Ramsgate Lifeboat Station
| Ramsgate Lifeboat Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Ramsgate Lifeboat Station. | |
  Ramsgate, Kent | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | Ramsgate Lifeboat Station |
| Address | Western Crosswall, Ramsgate Royal Harbour |
| Town or city | Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9RN |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°19′44.4″N 1°25′11.2″E / 51.329000°N 1.419778°E |
| Opened | 1802 The first lifeboat, built by Henry Greathead, was provided by the Trustees of Ramsgate Harbour. |
| Owner | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Fabricated steelwork clad with timber, and concrete |
| Website | |
| Ramsgate RNLI Lifeboat Station | |
Ramsgate Lifeboat Station is located on Western Crosswall in the Ramsgate Royal Harbour. Ramsgate is a town on the south-east corner of the Isle of Thanet peninsula, in north-east Kent.
A lifeboat was first placed at Ramsgate in 1802 by the Harbour Trustees, operating until 1824. It was re-established by the trustees in 1851. From 1865, the station was jointly managed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Board of Trade, passing solely to the RNLI in 1922.[1]
The current lifeboat station, on the harbour wall between the inner and outer pools of the main harbour, opened in 1998, and currently operates an All-weather Tamar-class lifeboat, 16-23 Diamond Jubilee (ON 1303), on station since 2023, and a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, Claire & David Delves (B-878), on station since 2014.[2]
History
[edit]A lifeboat station was first established at Ramsgate Harbour in 1802 by the Ramsgate Harbour Trustees, pre-dating the formation of any national lifeboat organisation by more than 20 years, and is one of the oldest to operate in the British Isles. A lifeboat was purchased from Henry Greathead, and operated at Ramsgate until 1824.[1]
In 1851, Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland, of Alnwick Castle, had been appointed president of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), the Institution becoming the RNLI in 1854. He set a competition for the design of a Self-righting lifeboat, with the reward of £100, which was won by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth. The prize-winning lifeboat was purchased for £250 by the Ramsgate harbour trustees, and placed on service at Ramsgate in late 1851. Whilst no formal naming records have been found, the boat was subsequently referred to as Northumberland.[3][4][5][6]
In 1863, management of Ramsgate harbour was transferred to the Board of Trade. With the sanction of the Board, at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 3 August 1865, it was agreed that a new lifeboat was to be placed at Ramsgate. Funding was appropriated from the Bradford Lifeboat Fund, a sum of £425 raised by the efforts of Charles Semon, Mayor of Bradford and eleven other gentlemen, to pay for the cost of the lifeboat, transporting carriage and equipment.[7][8][9]
A new lifeboat was ordered from Forrestt of Limehouse. At the same time, whilst the new Ramsgate boat was in construction, another new lifeboat was dispatched to Selsey Lifeboat Station, and their old 29-foot lifeboat Friend was transferred to Ramsgate, both boats transported free of charge between London and Chichester by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. In lieu of the new lifeboat not to be exhibited in Bradford, the committee of the Bradford Lifeboat Fund requested via letter from Charles Semon, Mayor, that an exact model be supplied, to be permanently exhibited to the subscribers of Bradford, which was agreed.[10]
A 40-foot Self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sail and (12) oars, was towed to her station from London by the Ramsgate steam tug Aid in February 1866. The lifeboat was named Bradford, and was the first of four Bradford lifeboats at Ramsgate.[6]
During the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk in 1940, Ramsgate lifeboat Prudential (ON 697) was the first little ship to the rescue. The lifeboat left Ramsgate at 14.20 in the afternoon with Coxswain Howard Primrose Knight in command with her own crew of eight men. They had been issued with gas masks, steel helmets and the lifeboat was loaded with four coils of grass warp and cans of fresh water for the troops. She took in tow eight boats, most of them wherries, manned by eighteen naval men, and when she reached Dunkirk her role was to tow the wherries between the beaches and the waiting ships. In total she rescued 2,800 troops from the beaches. For his 'gallantry and determination,' Coxswain Howard Knight was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.[11]
The Ramsgate-class lifeboat Prudential, on service since 1925, and the first motor-powered lifeboat on station at Ramsgate, was one of four lifeboats that took part in the Coronation Review of the Fleet by the Queen at Portsmouth on 15 June 1953[12]
Station honours
[edit]The following are awards made at Ramsgate.[1][13]
- Howard Primrose Cooper Knight, Coxswain - 1940[11]
- Charles Edward Fish, Coxswain – 1881
- Charles Edward Fish, Coxswain – 1891 (Second Service clasp)
- William Miller, Boatman – 1826
- Cpt. Edward Gimar, of the French Brig Le Norman – 1829
- James Hogbin, Coxswain – 1857
- Isaac Jarman, Coxswain – 1864
- Isaac Jarman, Coxswain – 1870 (Second Service clasp)
- Charles Edward Fish, Bowman – 1870
- Daniel Reading, Master of Ramsgate Harbour Steam Tug Vulcan – 1872
- James Simpson, Mate of the Ramsgate Harbour Tug Aid – 1874
- William Wharrier, Engineer of the Ramsgate Harbour Tug Aid – 1874
- Richard Goldsmith, Second Coxswain – 1881
- Henry Belsey, crew member – 1881
- David Berry, crew member – 1881
- Thomas Cooper Snr. crew member – 1881
- Thomas Cooper Jnr. crew member – 1881
- Thomas Friend, crew member – 1881
- John Goldmith, crew member – 1881
- Stephen Goldsmith, crew member – 1881
- Henry Meader, crew member – 1881
- Robert Penney, crew member – 1881
- Charles Verion, crew member – 1881
- Alfred Page, Master – 1881
- William Wharrier, Engineer – 1881 (Second Service clasp)
- William Austen, crew member – 1881
- Charles Knight, crew member – 1881
- Edward Revell, crew member – 1881
- George Woodward, Stoker – 1881
- Richard Yare, Stoker – 1881
- (Master and crew of the Ramsgate tug Vulcan)
- William Wharrier, Engineer of Ramsgate Harbour Tugs – 1890 (Third Service clasp)
- Alfred Page, Tug Master – 1892 (Second Service clasp)
- Thomas James Watson – 1892
- William Burton – 1892
- Edwin Hurle – 1892
- Arthur E. Fisher – 1892
- (the crew of the smack Britain's Pride of Ramsgate)
- Alfred Page, Tug Master – 1898 (Third Service clasp)
- John Hawkins, Harbour Boatman – 1906
- William Cooper, Coxswain – 1916
- Thomas William Read, Second Coxswain – 1917
- Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1986
- Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000 (Second Service clasp)
- Silver Medal, awarded by The King of Denmark
- Coxswain William Cooper – 1911
- The Master of the Ramsgate Tug Aid – 1911
- Douglas Stephen Kirkaldie, Coxswain – 1952
- Royal Harbour Ramsgate (Indian Chief) Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry
- Charles Fish, Coxswain – 1881
- Richard Goldsmith, crew member – 1881
- Henry Belsey, crew member – 1881
- David Berry, crew member – 1881
- Thomas Cooper Snr. crew member – 1881
- Thomas Cooper Jnr. crew member – 1881[14]
- Thomas Friend, crew member – 1881
- John Goldmith, crew member – 1881
- Stephen Goldsmith, crew member – 1881
- Henry Meader, crew member – 1881
- Robert Penney, crew member – 1881
- Charles Vernon, crew member – 1881
- Alfred Page, Master – 1881
- William Wharrier, crew member – 1881
- William Austen, crew member – 1881
- Charles Knight, crew member – 1881
- Edward Revell, crew member – 1881
- George Woodward, crew member – 1881[15]
- Richard Yare, crew member – 1881
- (Master and crew of the tug Vulcan)
- The Maud Smith Award 1952
(for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
- Douglas Stephen Kirkaldie. Coxswain – 1952
- The Maud Smith Award 1985
(for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
- Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1986
- The Maud Smith Award 1999
(for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
- Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000
- Lady Swaythling Trophy, awarded by The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society
- Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000
- James Michael Bower Endowment Fund Award 1999
as one of the two Silver Medal awardees of 1999
- Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000
- The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
- Thomas J. H. Cooper, Coxswain – 1968
- Michael Petts, crew member – 1975
- Timothy Hurst, crew member – 1975
- Malcolm H. R. Llewellyn – 1980
- Bryan L. E. Morgan – 1980
- (Coxswain and Launch Seaman of the Trinity House Pilot Vessel Versatile)
- Timothy E. Hurst, Helm – 1985
- Timothy Hurst, Emergency Mechanic – 2000
- Lance Oran, crew member – 2000
- A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
- R. Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1983
- D. Pegden, Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1983
- D. Cooper, Emergency Mechanic – 1983
- W. Blay, crew member – 1983
- T. Brown, crew member – 1983
- T. Hurst, crew member – 1983
- Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1984
- D. Pegden, 2nd Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1984
- T. Hurst, crew member – 1984
- M. Mett, crew member – 1984
- N. Stephens, crew member – 1984
- R. Noble, crew member – 1984
- Timothy Hurst, crew member – 1984
- Ronald Nicholas Cannon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000
- Christopher Andrews, Helm – 2008
- Harvey Cole, crew member – 2008
- John Rabbatts, crew member – 2008
- Inscribed Silver Plaques, awarded by the Prudential Assurance Company, donors of the lifeboat, in recognition of the Dunkirk service
- Coxswain and Crew – 1940
- Gold watch to the Coxswain – 1919
- Binoculars to the Second Coxswain – 1919
- Gold Medals to the Lifeboat Crew – 1919
All-weather lifeboat gallery
[edit]-
Trent-class lifeboat 14-02 Esme Anderson (ON 1197) at Ramsgate, 11 August 2009 -
Trent-class relief lifeboat 14-32 Corinne Whiteley (ON 1253) at Ramsgate, 4 April 2010 -
Tamar-class lifeboat 16-23 Diamond Jubilee (ON 1303) at Ramsgate, 25 May 2024
Ramsgate lifeboats
[edit]All-weather lifeboats
[edit]| ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name | Built | On Station[18] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | 1802–1824 | Greathead | |
| Station Closed 1824–1851 | ||||||
| – | – | Northumberland | – | 1851–1865 | Self-Righting | |
| Pre-287 | – | Friend | 1854 | 1865–1866 | 29-foot 1in Peake Self-righting (P&S) | [Note 1] Previously at Skerries and Selsey. |
| Pre-478 | – | Bradford | 1866 | 1866–1877 | 40-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | [Note 2] |
| Pre-619 | – | Bowman | 1877 | 1877 | 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) | [Note 3] Transferred to Yealm River |
| Pre-623 | – | Bradford | 1877 | 1877–1887 | 44-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | [Note 4] |
| 117 | – | Bradford | 1887 | 1887–1893 | 40-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | [Note 5] |
| 350 | – | Bradford | 1893 | 1893–1905 | 42-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | [Note 6] |
| 537 | – | Charles and Susanna Stephens | 1904 | 1905–1926 | 43-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | [Note 7] |
| 697 | – | Prudential | 1925 | 1925–1953 | Ramsgate | [Note 8] |
| 901 | – | Michael and Lily Davis | 1953 | 1953–1976 | 46-foot 9in Watson | |
| 1042 | 44-016 | Ralph and Joy Swann | 1976 | 1976–1990 | Waveney | |
| 1154 | 47-036 | Kenneth Thelwall II | 1989 | 1990–1994 | Tyne | |
| 1197 | 14-02 | Esme Anderson | 1994 | 1994–2023 | Trent | |
| 1303 | 16-23 | Diamond Jubilee | 2012 | 2023– | Tamar | [19] |
- Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.
Inshore lifeboats
[edit]| Op. No.[b] | Name | On Station[20] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-500 | Unnamed | 1969–1971 | A-class (Hatch) | |
| A-502 | Unnamed | 1972–1975 | A-class (Hatch) | |
| A-510 | Unnamed | 1975–1984 | A-class (McLachlan) | |
| B-558 | Ramsgate Enterprise | 1984–2000 | B-class (Atlantic 21) | |
| B-765 | Bob Turnbull | 2000–2014 | B-class (Atlantic 75) | [21] |
| B-878 | Claire & David Delves | 2014– | B-class (Atlantic 85) |
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ^ 29-foot 1in x 7-foot 9in (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £142 when new.
- ^ 40-foot x 10-foot (12-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London.
- ^ 35-foot x 9-foot (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, costing £432-12s.
- ^ 44-foot x 11-foot 1in (12-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, costing £575.
- ^ 40-foot x 10-foot (12-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
- ^ 42-foot x 11-foot (12-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
- ^ 43-foot x 12-foot (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
- ^ First motor lifeboat at station.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Ramsgate's station history". Ramsgate Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. p. 128.
- ^ "The Beeching Model". The Lifeboat. XXXIII (369). September 1854. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "The Northumberland Prize Lifeboat". Morning Post. 5 December 1851.
- ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 118.
- ^ a b "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. VI (61): 201. 2 July 1866. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "Ramsgate Harbour: Deeds, Evidences and Plans". The National Archives. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. V (58): 742. 2 October 1865. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "General Summary to the 16th Dec, 1865". The Lifeboat. VI (59): 17. 1 January 1866. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. VI (59): 17–18. 1 January 1866. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ a b "No. 34953". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 September 1940. p. 5711.
- ^ "The Institution and the Coronation". The Lifeboat. XXXIII (366). December 1953. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0907605893.
- ^ "Royal Harbour Ramsgate Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry". Royal Museums Greenwich. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "An R.N.L.I. / Indian Chief Medal pair awarded to Stoker George Woodward". Noonans. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". London Gazette. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ Ray, John (17 June 2017). "Retired Ramsgate coxswain Ron Cannon awarded MBE in Queen's Birthday Honours". RNLI. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 6–71.
- ^ Ray, John (13 November 2023). "Arrival of RNLB 'Diamond Jubilee' at Ramsgate's Royal Harbour". RNLI. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 101, 81–84.
- ^ "Bob Turnbull". Royal National Lifeboat Institution Ramsgate. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011.