The Liverpool-class P&S lifeboats were a series of 38 non-self-righting lifeboats commissioned by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) between 1895 and 1916, based on the "Liverpool" lifeboats operated by the Liverpool Dock Trustees, between 1775 and 1892. They were 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) types (i.e. powered by oars and sails), not to be confused with the later single or twin-engined Liverpool-class motor lifeboats.

History The early Liverpool-class lifeboats were funded and operated mostly by the Liverpool Dock Trustees, later to become the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, at their stations around the River Mersey: Formby, , Magazines, , , , and Liverpool. 24 lifeboats were constructed, primarily by Thomas Costain of Liverpool, with two being adopted by the RNLI, listed below.

Description The Liverpool-class P&S lifeboats were of the non-self-righting type, primarily in length, rowing 12 oars. Typically they were launched from carriages into the sea. The first five were made by various manufacturers, but then Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London were commissioned to produce the next 31.

The first boat was placed on service was the Admiral Briggs (ON 383) at in 1895. The last boat to be withdrawn from service was the William Cantrell Ashley (ON 578), which operated at for 41 years, between 1907 and 1948.

Fleet Early Type ON Name Built Station Notes4191870 1870–1894 x (12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, built by Thomas Costain of Liverpool, costing £250.Modified by the RNLI in 1894, before returning to service. Sold and broken up, 1899. 1896–1898 377 1892 1892–1894 x (12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, built by Charles Howson & Co. of Liverpool, costing £280. Renamed Coard William Squarey in 1894. 377 Coard William Squarey 1892 1894–1906 Condemned and Sold, 1906.

RNLI Liverpool P&S lifeboats Lifeboats from (ON 441) to (ON 636) built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, with (ON 636) completed by the RNLI following the bankruptcy of Thames Ironworks. ON Name Built Station Notes 383 Admiral Briggs 1895 1895–1914 Hilbre Island x (12-oared) lifeboat, gift of Maj.-Gen. W. L. Briggs, , built by Rutherford & Co. of Birkenhead, costing £453. Condemned and sold, 1914 380 H. G. Powell 1895 1895–1915 x (12-oared) lifeboat, gift of Mr H. G. Powell of Wolverhampton, built by Waterman of Cremyll, costing £459. Condemned 1916, placed on display at Colwyn Bay until 1947. 381 John and Henrietta 1895 1896–1919 x (12-oared) lifeboat, gift of Mrs H. Bell of London, built by Waterman of Cremyll, costing £459. Condemned and sold, 1919.413 James Stevens No.21898 1898–1912 x (12-oared) lifeboat, gift of Mr J. Stevens of Birmingham, built by Reynolds of Lowestoft, costing £538. Sold 1924. Reserve No.9A 1912–1914 Relief fleet 1914–1924 Hilbre Island425 James Stevens No. 81899 1899–1913 x (10/12-oared) lifeboat, gift of Mr J. Stevens of Birmingham, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth, costing £544. Sold 1920.Reserve No.9B 1913–1916 1916–1920 Relief fleet 441 Isabella 1900 1900–1932 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs I. Haxton of Kirkcaldy, costing £885. Sold 1932. 443 William Arthur Millward 1900 1901–1931 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr W. A Millward of Chapel-en-le-Frith, costing £879. Sold 1931. 451 James Stevens No. 17 1900 1900–1922 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. Stephens of Birmingham, costing £773. Sold 1922.Renamed Salvor II. Last reported at Falmouth, 1922. 452 1901 1901–1931 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. Stephens of Birmingham, costing £938. Sold 1931. 458 Constance Melanie 1901 1901–1934 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr F. E. Hills of Penshurst, costing £906. Sold 1934.Renamed Grace Darling II. Lost at Brancaster in 1966.460 John Groome1901 1901–1914 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs H. Groome of Liverpool, costing £931. Sold 1934.Renamed Cloud, later Flying Cloud. Reported as a yacht at Portree in the 1930s. Believed broken up at Mochdre, August 2012.Reserve No.9C 1915–1916 Relief fleet 1916–1923 1923–1925 Storage461 Chapman1901 1901–1920 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs M. A. Chapman of West Brompton, costing £922. Sold 1939.Renamed Harbinger, later Peggy (LR 41). Restored and displayed as Chapman at Hoylake Lifeboat Museum until 2015. On display at the Old Lifeboat House, Lytham, December 2025. Reserve No.9B 1920–1924 Relief fleet Chapman 1924–1938 Hilbre Island 477 George Leicester 1901 1901–1927 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Miss Leicester of Bayswater, costing £967. Sold 1927. 493 William Maynard 1902 1903–1930 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr W. S. F. Maynard of Cressingham, costing £921. Sold 1931.494 Hopwood1902 1902–1924 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr S. W. Hopwood of Westminster, costing £817. Sold 1930.Renamed Aurora, later Gladrian, last report as a Yacht on the River Thames at Chelsea, 1977Reserve No.9F 1924–1927 Relief fleet 1927–1930 495Louisa Heartwell1902 1902–1923 x (14-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Miss E. Heartwell of London, fitted with two water ballast tanks and two sliding or drop-keels, costing £982. Sold 1931.Renamed Waiora. Under restoration as Louisa Heartwell at Chatham Historic Dockyard, December 2025. 1923–1931 Cromer No.2 498 Philip Beach 1902 1902–1930 x (10/12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs S. Beach of London, costing £837. Sold 1930.Renamed Burnlibo. Last seen at Liverpool, 1957. 511 Olive 1903 1903–1921 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacies of the Misses Wingate of Edinburgh, costing £839. Sold 1922.Renamed Ocean King. Believed broken up in 1950.514Alexandra1903 1903–1930 x (12/14-oared) lifeboat, gift of the Freemasons of England, costing £945. Sold 1934.Converted to be a holiday home, Isle of Seil, December 2025. 1931–1934 Cromer No.2516 Charles Deere James 1903 1904–1909 x (10-oared) lifeboat, gift of Mrs S. C. Guthrie of Tunbridge Wells, costing £1,054. Sold 1927.Renamed Silver Cloud. Destroyed in Cherbourg Harbour, 1950.Reserve No.9 1909–1913 Relief fleet 1913–1919 1919–1924 Relief fleet 1924–1925 Winterton No.2 1925–1927 Relief fleet 524 William and Emma 1904 1904–1916 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs E. E. Cox of Weston-super-Mare, fitted with two water ballast tanks and two sliding or drop-keels, costing £924.Capsized and wrecked on service with the loss of 13 crew, 27 October 1916.526 Charles Burton1904 1904–1927 x (14-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr C. T. H. Burton, costing £1,044. Sold 1942.Renamed Silver Queen, later Freelance. Broken up at Peel, Isle of Man, February 2018. Reserve No. 9C 1927–1929 Relief fleet Charles Burton 1929–1941 536 J C Madge 1904 1904–1936 x (16-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. C. Madge of Southampton, fitted with two sliding or drop-keels and two water-ballast tanks, costing £1,436. Sold 1936.On display at The Mo Sheringham Museum, December 2025.542 John Rowson Lingard1905 1905–1920 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs M. C. Lingard of St Leonards-on-Sea, costing £988. Sold 1937.Renamed Orion. Stored for restoration since 2012 at Yonne (river), Migennes, France, December 2024. Reserve No. 9D 1921–1930 Relief fleet John Rowson Lingard 1930–1937 545 Edward Z. Dresden 1905 1905–1929 Aldeburgh No.2 x (14-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr E. Dresden of Curzon Street, fitted with two drop-keels, costing £1,445. Sold 1929.Renamed Cormorant, Aldeburgh, later Ceol Mara. Last reported at Ardrishaig, Argyll & Bute, 1974.553John1906 1906–1931 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. A. Hay of Cheltenham, costing £973. Sold 1929. 1932–1937 554 Samuel Lewis 1906 1906–1932 x (12-oared) lifeboat, gift of Mrs A. Lewis-Hill of London, costing £956. Sold 1932.Renamed Grace Darling I, last reported at Arbroath, 1970s.555Hannah Fawsett Bennett1906 1906–1931 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs L. H. F. Bennett and Mr C. H. Lear of West Kirby, costing £1,160. Sold 1936.Last reported at South Benfleet, 1937. 1931–1936 Relief fleet 569 Sarah Kay 1906 1907–1943 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr E. Kay of Southsea, costing £938. Sold 1943.Renamed Grace Darling III. Lost at Skegness, 1966 578 William Cantrell Ashley 1907 1907–1948 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr C. C. Ashley of Menton, France, costing £961.Given to Outward Bound School, Aberdyfi in 1949, Renamed T.R.G.S.. Currently in storage as William Cantrell Ashley at the National Collections Centre, Nantgarw awaiting restoration / display, December 2025. 586 Caroline 1908 1908–1935 x (14-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr C. Everard of Salisbury, costing £1,202. Sold 1935.Renamed Blakeney Dawn. Last reported at Barrow upon Soar, 1960, now believed broken up. 587 James Scarlett 1908 1908–1925 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. Scarlett of Bowden, costing £1,026.Display / Demonstration boat at (1925–1928).Sold 1928. Renamed Katherine, later Nymphea. Last reported at Kings Lynn, 1969. 598 Brother and Sister 1909 1909–1932 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Miss L. B. Courtney of Brompton Square, costing £939. Sold 1932. 604 Janet Hoyle 1909 1910–1932 x (12-oared) lifeboat, gift of Mr T. K. Hardie of Bayswater, costing £1,007. Sold 1935.Broken up at Hickmans boatyard, Brightlingsea, December 2016.626Arthur Lionel1912 1912–1929 St Peter Port x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Sir Thomas Tobin of Ballincollig, costing £1,170. Sold 1939.Renamed Dorian Rose, later John Briscoe. Last reported at Fishguard, August 1973 1930–1939 636James and John Young1913 1913–1930 x (12-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. Young of Pollockshields, built partially by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, completed by the RNLI (following the bankruptcy of Thames Ironworks). Sold 1939.Renamed Alma of Southampton. Displayed as James and John Young at the EISCA collection, Eyemouth. Sold 2017, on display since 2018 as an upturned hull, outside the People's Palace, Glasgow, December 2025. 1930–1939 Relief fleet 661 Mary Stanford 1916 1916–1928 Rye Harbour (Winchelsea) x (14-oared) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. F. Stanford of Regent's Park, built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, fitted with two water ballast tanks and two drop-keel costing £2,173.Capsized on service, with the loss of all 17 crew. 15 November 1928. Broken up, 1929.665Baltic1916 1916–1936 x (14-oared) lifeboat, gift of the Baltic Exchange LB fund, built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, weighing 4 tons 11cwt, fitted with 12 relieving tubes, ordinary keel, 2 drop keels, and 2 water ballast tanks<, costing £2,233. Sold 1943.Renamed Fidelis, Cormorant and Marvin. Broken up as Baltic, at Smiths Quay, River Itchen, Southampton, September 2006. 1936–1940 Aldeburgh No.2 1940–1943 Relief fleet

See also Liverpool-class lifeboat Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

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