The James Stevens lifeboats were a series of twenty lifeboats which were purchased by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) using a legacy received in 1894 from the estate of Mr James Stevens. It is the largest number of RNLI lifeboats funded from a single donation.

James Stevens' legacy The RNLI received a £50,000 legacy in 1894 () from the estate of Mr James Stevens, a developer, from Edgbaston in Birmingham. This donation provided more lifeboats than any other single donation received by the RNLI.

The 20 lifeboats were built between 1896 and 1901, during which time they accounted for 22% of the 90 lifeboats built: Year James Stevens' legacy Other new lifeboats 1896 1 12 1897 0 10 1898 2 9 1899 8 7 1900 6 11 1901 3 21 Total 20 70

Lifeboats James Stevens No. 1 entered service in 1896, followed by the other 19 between 1898 and 1901. They were built to several different designs and sizes to suit the needs of their stations. James Stevens No. 4, James Stevens No. 5 and James Stevens No. 13 were all lost in service between 1900 and 1917, the remainder being withdrawn between 1917 and 1933.

As was usual at this time, most were 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboats, provided with oars but also fitted with sails for when conditions allowed their use. James Stevens No. 3 and James Stevens No. 4 were both built with steam engines, while James Stevens No. 14 was fitted with a petrol engine in 1906.

Two of the lifeboats, James Stevens No. 10 and James Stevens No. 14 have been restored and are kept in the towns where they were stationed.

ON Name Class Station Comments 401 James Stevens No. 1 (P&S) 1896–1917 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £463.Launched on 22 services, saving 55 lives. Sold 1917.Renamed Nordcapp Viking. Last reported damaged at Cobbs Quay, Poole, August 1979. 413 James Stevens No. 235-foot Liverpool (P&S) 1898–1912 x (12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Reynolds of Lowestoft, costing £538.In 1900 it was accidentally dropped into the water. It was badly damaged when it was washed onto a ship whilst on service, on 28 December 1908. Reserve No. 9A 1912–1914 Reserve fleet Transferred to the Reserve fleet in 1912. 1914–1924 Hilbre Island Launched on service a total of 30 times, saving 49 lives. Sold 1924. 420James Stevens No. 3 1898–1903 x Steam-class lifeboat, with 180-hp compound engine, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £3,298.This was one of the RNLI's six steam lifeboats and the first to have a propeller. Launched on service a total of 86 times, saving 54 lives.Sold 1929. Renamed Helga. Lost off Porthdinllaen in 1935. 1903–1908 1908–1915 1915–1919 1919–1922 1922–1928 421 James Stevens No. 4 1899–1900 x Steam-class lifeboat, with 180-hp compound engine, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £3,340.Launched on service four times, saving nine lives. Wrecked on service, 11 April 1900, after just over one year on station; eight of her crew of eleven drowned. 426 James Stevens No. 5 35-foot Self-Righting (P&S) 1899–1917 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Roberts of Mevagissey, costing £613.Capsized during practice with the loss of one crew member, March 1908. Wrecked on service to the steamship Osten, although the crew managed to get ashore, 17 December 1917. The remains were found submerged near the Towan Head slipway in 2004. Launched 15 times on service, saving 26 lives.427 James Stevens No. 635-foot Self-Righting (P&S) 1898–1924 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Roberts of Mevagissey, costing £612. Launched on service 43 times, saving 34 lives. Retained for exhibition purposes after service.Sold 1936. Renamed Golden City. Broken up at Eastbourne in 1948. Reserve No. D16 1924–1935 Eastbourne 429 James Stevens No. 7 45-foot Watson (P&S) 1899–1926 x (10-oared) Watson-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1,096.Launched 10 times, saving 8 lives. Sold 1926.425 James Stevens No. 835-foot Liverpool (P&S) 1899–1913 x (10/12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth, costing £544.Launched 7 times at Ardrossan, saving 41 lives.Reserve No. 9B 1913–1916 Transferred to the Reserve fleet in 1913. Sold 1920. 1916–1920 Reserve fleet 430 James Stevens No. 9 38-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) 1899–1923 x (12-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £865.Launched 111 times, saving 94 lives. Sold 1923. Renamed Viking. Destroyed by a World War II bomb at Dover in 1940. 435 James Stevens No. 10 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) 1900–1933 x (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £834.Launched 59 times, saving 227 lives. Sold 1933. Renamed Patricia Mary. Now used for boat-trips at St Ives but was sunk in the Hayle Estuary on 30 December 2015 before being salvaged and restored.438 James Stevens No. 1135-foot Self-Righting (P&S) 1900-1912 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £823.Launched 16 times, saving 12 lives.Sold 1928.Reserve No. 6 1912–1914 Reserve fleet 1914–1920 1920–1921 Reserve fleet James Stevens No. 11 1921–1928 436 James Stevens No. 12 35-foot Self-Righting (P&S) 1900–1903 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £765.Launched four times on service, saving seven lives.Wrecked on service, with the loss of six crew, 1 February 1903. 439 James Stevens No. 13 35-foot Self-Righting (P&S) 1900–1925 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £738.Launched 44 times, saving 12 lives. Sold after being damaged, 1925. 432 James Stevens No. 14 43-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) 1900–1928 x (12-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1,420. Fitted with a 40-hp Brooke petrol engine in 1906. Launched 126 times, saving 227 lives. Sold 1928, renamed Mardee. By the late 1970s it had lost its engine and become a houseboat. It was returned to Walton-on-the-Naze for preservation in 1998. Stored ashore at Titchmarch Marina, August 2025. 442 James Stevens No. 15 40-foot Watson (P&S) 1900–1921 x (12-oared) Watson-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1,295.Launched 57 times, saving 124 lives. Sold 1921. 445 James Stevens No. 16 40-foot Watson (P&S) 1900–1930 x (12-oared) Watson-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1,295.Launched 30 times, saving 12 lives. Sold in 1930, renamed Helvick Head. Last reported as a yacht at St Helier, January 1972. 451 James Stevens No. 17 35-foot Liverpool (P&S) 1900–1922 x (12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £773.Launched nine times, saving eight lives. Sold 1922, renamed Salvor II. 452 James Stevens No. 18 35-foot Liverpool (P&S) 1901–1931 x (12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £938.Launched 19 times, saving 29 lives. Sold 1931.459James Stevens No. 1935-foot Dungeness (Rubie) Self-Righting (P&S) 1901–1926 x (10-oared) Dungeness-class (Rubie) non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £672.Launched to the Aberdeen trawler Imperial Prince, resulting in the crew being awarded two silver and a bronze RNLI medals for bravery.Launched 18 times, saving 53 lives. Sold 1928, renamed Madgeric. Last reported as a yacht at Wisbech, 1970. 1926–1928 Reserve fleet45743-foot Watson (P&S) 1901–1920 x (12-oared) Watson-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1,739.Launched seven times, saving three lives.Sold 1928, renamed Eternal Wave. Last reported as a yacht at Dartmouth, Devon, 1970s. 1920–1923 Reserve No. 7B 1923–1928

See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

References

External links Broadland Memories - 1904 photograph of James Stevens No. 3 returning to Gorleston harbour Historic Environment Scotland - Model of James Stevens No. 2 (archived) (archived) (archived)