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Fraserburgh RNLI receives donation in memory of legendary coxswain
Fraserburgh RNLI have received a donation of £1,000 from Fraserburgh Harbour in honour of a consultant’s great-grandfather, Andrew Noble who was the long serving coxswain of Fraserburgh Lifeboat and who died on service in 1919.
Fraserburgh Harbour made the donation after retired refrigeration engineer John Fraser suggested supporting the charity instead of accepting payment for his recent work with the Harbour’s ice plant.
Fraserburgh Harbour acquired full ownership and operational control of the ice plant in 2024, safeguarding the provision of ice for all vessels that require it, as well as the local fish processing industry, and completing a 6-figure modernisation of the space and its facilities.
For John, who grew up in Fraserburgh, the donation reflects a long standing family connection to the lifeboat station. His great-grandfather, Andrew Noble, was Fraserburgh’s longest-serving lifeboat Coxswain, serving for 32 years.
Having grown up around the Harbour and witnessed the impact of the 1970 lifeboat disaster on the town, John wanted the money to support a service that means a great deal to him and the local community.
‘My career started in Fraserburgh 55 years ago when I started an Apprenticeship at Fraserburgh Ice & Cold Storage’ said John, ‘the Ice Factory gave me a great start to my working life prior to attending university in Glasgow. I then worked at BOC-Linde Refrigeration in London before working with Star Refrigeration for about 30 years.
‘After retiring, I ran my own sole trader business, which I wound up about three years ago. John Murison, Harbour Superintendent, then got in touch about the ice plant they were purchasing, which I saw as an opportunity to go back to where it all started.
‘I’m Broch born and bred, I spent much of my younger years around the Harbour, and the lifeboat means a lot. I was at school in 1970 when The Duchess of Kent lifeboat capsized and five lives were lost, which impacted the entire community. My great-grandfather, Andrew, was lost when the Lady Rothes lifeboat capsized in 1919. So, when John suggested they donate my payment, I suggested the RNLI Fraserburgh Lifeboat Station.’
John’s great-grandfather, Andrew, worked as a pilot at Fraserburgh Harbour as well as being the Coxswain of Fraserburgh Lifeboat before his passing when the Lady Rothes lifeboat capsized in 1919. His crewmate Acting 2nd Coxswain Andrew Farquhar also sadly lost his life in the accident.
Coxswain Andrew Noble won the first of his silver medals on 30 June 1909 for saving six men from Henry and Elizabeth of Nairn which had been washed up on the rocks behind the south breakwater.
A few weeks later on 7 September 1909 the Fraserburgh Lifeboat Anna Maria Lee carried out a daring rescue in mountainous seas just outside Fraserburgh Harbour saving the lives of 7 crew men from the Buckie Drifter
Zodiac. The silver Second Service Clasp was then bestowed on Coxswain Noble.
In 1915 the pulling and sailing Fraserburgh Lifeboat Anna Maria Lee was replaced by Fraserburgh’s first motor lifeboat
Lady Rothes which was a gift from the grateful father of a Titanic survivor.
On the 28th of April 1919 the Lady Rothes capsized in a huge sea while on service to the Admiralty drifter Eminent and Coxswain Andrew Noble and Acting 2nd Coxswain Andrew Farquhar were drowned.
Their names are remembered along with the eleven other local men who died on service in 1953 and in 1970 on the Fraserburgh Lifeboat Memorial Statue.
Andrew's great grandson John Fraser was accompanied by Fraserburgh Harbour Superintendent John Murison and Fraserburgh Harbour Master Captain Shane Wood when he visited Fraserburgh RNLI station to hand over the donation.
Vic Sutherland, full-time Coxswain Mechanic at Fraserburgh Lifeboat station gratefully accepted the donation and said: “We were delighted when Fraserburgh Harbour chose to donate to the RNLI Fraserburgh Lifeboat Station on behalf of John Fraser. His great-grandfather’s story is deep-rooted in our history and will be told for centuries to come, so the connection is incredibly meaningful, not just to the RNLI but to the local community.
‘Receiving £1,000 will make a significant impact to the station and will allow us to train new volunteer recruits who can support the station just as Andrew did.’
Notes to Editors
- Fraserburgh RNLI Lifeboat Station has a proud history of saving lives at sea, operating since 1858 (with lifeboat operations recorded locally from 1806)
- The Tamar-class all-weather lifeboat John Buchanan Barr (16-21) replaced the station's long-serving Trent-class Willie and May Gall (14-34) in spring 2026.
- Thirteen Fraserburgh Lifeboatmen have died in three separate tragedies in 1919, 1953 and 1970.
- The 140,000 life saved by the RNLI since records began was recorded in June 2012 when Fraserburgh Lifeboat Willie and May Gall rescued a kitesurfer who had been entangled in his lines and was being dragged out to sea.
- Key facts about the RNLI: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service across the UK and Republic of Ireland coasts. Independent of government, the charity relies on voluntary donations and legacies. Since 1824, RNLI lifesavers have saved over 146,700 lives.
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
Billy Watson, Fraserburgh RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer - 07564468304 [email protected]
Natasha Rushby: Regional Communications Manager for Scotland [email protected] - 07826 900639
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.