Scarborough Lifeboat Station is located at West Pier on Foreshore Road in Scarborough, a seaside resort and port on the east coast of North Yorkshire, England.
A lifeboat was established at Scarborough in 1801, which makes it the third oldest operational lifeboat station in the United Kingdom (after and ). Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1861.
The station currently operates 13-15 Frederick William Plaxton (ON 1322), a All-weather lifeboat, on station since 2016, and the John Wesley Hillard IV (D-856), an Inshore D-class lifeboat, on station since 2021.
History The first lifeboat in Scarborough was instituted by public donation costing just over £212. and saw its first launch in November 1801, when it went to the aid of a stricken vessel named Aurora in Scarborough Bay. The first boat was actually built in Scarborough to a design by Henry Greathead, who had designed and built a boat for and lifeboat stations.
A replacement boat was built and supplied to the rescue crews in the town in 1823. The first lifeboat station was at the junction of Foreshore Road and Valley Road in the town. In 1821, the station was relocated near to its present site by the West Pier in Scarborough Harbour, however it was on the landward side of Foreshore Road.
At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 4 April 1861, in reference to a letter from John Woodall of Scarborough, and with copies of resolutions, it was decided to accept the request of the Scarborough Lifeboat Committee, who had unanimously agreed to join the Institution, and that a new lifeboat and carriage were to be provided to Scarborough.
The station was renovated, and Amelia, a new self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sails and (10) oars, arrived in Scarborough on 26 September 1861.
Just 5 weeks later, on 2 November 1861, the Amelia was wrecked, on its first service, after being launched to the aid of the schooner Coupland. (See Notable launches). Within a week, a replacement lifeboat was dispatched to Scarborough. Formerly the Royal Thames Yacht Club at , the boat had been at the boat-builders to be lengthened. Funded from the gift of Mrs Cockroft of Scarborough, the lifeboat was named Mary on arrival in Scarborough.
In the early 1870s, two cast-iron pillar collection boxes were erected to aid with fundraising, one at the Old Cliff, next to the gates to the Spa Bridge, near the Grand Hotel, and a second one, outside the Crown Hotel on The Esplanade.
In 1914, the Scarborough lifeboat Queensbury (ON 111) was launched to assist in the rescue of the off the coast at Whitby. Like many other lifeboats used in the rescue, she could not get near to the Rohilla because of the swell.
In 1940, a new lifeboat station was built next to the West Pier; the old lifeboat house was later converted into an amusement arcade on the seafront. The 1940 lifeboat house had to be adapted for the larger lifeboat Fanny Victoria Wilkinson and Frank Stubbs in 1991, which involved widening and heightening the door.
A new lifeboat station was opened in 2016, which had been designed by the York architectural firm of Brierley Groom. Approval for the new £3 million building was granted by the borough council in 2014.
In 2018, the coxswain of the crew was dismissed; the RNLI released a statement that he had organised an operational training exercise without proper authority. The former coxswain stated that he had "the blessing and clearance of the lifeboat operations manager and several others". After a groundswell of support for the sacked individual, the RNLI later released a further statement detailing their decision to stand down the coxswain citing the lack of trained professionals on the boat when she was put to sea in rough weather.
Notable launches
17 February 1836 – The crew launched to help a sloop named John as it was trying to enter the harbour area at Scarborough to shelter from the storm. As the lifeboat came close to the sloop, it capsized and ten of her crew were washed out to sea on a strong ebb tide. One crew member managed to get back onto the boat and three others were underneath the boat, having secured themselves to the boat to prevent the same fate that had befallen ten of their comrades. The three used the 'conduiting pipes' (used to drain seawater out of the boat) set into the boat to allow them to breathe. A human chain was formed of spectators who eventually managed to rescue the four men from the sea.
2 November 1861 – the crew launched their new life boat Amelia, after a storm besieged the east coast. Many ships were trying to make port in Scarborough, and one, the Coupland, missed the harbour entrance and was driven ashore in the South Bay, near the Spa Theatre. In the rough conditions, the lifeboat pitched violently, crashing against the sea-wall, first throwing the Coxswain overboard, followed by several members of the crew. Two lifeboat men died, along with three members of the public, including Lord Charles Beauclerk, who had been spectators on the shore, but had waded into the water to help. The crew of the Coupland, which had been carrying a cargo of granite, had been relatively safe once their vessel washed ashore, and were rescued by the Rocket Brigade. The lifeboat was a complete wreck. It is estimated that 24 lives were lost in the area during the storm.
9 December 1951 – the Dutch vessel Westkust ran into trouble some off the coast of Scarborough. The ECJR was launched at 11:30, but due to the heavy seas, she took over seven hours to reach the Westkust. As the lifeboat came alongside the sinking ship, two of the lifeboatmen jumped onto the Westkust to assess the situation, whilst the crew of the Westkust got into the lifeboat. As the two craft were side by side, they were being buffeted together and apart by the strong swell of the sea. One lifeboat man managed to jump back into the lifeboat, but a freak wave wrenched the two ships apart, leaving Bowman Frank Dalton clinging to the rails of the Westkust. The swell then pushed the two boats together again, and crushed the lifeboatman between them. He fell into the lifeboat with a crushed pelvis and died of his injuries before they reached the port of Bridlington. 8 December 1954 – whilst escorting ships into harbour during a storm, the lifeboat overturned in the South Bay at Scarborough. Three crew members died.
Station honours The following are awards made at Scarborough
RNIPLS Silver Medal James Fowler, Master Mariner – 1824 Smith Tindall, Master Mariner – 1824 Thomas Claybourn, Coxswain – 1828
RNLI Silver Medal Henry Wyrill, Boatman – 1857 Lord Charles Beauclerk – 1861 (post.) William Tindall – 1861 (post.) John Iles – 1861 (post.) Michael Hick, Ship Owner – 1861 Joseph Rutter, Eng. Superintendent, Scarborough Railway Station – 1861 Oliver Sarony, Photographic Artist – 1861 (all members of the public) John Owston, Coxswain – 1880 William Sheader, Coxswain – 1970
RNLI Bronze Medal John Nicholas Sheader, Coxswain – 1952 Thomas Jenkinson Mainprize, Assistant Motor Mechanic – 1952 Frank Dalton, Bowman – 1952 (post.) Thomas Rowley, Acting Coxswain – 1973 Rudi Barman, Helm – 2015
The Maud Smith Award 1969awarded jointly to: William Sheader, Coxswain of Scarborough Lifeboat – 1970
The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum Samuel Rawling – 1861 Matthew Byfield – 1861 William Bland – 1861 The Scarborough Lifeboat Crew – 1970 Richard Constantine, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1994
A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Each member of the Scarborough Lifeboat crew – 1966 C. J. Bean, – 1968 R. Swalwell – 1968 Paul Stonehouse, Helm – 1995 Craig Burnett, crew member – 2015 Adam Beston, crew member – 2015
Letters of thanks from the operations director Dr Peter Billingsley – 2015 Jason Hedges – 2015
Two silver mounted pipes presented by The Prince of Wales John Owston, Coxswain – 1902
Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Stuart Edwin Ogden, Coxswain – 1994QBH Richard Francis Constantine, Former Coxswain/Mechanic – 2003QBH
British Empire Medal Donna Loveland – 2020QBH John Percy Porter, Visits Officer, Water Safety Advisor and Fundraiser – 2024KBH
Roll of honour In memory of those lost at Scarborough.
Lost when the lifeboat capsized, on service to the sloop John and Agnes of Aberdeen, 17 February 1836.
Lifeboat Amelia, on service to the schooner Coupland, 2 November 1861 Lord Charles Beauclerk Thomas Brewster John Burton William Tindall John Iles
Crushed between the lifeboat E. C. J. R. (ON 879) and the vessel Westkust, 9 December 1951 Frank Dalton, Bowman (57)
Lost when lifeboat E. C. J. R. (ON 879) capsized whilst searching for fishing boats, 8 December 1954. John 'Jack' Nicholas Sheader, Coxswain (63) John. H. Cammish, Second Coxswain (55) Francis Bayes, Signalman (29)
Scarborough lifeboats Scarborough lifeboat committee lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments – 1801 1801–1823 27-foot 6in North Country 27-foot 6in x 10-foot (10-oared) North Country non-self-righting lifeboat, funded by local subscription and a gift from Lloyd's of London, built by Charles Smith of Scarborough, costing £147. – 1823 28-foot North Country 28-foot x 9-foot (10-oared) North Country non-self-righting lifeboat, funded by local subscription and a gift from Lloyd's of London, built by Skelton of Scarborough, costing £85. 1852 1852–1861 25-foot x 9-foot (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting lifeboat, built by Edmonds of Scarborough.This was the first self-righting lifeboat to serve at Scarborough.
RNLI Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments Amelia 1860 1861 32-foot x 7-foot 11in (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mr W. Banting of London, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £178.Wrecked in the storm of 2 December 1861. Pre-300 Mary 1856 1861–1872 33-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S) 32-foot x 8-foot 2in (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mrs Cockroft of Scarborough, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £169.Previously 29-foot 5in lifeboat Royal Thames Yacht Club at , lengthened in 1861. Pre-570 Lady Leigh 1872 1872–1887 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) 35-foot x 9-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Freemasons or Warwickshire, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £339. 111 Queensbury 1887 1887–1895 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 8-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Foster Ltd of Queensbury, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £442. 6 Queensbury 1884 1895–1901 34-foot 4in Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 8-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Col. Foster of Queensbury, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £349 when new.Previously Thomas and Isabella Firbank at 344 Edward and Lucille 1892 1901–1902 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Miss L. Collinson of London, built by Chambers and Colby of Lowestoft, costing £386 when new.Previously at 484 Queensbury 1901 1902–1918 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Foster Ltd of Queensbury, built by Thames Ironworks, costing £729. 574 Brothers Brickwood 1907 1918–1924 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) 35-foot x 8-foot 6in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr E. D. Brickwood of Boscombe, built by Thames Ironworks, costing £871 when new.Previously at
All-weather lifeboats