Howard Jones, crew member – 1980

• Collective Letter of Appreciation signed by the Director of the Institution

Eight shore helpers from the station – 1980

• A Letter of Appreciation signed by the Chief of Operations

Station Honorary Secretary – 1980

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Philip Gerald Hockey, Lifeboat Press Officer – 2007QBH^[9]

Anthony Joseph Jones – 2026NYH^[10]

In memory of those lost whilst serving New Brighton lifeboat:^[4]

• Lost when washed overboard from the Stuart Hay, whilst searching for an unknown casualty vessel, 26 January 1883

Charles Finlay

• Overcome by fumes, and died whilst on overnight watch duty on the Queen (ON 404), 29 November 1905

Allan Dodd, crewman (36)

John Jones, crewman (36)

• Suffered serious kidney damage after being thrown violently across the boat, aboard the Queen (ON 404), 18 December 1919, and died three years later on 12 October 1922.

George Cross, Second Coxswain (40)

• Died later from the effects of exposure, after maintaining watch on the New Brighton landing stage, 17 November 1923.

W. J. Liversage, Assistant Secretary (58)

• Drowned when the boarding boat capsized during recovery, after being swept away down river by a flood tide, 9 March 1925.

Herbert Harrison, Second Mechanic

• Collapsed and died whilst fishing, a few days after the medal winning service in extreme conditions to the Progress of Hoylake, and the schooner Loch Ranza Castle, 23 November 1938.

J. Stonall, crewman (46)

• Drowned after falling from the boarding boat whilst trying to tie-up alongside, 6 March 1962

Frank. K. Neilson, Second Mechanic (61)

Name	Built	On station[11]	Class	Comments[11]
Unnamed	1827	1827−1830	26-foot 8in non-self-righting lifeboat	[Note 1] Later at Point of Air.
Unnamed	1826	1830−1844	30-foot non-self-righting lifeboat	[Note 2] Previously at Point of Air.
Unnamed	1839	1839−1863	30-foot non-self-righting lifeboat	[Note 3] Magazines No.2 lifeboat

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