# New Brighton Lifeboat Station

New Brighton Lifeboat Station is located on Kings Parade in the town of New Brighton, on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside. A lifeboat was first stationed at Magazines village by the Liverpool Dock Trustees in 1827. The station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1863.
The station currently operates a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, the Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.51) (B-837), on station since 2009.

## History

In the 18th Century, vessels arriving in the Port of Liverpool were required to first deposit their gunpowder in the Gunpowder magazine, which was located in a secluded area on the Wirral, across the River Mersey from Liverpool. Over time, Magazine Village developed, and it was here that the Liverpool Dock Trustees placed one of their lifeboats in 1827, with a boathouse being constructed in 1828. The location was ideally situated to cover the mouth of the river. A second boat was stationed there in 1839.
At a public meeting in 1862, it was discussed that a boat, located in the now increasingly populous area known as New Brighton, would be better positioned to effect a faster response into Liverpool Bay. The RNLI was approached, and agreed to provide a lifeboat station in New Brighton. An unusual new 'Tubular' type of lifeboat, named Rescue, was commissioned with J. Hamilton, Jnr, Windsor Works, Liverpool, and arrived on station in January 1863.
Within 18 months, as the Liverpool Dock Trustees had found, it was necessary to place a second boat at New Brighton, and a No.2 station was started in July 1864. This boat too was unusual, as it was a 33-foot Iron boat rather than the usual wooden boats. She was named Willie and Arthur.
In 1893, New Brighton received the Duke of Northumberland (ON 231), transferred from Holyhead, as their No.2 lifeboat. The boat was a 50-foot Steam-powered lifeboat, using Water-Jets as a means of propulsion, over 140 years before this technology was again utilised by the RNLI in the present day Shannon-class lifeboats. When the boat was required to be returned to Holyhead, the RNLI commissioned another Steam-class lifeboat. Arriving on station in 1897, she was named Queen (ON 404) to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
It would appear that in 1923, the replacement lifeboat for Queen, a 60-foot Barnett-class lifeboat William and Kate Johnston (ON 682) was assigned to be the No.1 station boat, with the No.1 boat becoming No.2.
Both No.1 and No.2 station boats were retired in 1950, being replaced by just one boat, effectively closing the No.2 station. The 52-foot Barnett-class lifeboat Norman B. Corlett (ON 883) remained in service until 1973, when it was decided that the All-weather lifeboat would be withdrawn, and replaced with a fast Inshore B-class (Atlantic 21). With the Atlantic-class boat having to be stored 1.5 miles from the station until a new boathouse was built, a D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat was also placed on service for 18 months.
In response to the number of rescues required on the large expanse of mud and sand at the end of the Wirral Peninsular, the RNLI placed one of their seven Griffon Hoverwork Type 470TD Hovercraft on station in 2004. This Hovercraft was relocated to Hoylake in 2016.

## Station honours

The following are awards made at New Brighton
* Gold Medal, awarded by the American Government
       To each of New Brighton lifeboat's crew - 1875
       To each of the survivors of the crew of the Liverpool lifeboat - 1875
* Gold Medal, awarded by the French Government
       George Robinson, Coxswain - 1928
       George Carmody - 1928
       Samuel Jones - 1928
* RNIPLS Silver Medal
       Peter Cropper, Liverpool Lifeboat - 1851
       Thomas Evans, Magazine Lifeboat - 1851
       Joseph Formby, Formby Lifeboat - 1851
* RNLI Silver Medal
       Thomas Evans, Coxswain - 1863 (Second-Service Clasp)
       Thomas Evans, Jnr - 1863
       William Evans - 1863
       Richard J. Thomas, Coxswain - 1870
       Hiram Linaker, crew member - 1877
       William Martin, Coxswain - 1894
       George Robinson, Coxswain - 1928
       William Henry Jones, Coxswain - 1938
       Edward Brown, Coxswain - 1974
       Robin Middleton, crew member - 1974
* Silver Medal, awarded by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society
       J W Bray, Mechanic - 1946
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       John Rowland Nicholson, crew member - 1928
       George James Carmody, crew member - 1928
       Ralph B. Scott, crew member - 1928
       Wilfred Garbutt, crew member - 1928
       Samuel J. Jones, crew member - 1928
       William Liversage, crew member - 1928
       John H. Moore, crew member - 1928
       John Rowland Nicholson, Second Coxswain - 1938
       Wilfred Garbutt, Mechanic - 1938
       John E. Mason, Second Mechanic - 1938
       William Stephen Jones, Second Coxswain - 1947
       William Stephen Jones, Acting Coxswain - 1950 (Second-Service Clasp)
       George Stonall, Coxswain - 1957
       Edward Beverley Brown, Helmsman - 1982
* The Ralph Glister Award 1987 for the most meritorious service carried out in a lifeboat under 10 metres
       Anthony Clare, Helmsman - 1988
       Geoffrey Prince, crew member - 1988
       Anthony Jones, crew member - 1988
* The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
       Clifford Downing, crew member - 1974
       Alan Boult, crew member - 1974
       Ian Campbell, crew member - 1974
       Edward B Brown, Helmsman - 1976
       Michael Jones, crew member - 1982
       Anthony Clare. Helmsman - 1988
       Michael Jones, crew member - 1994
       Tony Clare, crew member - 1994
       Michael Jones, Helmsman - 1995
       Michael Jones, Helmsman - 2000
* A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       Geoffrey Prince, crew member - 1988
       Anthony Jones, crew member - 1988
       Neil Jones, crew member - 1994
       Barry Shillinglaw, crew member - 1994
       Tony Jones, shore helper - 1994
       Howard Jones, crew member - 1995
       Neil Jones, crew member - 1995
       Michael Haxby, crew member - 1995
       Richard Finlay, County Rescue Boat - 1995
       John Goodwin, County Rescue Boat - 1995
       Mark Bland, Helmsman - 2005
       Mark Harding, crew member - 2005
       Greg Morgan, crew member - 2005
* A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       Barry Shillinglaw, crew member - 1980
       Paul Wright, crew member - 1980
       Howard Jones, crew member - 1980
* Collective Letter of Appreciation signed by the Director of the Institution
       Eight shore helpers from the station - 1980
* A Letter of Appreciation signed by the Chief of Operations
       Station Honorary Secretary - 1980
* Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
       Philip Gerald Hockey, Lifeboat Press Officer - 2007QBH

## New Brighton lifeboats
### All-weather lifeboats
#### No.1 Station

| ON | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
| − | Unnamed | 1827−1845 | Unknown | |
| − | Unnamed | 1845−1863 | Unknown | |
| Pre-387 | Rescue | 1863−1866 | 42-foot Tubular | Removed from service November 1866 for rebuild |
| Pre-380 | Latimer | 1866−1867 | 34-foot 6in Self-righting (P&S) | |
| Pre-387 | Willie and Arthur | 1867−1876 | 40-foot 3in Tubular | Formerly Rescue at New Brighton, completely rebuilt |
| 71 | Willie and Arthur | 1876−1890 | 45-foot Tubular | Withdrawn in 1890 when found to be defective. |
| 221 | Henry Richardson | 1890−1898 | 43-foot Tubular | Became No.1 lifeboat when ON 71 withdrawn. |
| 414 | Henry Richardson | 1898−1919 | 43-foot Watson (P&S) | |
| 637 | Staughton | 1919−1923 | 40-foot Watson (P&S) | |
| 682 | William and Kate Johnston | 1923−1950 | 60-foot Barnett | Largest RNLI lifeboat at that time. |
| 883 | Norman B. Corlett | 1950−1973 | 52-foot Barnett | |
    All-weather lifeboat replaced with a B-class (Atlantic 21) Inshore lifeboat, 1973

#### No.2 Station

| ON | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
| − | Unnamed | 1839−1863 | 30-foot non-self-righting | |
| Pre-406 | Willie and Arthur | 1864−1867 | 33-foot Iron Self-righting (P&S) | |
| Pre-494 | Lily | 1867−1878 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
| Pre-625 | Stuart Hay | 1878−1888 | 40-foot Tubular | |
| 221 | Henry Richardson | 1888−1890 | 43-foot Tubular | Became No.1 lifeboat following withdrawal of ON 71. |
| No No.2 lifeboat between 1890 and 1893 |||||
| 231 | Duke of Northumberland | 1893−1897 | 50-foot Steam | |
| 404 | Queen | 1897−1923 | 55-foot Steam | Left station to take part in the 1924 Thames flotilla for the RNLI 100th Anniversary |
| 637 | Staughton | 1923−1930 | 40-foot Watson (P&S) | |
| 550 | Anne Miles | 1930−1936 | 43-foot Watson (P&S) | |
| 535 | Charlie Medland | 1936−1938 | 43-foot Watson (P&S) | |
| 812 | Edmund and Mary Robinson | 1938−1950 | 41ft Watson | |
    No.2 Station Closed 1950
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

#### No.3 Station

| ON | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
| 76 | Unnamed | 1884−1887 | 46-foot 2" Self-righting (P&S) | Later Edith at Fleetwood |
    No.3 Station Closed 1887

### Hovercraft

| Op.No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
| H-005 | Hurley Spirit | 2004−2016 | Hovercraft | |

### Inshore lifeboats

| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class |
| D-42 | Unnamed | 1973–1974 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| B-509 | Unnamed | 1973–1981 | B-class (Atlantic 21) |
| B-549 | Blenwatch | 1981–1996 | B-class (Atlantic 21) |
| B-721 | Rock Light | 1996–2009 | B-class (Atlantic 75) |
| B-837 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.51) | 2009– | B-class (Atlantic 85) |
* 1 2 3 ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
* 1 2 Op.No. is the RNLI's Operational Number carried on the hull or vehicle.