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Tales of the third and fourth RNLI lifeboats at Staithes

Lifeboats News Release

A new boat (a 34ft. x 7ft.6in. self-righter) was sent to Staithes. Christened the Jonathan Stott it was built funded by the legacy of Mr J. Stott. Launched on service 19 times and saving six lives, its first service was on 13 June 1894 standing by whilst cobles made for home in a gale.

A postcard image (circa. 1904) of reserve lifeboat Elizabeth and Blanche in Staithes

On Christmas Eve 1894 steamer Progress, of Glasgow, ran aground to the North of Staithes. The Lifeboat launched at 10.30pm and the crew stood by the vessel until Christmas Morning. When it didn’t re-float as expected on the flood tide, the three crew were brought ashore by the lifeboat. In 2024 as in 1894 volunteer crews from Staithes and the surrounding areas, separated by 130 years, will be on call 24/7, 365 days a year to save those in peril at sea.

Just over a month later on 31 January 1895 during snow showers the lifeboat crew launched in heavy seas to Port Mulgrave. The call out was to the aid of the steamer the Waldridge of Sunderland. Staithes lifeboat launched into increasingly challenging conditions; the Staithes lifeboat launched with 16 hands. Runswick Bay’s lifeboat slipway had been damaged, and since then the boat had been kept locally half a mile away, unfortunately the wheels of the carriage had sunk in the sand, and the boat could not be got afloat.

On passing Whitby the Waldridge was taking water, and at 3am her fires were nearly out and arriving off Upgang the vessel was not under control. The boat’s own lifeboats were smashed in heavy seas, they fired rockets and flares to signal distress and set the sails with a view to keeping the ship off land. This was to no avail and the ship drifted rapidly towards the shore at Port Mulgrave. Going broadside to the sea the starboard lifeboat was lowered and two men made it to safety, another, Peter Hayson of Sunderland, attempted to put to shore but was sadly drowned.

A rocket line was fired to the ship by the local rocket brigade on shore and despite the loss of a further crew member, James Clark of Hartlepool, the remainder of the crew were landed in safety. Shortly afterwards having already broke in two the ship broke up completely. Charles Horne indicated that upon launch and in viewing distance of Port Mulgrave they could see that the vessel was ashore, they made multiple attempts to get to the windward of the steamer, but alas, owing to the strong wind and terrible sea conditions they could not get out far enough despite trying for around three hours and were signalled to return to shore. The service was so long and in such poor conditions that crew member Joseph Verrill suffered so much from exposure and the nerve straining work that he had to retire and as of 1903 had not worked since.

The Board of Trade enquiry into the loss of the Waldridge noted the ‘plucky attempts which had been made’ to save life, and it was put on record how they could not help but feel proud of the lifeboatmen and rocket brigade.

Launches in May and December 1895 would see the Jonathan Stott launching to steam ships which had run aground at Penny Steel and Cowbar Steel respectively. It would appear that both refloated and the lifeboat’s further assistance was not required.

In 1896 the services were to local fishing cobles during rough seas, on 14 March in strong south easterlies, and on 18 December during thick snowstorms. Services in 1898 and 1899 all were all broadly similar, the lifeboat proving valuable to the purpose when the station first opened – assisting local fishing boats to return to the village.

Still in position it would be 5 December 1899, to assist two cobles in peril, that Coxwain Charles Horne would be saved by a fellow crew member. Having escorted the cobles to Runswick Bay Horne ran the lifeboat toward the shore – they were unable to return to Staithes because of the weather. The lifeboat was caught by a wave, going broadside the crew were washed out of the boat. Horne was dragged away from shore by the strong undertow of the waves. Richard Verrill braved the waves to drag Horne from the sea – he was awarded the RNLI’s thanks on vellum for his actions.

Further launches to assist local cobles are recorded in January and April 1900, May 1901 and February and May 1902, with the service in May lasting five hours.

Despite being a busy station, in 1903 the RNLI looked to withdraw the lifeboat from Staithes. This was met with great resistance from locals. The reason given was the condition of the lifeboat slipway, which had been damaged not by the sea but by floods from inland. The Whitby Gazette of 20 November 1903 notes that the presence of the lifeboat in the boathouse was an incentive to the young men of the village to volunteer and emulate the noble deeds of their contemporaries and predecessors.

A public meeting was held in Staithes on 18 November 1903 with the inhabitants of Staithes petitioning the RNLI, stating that the welfare of the village depended on fishing and the welfare of the fishermen depended on the lifeboat. Not only this but that the lifeboat had rendered great service to many vessels on the coast and neighbouring boats at Saltburn and Runswick would fail to arrive in time at Staithes to avert a potential disaster, if indeed they could launch at all in the conditions.

The Stockton and Thornaby Herald on 21 November 1903 notes that the stout-hearted volunteers of Staithes ‘only are required to man the lifeboat on the errands of mercy, and there has never been anything lacking in this respect at Staithes.’

Indeed, despite damage and the threat of closure the lifeboat continued to launch on service.

Another Christmas Eve service launch in 1903 must have felt like a repeat of nine years previous, a steamer the Microphon of Belfast was firing flares south of Staithes. The Jonathan Stott launched at 5.00am and found the screw steamer aground following bad weather, the weather improved at daybreak and the lifeboat stood down, cargo was thrown overboard from the ship later that day and the lifeboat stood by again until around 6pm when, substantially lighter, the steamer re-floated and was towed to Hartlepool by a tug, accompanied by the Staithes lifeboat and crew. They returned to Staithes on Christmas day.

On the morning of 27 March 1904, a small boat was towed towards Staithes by a passing steamer, the inhabitants of the boat were three crew from the trawler the Maggie Ross of Aberdeen which had run aground at Boulby. Initially the men in the small boat told the locals that they had put ashore from the trawler, which they said was around ten miles away, because a crew member was unwell, and they were coming to get medicine.

Fishermen in Staithes put to sea initially in a coble and found a steam trawler to be on the rocks, just north of the harbour at Boulby, but due to a heavy sea could not get any nearer. The small boat attempted to return to the trawler, a heavy sea swamped the vessel, and the occupants were thrown into the boiling surf. The Evening Chronical reports that the one of the occupants clung to the upturned hull, however two men were drowned. Staithes RNLI lifeboat launched immediately and rowed to the scene. With great difficulty rescuing the remainder of the crew. The trawler was eventually salvaged and towed first to Hartlepool and then North Shields.

In April 1904 Jonathan Stott was withdrawn from service and broken up locally. Until a new lifeboat for the station was ready a relief lifeboat, this time a 36ft self-righter, was placed on temporary service in the village. To this day the RNLI has a relief fleet of lifeboats. Simon Ling, Head of Lifeboats at the RNLI explains the relief fleet: ‘For 200 years, the RNLI's lifeboats and crews have rescued those in trouble at sea. To ensure continuous coverage from our 238 lifeboat stations, we have a relief fleet totalling 27 all weather lifeboats and 38 inshore lifeboats. These assets are strategically positioned around the UK and Ireland, always ready to step in and provide cover when stations’ assets need repair or refit.’

The relief boat Elizabeth and Blanche launched five times on service – to stand by cobles on return to shore. Including launching the day before the new boat for Staithes arrived. After its service at Staithes which came to an end in 1907 the lifeboat, which was built in 1895 was condemned and broken up locally.

Though the number of cobles on the coast has diminished, assisting traditional wooden boats such as the coble still does occur, indeed in December 2023 a wooden boat two miles North East of Staithes was in difficulty.

Lifeboat Press Officer, James Stoker says: ‘the two occupants on the boat had a VHF radio and were able to call for help, unlike in the 1890’s and 1900’s where flares – which are still in use today, flags and lights were the main way to signal distress.

‘It is important on a vessel of any size to ensure you are wearing a properly maintained and regularly serviced lifejacket and carry more than one means of calling for help.’

Notes to Editor
Staithes and Runswick RNLI lifeboat has been in operation since 1978 with Atlantic B-Class inshore lifeboats (ILB’s). The present ILB at the station B-897 Sheila and Dennis Tongue III has been on station since 2016.

In 2024, the RNLI is celebrating 200 years - and counting, commemorating this remarkable past, celebrating our lifesaving achievements today, and inspiring a future where we can save every one. More information on RNLI 200 can be found at https://rnli.org/about-us/our-history/2024

RNLI media contacts
For further information, please contact James Stoker, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at: [email protected] or Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager (North and East) on 07824 518641 or, [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

RNLI

A extract from the service book recording service launches for the Staithes lifeboat Jonathan Stott. Service books such as this are held by the RNLI heritage team and contain information that was gathered centrally by the RNLI for service launches at the charity's stations around the UK and Ireland.

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.

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