


‘I cried the first time I read it’
Episode 166 – Veronica Vondy on her History-Shaping Ancestor
When Veronica Vondy decided to research her family tree, it led to an ancestor with a surprising story – the saving of the man who founded the RNLI.
Just 6 years after the RNLI was formed, its founder - Sir William Hillary - was himself thrown overboard whilst going to the aid of the steamer, St George, in Douglas Harbour, Isle of Man.
Veronica Vondy, from Peel on the Isle of Man’s west coast, tells the story of how her family research led her all the way back to the lifeboat that went to the aid of the steamer that day. Onboard, along with the crew, was a coxswain whose gallantry would be recognised three times by the RNLI. His name, Veronica would learn, was Isaac Vondy (pictured).
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