Lowestoft Lifeboat Station is located at the mouth of Lowestoft's outer harbour, on South Pier in Lowestoft, the most easterly settlement in the UK, and a port town on the coast of Suffolk.
It is one of the oldest lifeboat stations in the United Kingdom, having been established in 1801, although it only operated for just one year. A lifeboat station was re-opened by the Suffolk Humane Society in 1807, with management passing to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1855.
The station currently operates 13-05 Patsy Knight (ON 1312), a All-weather lifeboat, on station since 2014.
History In 1801, a lifeboat built by Henry Greathead was placed at Lowestoft on a trial basis. Vessels wrecked in the area were usually some distance from the shore, and a rowing boat without sails quickly proved unsuccessful, due to the strength of the currents and tides encountered.
At 12 noon on 19 November 1807, the first 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, the 39-foot Frances Anne, was launched at Lowestoft, under the eye of designer Lionel Lukin of Long Acre, London. It had been constructed by R. Sparrow of Worlingham Hall, and performed to high satisfaction, with 16 crew aboard.
The station was managed by the Suffolk Humane Society (SHS), who would come to place lifeboats at , Sizewell, , , and Bawdsey. At the Annual General Meeting of the RNLI on 26 April 1855, it was announced that the SHS, now with just three stations at Lowestoft, Pakefield and Southwold, had voluntarily joined the Institution, thereby transferring all remaining stations to the management of the RNLI.
The Frances Anne had been replaced in 1850, with a larger 42-foot lifeboat, built by Sparham of Lowestoft, named Victoria. Whilst the lifeboat was immediately replaced in 1855, it is assumed that the Lowestoft lifeboat was in good condition, as it was retained by the RNLI, and served at Lowestoft until 1876.
On 1 November 1859, the Lowestoft lifeboat Victoria was launched to the aid of the steamship Shamrock of Dublin, wrecked in a gale on Holm Sands. With seas breaking over the vessel's masthead, the lifeboat anchored, and veered down. Managing to get a line aboard, all 14 crew were pulled through the surf one at a time. Eight of the lifeboat crew were awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.
At the meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 7 May 1868, it was reported that the Institution was in receipt of £620 from an anonymous lady, to defray the costs of a lifeboat station. The gift was appropriated to Lowestoft, and the Victoria was renamed Laetitia, in accordance with the donor's wishes.
An additional lifeboat arrived in February 1870, having been transported to Great Yarmouth, and then sailed to Lowestoft. A 32-foot lifeboat, it was designed for close shore work. This No.2 lifeboat was funded from Miss Leicester of London, and was named George after her late brother. Miss Leicester had previously funded a lifeboat for . A new boathouse was constructed.
In 1921, Lowestoft received their first motor-powered lifeboat. She was renamed Agnes Cross, after the donor, who gifted £3,500 to the Institution in 1919, followed by a further gift of £1,500, for the provision of a lifeboat for Lowestoft. For reasons unknown, the lifeboat had served briefly at Gorleston No.1 as the John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood (ON 663) in 1921, before being transferred to Lowestoft. The serving Lowestoft lifeboat, Kentwell (ON 543), was relocated to Gorleston No.1.
The 46-foot Watson-class lifeboat Michael Stephens (ON 838) was placed on service in 1939. Just one year later, she took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. With a Royal Navy crew instead of lifeboat men, the boat was initially used to ferry troops from the harbour and beaches, to larger vessels. It is not known how many men were rescued, but she did eventually return to Dover with 52 soldiers on board.
South Broads Lifeboat Station, an Inshore lifeboat station, was established on the outskirts of Lowestoft in 2001. It operated at Oulton Broad until 2011, when a coastal review decided better coverage for the area was better served from .RNLI closes South Broads lifeboat station at Oulton Broad, BBC news website, 15 November 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
S.S. Hopelyn After 21:00 on 19 November 1922, the steamship Hopelyn of Newcastle-upon-Tyne was wrecked in a north-east gale on North Scroby Sands, near Great Yarmouth. The lifeboat was called, but was unable to launch. The Gorleston No.1 lifeboat Kentwell (ON 543) was launched at 23:00, and towed to the vessel by the tugboat George Jewson. The lifeboat stood by until daybreak, but after two hours, and no onboard activity, concluded there were no survivors, and returned home at 09:00.At 10:00 on 20 November, a flag was spotted on the wreck. The Gorlston lifeboat launched again, but couldn't get close, due to the conditions and an old wreck nearby.
The motor-powered Lowestoft lifeboat Agnes Cross was called at 15:45, calling first at Gorleston to collect Cmdr. Edward Carver, District Inspector of Lifeboats, before heading to the wreck. On arrival, it was decided too dangerous to attempt any rescue in the dark, so the lifeboat returned to Gorleston, launching again at 04:30. Still in gale-force conditions, the lifeboat veered down to the vessel, 24 men, and a black kitten were rescued, and all were landed at Gorleston at 07:00 on 21 October, some 32 hours after the first launch. For this service, 27 RNLI medals for gallantry were awarded to the Lowestoft and Gorleston crews.
Station honours Crews from Lowestoft have received 45 awards for gallantry, including 39 medals. The RNLI Gold Medal has been awarded twice. The first award was to Lieutenant R. B. Matthews, RN, in October 1827. Coxswain John Swan was the second recipient, for his actions during the rescue of the crew of the merchant ship , wrecked on North Scroby Sands in October 1922.
The following are awards made at Lowestoft.
Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry (EGM) John Thompson Swan – 1924
RNIPLS Gold Medal Lt. Robert Bates Matthews, RN, H.M. Coastguard Lowestoft – 1827
RNLI Gold Medal John Thompson Swan, Coxswain – 1922
RNIPLS Silver Medal Lt. John Crouchley Evison, RN, H.M. Coastguard Lowestoft – 1834
Lt. Richard Joachim, RN, H.M. Coastguard Lowestoft – 1836
Francis Stannard, Master of the sloop Glenmoriston – 1853
RNLI Silver Medal Capt. Richard Joachim, RN, H.M. Coastguard Lowestoft – 1857 (Third-Service clasp)
Robert Hook, Coxswain – 1859 James Butcher, crew member – 1859 Richard Butcher crew member – 1859 Nathaniel Colby, crew member – 1859 Thomas Liffen, crew member – 1859 Alfred Mewse, crew member – 1859 William Rose, crew member – 1859 Francis Smith, crew member – 1859
Capt. Richard Joachim, RN, H.M. Coastguard Lowestoft – 1861 (Fourth-Service clasp)
Robert Hook, Coxswain – 1873 (Second-Service clasp)
George Edward Hall, Master of the fishing boat Trial – 1882
John Thompson Swan, Coxswain – 1914
John Thompson Swan, Coxswain – 1918 (Second-Service clasp)
Ralph A. W. Scott, Motor Mechanic – 1922
Albert Spurgeon, Coxswain – 1927
Silver Medals, awarded by the Austrian Government Crew of 1866 Lowestoft Lifeboat – 1893
RNLI Bronze Medal George William Ayers, Second Coxswain – 1918
George William Ayers, Second Coxswain – 1922 (Second-Service clasp) John Rose, Bowman – 1922 H. Allerton, crew member – 1922 J. Ayers, crew member – 1922 W. Butcher, crew member – 1922 C. Mewse, crew member – 1922 Albert Spurgeon, crew member – 1922 F. Swan, crew member – 1922
Albert Spurgeon, Coxswain – 1943 (Second-Service clasp)
Thomas Victor Knott, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1974 Peter Gibbons, Second Coxswain – 1974
Thomas Victor Knott, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1976 (Second-Service clasp)
John William Catchpole, Coxswain – 1988
Shane Gordon Coleman, Coxswain, and sole crew member of the Lowestoft Pilot boat,(also Second Coxswain/Mechanic of the Lowestoft lifeboat) – 1990
John William Catchpole, Coxswain – 1996 (Second-Service clasp)
The Maud Smith Award 1988 John William Catchpole, Coxswain – 1988
The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum Each of the crew of the Lowestoft lifeboat – 1922
Shane Gordon Coleman, Second Coxswain/Mechanic – 1996
John Fox, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2010
A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Michael Knott – 1976
John William Catchpole, Second Coxswain – 1981
John William Catchpole, Coxswain – 1989
Shane Gordon Coleman, Second Coxswain/Mechanic – 1990
Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Shane Gordon Coleman, Second Coxswain/Mechanic – 1989
Lowestoft lifeboats Lowestoft / Lowestoft No.1 Station ON Name Built Class Comments 1801–1802 – 1801 30-foot Greathead x (10-oared) Greathead-class non-self-righting lifeboat, built by Henry Greathead of South Shields, costing £165.Transferred to Gorleston in 1802. 1807–1850 – Frances Anne 1807 40-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) x (14-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by R. Barcham of Lowestoft, costing £350. 1850–1868 Victoria 1850 42-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) x (14-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Samuel Sparham of Lowestoft.costing £250.Renamed Laetitia in 1868. 1868–1876 Laetitia 1850 42-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) 1876–1905 22 1876 44-foot 4in Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) x (14-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Samuel Plimsoll LB Fund (Derby and Liverpool), built by Samuel Sparham of Lowestoft, costing £276. 1905–1921 543 Kentwell 1905 46-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) 46-foot x 12-foot 6in Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs S. A. Moore of London, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £2,197 when new.Transferred to Gorleston No.1 in 1922.
Lowestoft No.2 Station ON Name Built Class Comments 1870–1886 George 1869 32-foot Norfolk and Suffolk 'Surf Boat' x (12-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting 'Surf Boat', gift of Miss Mary Ann Leicester of Bayswater, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth, costing £150. 1886–1890 23 The Two Sisters, Mary and Hannah 1872 46-foot 3in Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) x (14-oared) Norfolk & Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Misses S & L Harris and legacy of Mr T. Perkin, built by Samuel Sparham of Lowestoft, costing £276 when new.Previously Sisters, on loan from . 1890–1892 288 1890 x (14-oared) Norfolk & Suffolk-class (P&S) lifeboat, gift of The Stock Exchange LB fund, built by Wm. T. Ellis of Lowestoft, costing £373.Transferred to Gorleston No.1 in 1892. 1893–1912 356 Stock Exchange 1893 46-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) x (14-oared) Norfolk & Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of The Stock Exchange LB fund, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth, costing £530. Station closed, 1912
Private lifeboat Funded and operated by the Gorleston Volunteer Lifeboat Society ON Name Built Class Comments 1883–1893 – Caroline Hamilton 1883 46-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) x Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, funded and operated by the Gorleston Volunteer Lifeboat Society, built by Samuel R. Sparham of Lowestoft, costing £450. Sold 1893.
Motor lifeboats ON Op. No. Name Built Class Comments 1921–1939 663 – Agnes Cross 1921 46-foot 6in Norfolk and Suffolk Previously John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood at Gorleston. 1939–1963 838 – Michael Stephens 1939 46-foot Watson Later stationed at . Sold in 1976 and now used as a pleasure boat on the River Yealm. 1963–1986 970 – 1963 47-foot Watson 1986–1987 924 – Archibald and Alexander M. Paterson 1955 1987–2014 1132 1987 On display at Chatham Historic Dockyard since June 2019. 2014– 1312 13-05 Patsy Knight 2014
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
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