Newhaven Lifeboat Station is situated on the west bank of the River Ouse, in the port town of Newhaven in the English county of East Sussex, on the south coast of the United Kingdom. The Port of Newhaven is a busy commercial port with a ferry terminal, one of only two navigable harbours between the Isle of Wight to the west and Dover to the east. The harbour opens out onto the English Channel, one of the busiest stretches of waterway in the world.Heroes All! – The story of the RNLI. Author: Beilby, Alec. Publisher: Patrick Stephens Ltd, First edition, 1992. Work; Chapter 17, Page 170, description of the Station. ISBN 9781852604196Ports of the World – 1979. Editor: Reithmuller, John. Publisher: Derek H. Deere. Thirty Second Edition. Work: Page 109, The Port of Newhaven.
A lifeboat station was established at Newhaven in 1803, operating until c.1831. The station was re-established by The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society (SFMRBS) in 1852, with management of the station being transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in December 1854.For Those In Peril – The Lifeboat Service of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Station by Station. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher: Silver Link Publishing Ltd, First Issue 1999. Work:Part 2, South Coast of England – Eastbourne to Weston-super-Mare, Page 71, Newhaven Lifeboat Station.
The station currently operates a All-weather lifeboat, 17-21 David and Elizabeth Acland (ON 1243), on station since 1999, and a Inshore lifeboat, Elaine McLeod Scott (D-812), on station since 2024.
History Newhaven’s first lifeboat was established in 1803, when a lifeboat which had been built by Henry Greathead, the pioneering rescue lifeboat builder from South Shields, was placed on station in the town. The boat was 22-feet long, and was 6-oared. The lifeboat was funded partly by a donation from Lloyd's of London, and the rest from locally raised donations.
The lifeboat was one of 31 of this type built by Greathead, from his design of 1789 known as the Original. This type of lifeboat was designed to work in the shallow waters off the east coast of England, but in small and open harbours like Newhaven, the Greathead-class boats were not popular because of their weight and the large number of crew needed. This may have been the case at Newhaven, as no record can be found that the boat was ever launched to a service.Riders of the Storm – The story of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Author: Cameron, Ian. Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. First Edition, 2002. Work: Chapter 1, Beyond all human aid. Page 19. reference to the Greathead lifeboat and its utilization.
A second lifeboat was provided to the town in 1907, maybe named Adeline, the gift of Wm. B. Langridge of Lewis, and built by Christopher Wilson of London. It is thought that the boat remained in service until c.1831, although no service records are available. In 1809, the Greathead lifeboat was transferred to .
In 1825 the forerunner of the RNLI, the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), supplied a lifeboat to the town. There was still no boathouse in the town, and so this lifeboat when not in use was stored out in the open under a tarpaulin. This boat was in service at the town until 1829, when it was removed to Cowes.
There are no records of any other Newhaven lifeboat until 1852, when Newhaven was provided with a lifeboat by The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society (SFMRBS). By 1854, the SFMRBS was involved in the management of eight lifeboat stations, , , , , , , Hornsea and Newhaven. An agreement was made between the SFMRBS and the RNLI, where the former would concentrate on the welfare of those rescued, whilst the latter would be involved in lifeboats, stations and rescues. Management of all eight stations was transferred to the RNLI on 7 December 1854.
The RNLI's first life boat at Newhaven arrived in 1863. It had previously been on service at and , and was extended to 35-feet by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, and for Newhaven was renamed Thomas Chapman. However, she only served Newhaven for four years, performing just one service, but rescuing five crew.
A new boat arrived in 1867, a 33-foot self-righting lifeboat, also to be named Thomas Chapman, and built by Forrestt, costing £290-5s-0d. To house the new boat, Newhaven Lifeboat Station would finally get a boathouse, which was a brick built building on the west bank of the harbour, costing £471-8s-0d.
In 1904, Newhaven became the first lifeboat station to operate a motor-powered lifeboat, when former Folkestone lifeboat J McConnell Hussey (ON 343) was temporarily assigned for trials. It had been fitted with an 11-hp engine, giving a speed of nearly 6 knots. She served Newhaven for 5 months, before being transferred to Tynemouth for further trials, but it was much liked by the crew, who requested that their regular boat, now the Michael Henry (ON 407) be also fitted with an engine. This boat was sent to Thames Ironworks, with a reserve lifeboat being placed on station until the return of Michael Henry in 1907.
In 1909, the lifeboat house was extensively modified, and a new slipway was constructed.
On 30 May 1940, the RNLI received a request from the Ministry of Shipping, to assemble as many lifeboats as possible at Dover within 24hrs. Newhaven Lifeboat Cecil and Lilian Philpott (ON 730) arrived in Dover the following morning. She was then used for the Dunkirk evacuation, making one trip and repatriating 51 men, finally arriving back on station on 11 June.
A new lifeboat, 52-32 Keith Anderson (ON 1106) arrived on service at Newhaven in 1985. Built by Wm. Osbourne of Littlehampton and costing £415,000, she was funded from the auction of a collection of jewellery, donated by Mrs Esme Anderson in memory of her late husband. The monies raised would also fund a lifeboat, 14-02 Esme Anderson (ON 1197), placed at .
In November 1999, Newhaven's current lifeboat arrived on station. Costing £1,725,000, she is the 25-knot lifeboat 17-21 David and Elizabeth Acland (ON 1243).
Station honours The following are awards made at Newhaven:
RNIPLS Silver Medal John Sullivan, Seaman – 1827 Lt. James Rawstone, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Newhaven – 1833 Lt. Samuel Grandy, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Newhaven – 1833 Thomas Morgan, Commanding, Revenue Cutter Stork – 1833 Lt. James Read, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Newhaven – 1833 Abraham Hart Young, Chief Boatman, HM Coastguard, Blatchington – 1849
RNLI Silver Medal Charles Leese, Gunner, Coast Brigade, RA – 1860 Richard Payne, Coxswain – 1930 Leonard Alfred John Peddlesden, Coxswain – 1944 William James Harvey, Coxswain – 1955
RNLI Bronze Medal Richard Payne, Coxswain – 1924 C. J. Skinner, decorator – 1926 Frederick Arthur Parker, Second Coxswain – 1944 Richard William Lower, Mechanic – 1944 Benjamin Jack Clark, Bowman / Signalman – 1944 (posthumous), Alfred James Eager, crew member – 1944 Stephen Holden, crew member – 1944 Harold Charles Moore, crew member – 1944 Stanley Winter, crew member – 1944
The Maud Smith Award 1954 William James Harvey, Coxswain – 1955
A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Leonard Patten, Coxswain – 1988 Ian Johns, Coxswain – 2006
A Gold Watch from The King of Denmark Richard Payne, Coxswain – 1929
A Silver Goblet from The King of Denmark Each of the lifeboat crew – 1929
Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Richard Kenneth Sayer, Honorary Secretary – 1969QBH Ian David Johns, Former Coxswain – 2012NYH Phillip Edwin Corsi, lately RNLI Area Operations Manager – 2026KBH
Freeman of Newhaven Roger Cohen , Lifeboat Operations Manager – 2025
Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving Newhaven lifeboat:
Died in 1910 from the effects of exposure, after a service on 3 December 1909 Joseph Henry Richards (46)
Died 3 June 1931, 18 months after injuries received on service to the Danish schooner Mogens Koch on 7 December 1929 Richard Payne, Coxswain (57)
Washed overboard and drowned, after a collision between the lifeboat Cecil and Lilian Philpott (ON 730) and H.M. Trawler Aventurine, 23 November 1943 Benjamin Jack Clark, Bowman / Signalman (49)
Newhaven lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments – 1803 22-foot Greathead 22-foot (8-oared) Greathead-class lifeboat, built by Henry Greathead of South Shields, costing £120.Transferred to in 1809. – Adeline 1807 1807–???? Unknown Lifeboat of unknown dimension, gift of Wm. B. Langridge of Lewes, built by Christopher Wilson of London. 1824 1825–1829 18-foot Plenty Non-self-righting 18-foot (4-oared) Plenty-class non-self-righting lifeboat, built by William Plenty of Newbury, Berkshire, costing £90.Moved to in 1829 and laid up. Friend in Need 1852 1852–1863 24-foot Beeching Self-righting (P&S) 24-foot x 7-foot 3in (10-oared) Beeching self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, provided by the SFMRBS, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth, costing £125.Condemned in 1863. Pre-247 Thomas Chapman 1852 1863–1867 30-foot Beeching Self-righting (P&S) 30-foot x 7-foot 9in (10-oared) Beeching self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth, extended 1862 to 35-foot x 8-foot 1in by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £130 when new.Previously Prudhoe at and . Transferred to . Pre-485 1867 1867–1870 33-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S) 33-foot x 8-foot 7in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of an anonymous lady, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £290.Renamed Elizabeth Boys in 1870. Pre-485 Elizabeth Boys 1867 1870–1877 33-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S) Legacy of Mr T. Boys of Hove.Broken up in 1879 Pre-571 Michael Henry 1877 1877–1881 37-foot x 8-foot 6in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Jewish Scholars LB fund, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £393.Returned to London. 211 Michael Henry 1881 1881–1897 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 9-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Jewish Scholars LB fund, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £430.Broken up, December 1897. 407 Michael Henry 1897 1897–1905 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 9-foot 3in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Jewish Scholars LB fund, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £728.Withdrawn for motor-conversion in 1906, see below 265 Quiver No.1 1883 1905–1908 37-foot 2in Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 9-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of The Quiver magazine LB fund, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £430 when new.Reserve lifeboat No. 3A. Previously at , , and . Placed in the relief fleet, then sold in 1913.
All-weather lifeboats ON Op.No. Name Built Class Comments 343 – J. McConnel Hussey 1892 1904 38-foot x 8-foot self-righting lifeboat, gift of Miss Curling, built by Wm. T. Ellis of Lowestoft, costing £418 when new. Motor-conversion in 1903, single 11-hp Fay & Brown engine.Reserve lifeboat No.2A. Previously at . Motor conversion in 1903 407 – Michael Henry 1897 1907–1912 37-foot Self-righting (Motor) Returned to Newhaven following motor-conversion. Placed in the relief fleet, later at . 628 – Sir Fitzroy Clayton 1912 1912–1918 38-foot Self-righting (Motor) 38-foot x 8-foot self-righting lifeboat, with single 35-hp Tylor engine, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £3,081.Lifeboat sent away for trials at . 628 – Sir Fitzroy Clayton 1912 1919–1930 38-foot Self-righting (Motor) Placed in the relief fleet. Later at . 730 – 1930 1930–1959 45-foot 6in Watson 950 – Kathleen Mary 1959 1959–1977 47-foot Watson Last slipway launched boat 1045 Louis Marchesi of Round Table 1977 1977–1985 1106 52-32 Keith Anderson 1985 1985–1999 1243 17-21 David and Elizabeth Acland 1999 1999–
Inshore lifeboats Op.No. Name Class Comments D-774 Arthur Hamilton 2022–2024 2024–
Neighbouring Station Locations
See also