200 years of saving lives at sea: RNLI history told through new interactive map
Today (Thursday 11 July) Historic England is announcing two new listings and an interactive map of historic landmarks connected with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), to mark this year’s 200th anniversary of the lifesaving charity.
- Historic England marks the 200th anniversary of the RNLI with the listing of two historic gems and a new interactive map of landmarks connected with the lifesaving charity
- Newly listed at Grade II by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on Historic England’s advice are the Church of St Mary in Cadgwith, Cornwall, whose first vicar, Rev. Henry Vyvyan, was awarded a RNLI Silver Medal for Gallantry, and, in Barrow, Cumbria, the grave monument to James Gall, who was saved from the wreck of the steamship Forfarshire
- Rare historic photographs from the RNLI archive have been publicly shared
The two organisations are asking the public to add their photos, memories and information to the RNLI story through the Historic England Missing Pieces Project - Download press images here
The RNLI has been saving lives at sea since 1824. Over the past 200 years, lifeboat stations have become an important part of our coastal heritage, acting as beacons of safety, while churches and memorials honour and remember the people who have bravely risked their lives to save others. Many of these sites are protected through listing, and whilst most are not owned or managed by the RNLI, they all have strong connections to the lifesaving charity and its history. Find out more here: RNLI: 200 Years of Saving Lives at Sea | Historic England
Newly listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England, are the Church of St Mary in Cadgwith, Cornwall, whose first vicar, Rev. Henry Vyvyan, was an active member of the RNLI and was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for Gallantry, and, in Barrow-in Furness, Cumbria, the grave monument to James Gall, the last of the survivors of the SS Forfarshire, bravely rescued by Victorian heroine Grace Darling.
Rarely seen photographs have also been shared by the RNLI to highlight the charity’s rich history, showing proud volunteer lifeboat crews and historic lifeboat stations from the past 200 years.
Help us to discover more about the places that have protected people at sea by adding your unique piece of the RNLI story to Historic England’s Missing Pieces Project.
Duncan Wilson, Historic England Chief Executive, said: “This fascinating collection of historic sites tell the stories of the men, women and communities who have made our seas safer over the past two hundred years. Their dedication, bravery and sacrifice have helped to save so many lives and their stories inspire us. This is a great opportunity to discover places around England with history connected to the RNLI and to add your part to the story.”
Hayley Whiting, the RNLI’s Heritage Archive and Research Manager, said: “Through this project with Historic England we have been able to share rarely seen photos from the RNLI archive of sites around England which have a close connection with the RNLI and its lifesaving heritage. The list includes boathouses, collection boxes, monuments, and memorials, many of which are no longer RNLI-owned or managed, but all of which have a fascinating and important connection with the charity’s long lifesaving history.”
“It is particularly significant that we have been able to collaborate with Historic England on this project during the RNLI’s 200th anniversary year, and we hope many members of the public will now be inspired to go online to the Missing Pieces Project and add their own contributions, to really help bring to life the stories, history and character of these significant sites.”
New listings
Church of St Mary, Cadgwith, Cornwall (Grade II listed)
The Church of St Mary, in the small fishing village of Cadgwith on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, is important for its unusual architecture and its connection with a major event in the history of the RNLI.
St Mary’s was built as a mission church and chapel of ease (an Anglican chapel situated for the convenience of parishioners living too far from the parish church) for the local community in 1898.
It is an example of a ‘tin tabernacle’, a prefabricated corrugated iron building developed in the mid-19th century as a relatively low-cost way to establish a place of worship in fast-growing urban and rural areas. Many were built during the upsurge in Non-Conformism, which was particularly strong in Cornwall. Few of these buildings survive today, having been designed for temporary use until permanent structures could be built.
The first vicar of St Mary’s, Reverend Henry Vyvyan, was an active member of the RNLI and was recognised as one of the most distinguished honorary secretaries of the institution, serving the Cadgwith station (Grade II listed) from 1898 until his death in 1937. He received a RNLI silver medal for gallantry for his active role, with the Cadgwith lifeboat Minnie Moon, in the rescue of 227 survivors from the White Star liner Suevic when it ran aground off the Lizard Point on 17 March 1907. The rescue of a total of 456 passengers and crew from the liner without any loss of life remains the largest in the institution’s history.
The Church of St Mary was listed at Grade II in February 2024.
Grave Monument to James Gall, Barrow Cemetery, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (Grade II listed)
James Gall was the last survivor of the SS Forfarshire, which was wrecked on the north-east coast on 7 September 1838. He was a fireman onboard the ship.
The wreck was made famous by the brave actions of Grace Darling. With her father, keeper of the Longstone Lighthouse, Northumberland (Grade II listed), Grace set out in their coble (a traditional North East open fishing boat) through stormy seas and rescued five survivors. Grace’s father returned with two of the survivors to rescue another four people.
James had to stay at the lighthouse for two days where his injuries were attended to by the Darling family.
Grace’s act of bravery became front page news, reaching Queen Victoria, and capturing the imagination of people around the world.
In 1838, the rescue was recognised by the youthful RNLI (then called the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck) by the awarding of silver medals for bravery to Grace and her father. Grace was the first woman to receive a RNLI medal. She died of tuberculosis four years later on 20 October 1842 and is commemorated by a tomb in St Aidan’s churchyard, Bamburgh (Grade II* listed). The RNLI Grace Darling Museum sits opposite St Aidan’s Church and celebrates the life of the Victorian heroine.
In 1888, the RNLI took a lead in remembering James Gall and reviving the interest in Grace’s remarkable rescue. James Gall’s grave monument features a ten-foot-tall lighthouse sculpture.
Look out for RNLI landmarks
Historic England’s new interactive map shows the listed places – former lifeboat stations, memorials, churches, donation boxes, and more – that can be found around England’s coastline, including:-
The Zetland Lifeboat Museum and Redcar Heritage Centre, Redcar, North Yorkshire, home to the Zetland, the oldest surviving lifeboat in the world, which saved over 500 lives during her 78-year service.
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The Old Lifeboat Station in Rye Harbour, where, in 1928, the tragic loss of the whole crew, who drowned while on rescue, meant practically the whole male fishing population of the village was lost
- The Albert Memorial in Manchester, the site of the first ‘Lifeboat Saturday’ RNLI fundraising event, and the world’s first charity street collection ever recorded. Thousands of people flocked to the city to see lifeboat crews and their lifesaving craft.
- The ‘Never Turn Back’ pub in Caister-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, named in the memory of the Caister lifeboat tragedy of 13 November 1901. During a night of severe weather conditions, the Caister lifeboat ‘Beauchamp’ attempted to save a vessel in distress, but the sea was so rough that the lifeboat was capsized, nine men were killed and only three survived. The phrase ‘Never Turn Back’ has endured, becoming the motto of the Caister independent lifeboat crew. (Note: Caister was a RNLI station at the time of the disaster but is now an independent lifeboat station).
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The Watch Tower Studio and Former Lifeboat Shed, Looe, Cornwall, established in 1866 and described in The Lifeboat Journal as "somewhat ornamental in character". It was built with a tower providing a reading room for the pilots and fishermen.
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The Fish Collection Box at Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire, erected in 1887 and possibly the oldest collecting box still in service for the RNLI.
Photos from the past
Lifeboat crews from times past can be seen in rare historic photographs shared through the RNLI map and list entries. These atmospheric images bring us face-to-face with the ordinary people from local communities who put their lives at risk to save others.
Share your sea story
The stories of these historic RNLI places are still being written – and they won’t be complete until you share your side. Share your story at the Missing Pieces Project
We’d love to see your photos, memories and information so we can learn more about what makes these places special.
Perhaps a member of your family was part of a RNLI crew, or there’s a local sea shanty that tells the story of a famous rescue. Maybe your community came together to raise the funds for a RNLI lifeboat, or a special memorial to local lifesavers. There could be traditions passed down the generations that keep local seafaring history alive.
Your view of a place is as unique as you are, so every snapshot and story you add is an important piece of the picture. You could add photos, film, audio, text, drawings and more.
ENDS
For more information please contact: Esther Blaine, East of England Public Engagement Manager, at Historic England on 07584 365681 or email [email protected]
To download images, click here
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
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.