Newbiggin Lifeboat Station is located at Sandridge (street), in the seaside town and fishing port of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, on the east coast of the county of Northumberland.
A lifeboat station was established at Newbiggin in 1851, by The Duke of Northumberland. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1852, becoming the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854.
The station currently operates the Inshore lifeboat Richard Wake Burdon (B-864), on station since 2012.
History On the 22 March 1851, the fishing cobles of Newbiggin set out for a days work. Caught by a sudden storm, four boats were capsized, and 14 men drowned. For their gallantry and rescue efforts, resulting in the saving of two lives, five fishermen from Newbiggin were each awarded the Silver Medal from the RNIPLS.
The Duke of Northumberland, the driving force of the Newcastle Shipwreck Association, and soon to be president of the RNIPLS, ordered and funded a lifeboat house to be constructed on the shore at Newbiggin. In 1852, a 30-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, was named Latimer, was placed at the station by the RNIPLS, with them taking on management of the station.
The lifeboat Latimer was launched on 7 January 1854, to the aid of the vessel Embla of Norway, on passage from Setúbal, Portugal to Stavanger, when she wrecked off the coast of Northumberland. All 13 men aboard the Embla were lost. The lifeboat had launched without a full crew, and despite their best efforts, failed to reach the wreck. In recognition of their extraordinary efforts, Coxswain Philip Jefferson, one of the five fishermen recognised in 1851, was awarded a second-service clasp to his silver medal.
Coxswain John Brown was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal, for the service to the steamship Northumberland, which ran aground in a severe gale on 14 October 1881. The lifeboat William Hopkinson of Brighouse rescued her crew of four.
In January 1927, the 37-foot Newbiggin lifeboat Ada Lewis (ON 566) was called to the Newbiggin fishing fleet. With most of the usual crew out fishing, the boat was manned with miners, who had just finished a shift at the local colliery. The boat would not have got away, without the extraordinary efforts of the 25 local women helpers, who ended up waist deep in water. They were collectively accorded 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum'.
It was decided to withdraw the All-weather lifeboat in 1981. The boathouse was modified to accommodate a new lifeboat along with the Talus MB-764 amphibious tractor, and improved crew facilities were provided with the constructed of an extension. lifeboat 37-17 Mary Joicey (ON 984) was withdrawn on 26 February 1981, with the relief lifeboat Co-Operative No.1 (B-511) temporarily assigned to the station on 15 March 1981. The stations permanent lifeboat, Kirklees (B-553) arrived in 1982.
Further modifications to the boathouse were required to house the larger . Works were completed in July 1998, and RNLB CSMA 75th Anniversary (B-745) arrived on 3 August 1998, replacing Kirklees. On 19 September 2012, the Richard Wake Burdon (B-864) was placed on service, costing £204,000, funded by the legacy from Mr Hylton Burdon, of Wallsend, North Tyneside, and named in honour of his elder brother Richard, who was lost at sea while serving with the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
The Newbiggin Lifeboat House is the oldest boathouse still operated by the RNLI. Mention must be made of the Newbiggin Rocket House, whilst not managed by the RNLI, was constructed as an extension to the lifeboat house in 1866. In addition to lifeboats, many sea rescues were performed by the Rocket Brigade, who could effect rescues by firing rocket-powered lines to wrecks close to the shore. The Newbiggin Rocket House, was refurbished in its 150th anniversary year in 2016.
Notable rescues In a south east gale, and the extremely cold night of 4 February 1940, the 32-foot twin-engine Surf-class lifeboat Augustus and Laura (ON 810) was launched at 05:00 to the aid of the motor-vessel Eminent of Belgium, which had been forced to remain at sea, when the port at Newcastle-upon-Tyne closed due to the bad weather. The vessel had been driven ashore at Newbiggin Point. Unable to make headway, the lifeboat returned. In an extraordinary effort, 45 launchers then hauled to lifeboat overland to Newbiggin Point. The lifeboat was launched for the second time at 08:10, and all 11 crew were rescued. For their efforts, the women helpers of Newbiggin were again collectively awarded 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum'. Coxswain George Ralph Taylor received the RNLI Silver Medal
Station honours The following are awards made at Newbiggin
RNIPLS Silver Medal John Dent – 1851 Philip Jefferson – 1851 William Armstrong – 1851 Henry Brown – 1851 Robert Armstrong – 1851
RNLI Silver Medal Philip Jefferson, Coxswain – 1854 (Second-Service clasp)
John Brown, Coxswain – 1881
John Brown, Coxswain – 1888 (Second-Service clasp)
George Ralph Taylor, Second Coxswain – 1940
RNLI Bronze Medal William Robinson, Coxswain – 1926
The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum Watson Brown, Coxswain – 1914
The women helpers of Newbiggin – 1927
The women helpers of Newbiggin – 1940
George Dawson, Assistant Mechanic, acting coxswain – 1975
John Lisle Robinson, skipper of the fishing coble Margaret Lisle – 1975
George Dawson, Coxswain – 1976
Vellum Service Certificates Each member of the lifeboat crew – 1975 Each member of the crew of fishing coble Margaret Lisle – 1975
Each member of the lifeboat crew – 1976
Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving Newbiggin lifeboat.
Collapsed and died after swimming out to a fishing boat heading for the rocks, 14 July 1972 Adam Campbell Storey, Branch Chairman (48)
Newbiggin lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments Latimer 1852 30-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S) 30-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, funded by The Duke of Northumberland, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £130. Pre-380 Latimer 1860 1860−1866 34-foot 6in x 8-foot (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, funded by The Duke of Northumberland, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £144. Pre-447 William Hopkinson of Brighouse 1865 1866−1885 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) 34-foot x 8-foot 5in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Miss Hopkinson of Brighouse, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £300. 3 1885 1885−1906 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 8-foot 6in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Miss E. H. Jacomb-Hood of Leigh, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £399. 566 Ada Lewis 1906 1906−1931 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 8-foot 6in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mrs A. Lewis-Hill of London, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £979. 619 Arthur R. Dawes 1911 1931−1938 35-foot x 8-foot 10in Dungeness-class (Rubie) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr G. R. Dawes of London, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £989 when new.Previously Millicent at .
Motor lifeboats ON Op. No. Name Built Class Comments 810 – 1938 1938−1950 32-foot Surf 875 – Richard Ashley 1950 1950−1966 984 Mary Joicey 1966 1966−1981 All-weather lifeboat withdrawn in 1981
Inshore lifeboats Op. No. Name Class Comments Co-Operative No.1 B-553 Kirklees 1982−1998 B-745 1998−2012 B-864 Richard Wake Burdon 2012−
Launch and recovery tractors Op. No. Reg. No. Type Comments T50 KLA 84 Case LA 1949–1959 T55 KXX 565 Case LA 1959–1965 T73 500 GYR Case 1000D 1965–1972 T70 12 GXD Case 1000D 1972–1981 TW03 Talus MB-764 County 1981 TW09 PEL 169W Talus MB-764 County 1981–1992 TW21Hc J495 XUJ 1992–1998 TW19Hc J120 VNT Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 1998–1999 TW21Hc J495 XUJ Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 1999–2003 TW20Hc J125 WUJ Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 2003–2014 TW59Hc DU04 DVW Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 2014–2015 TW22Hc K501 AUX Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 2015–
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
Notes
References
External links Newbiggin RNLI Lifeboat Station