# Yealm River Lifeboat Station

Yealm River Lifeboat Station was located on the east side of the River Yealm estuary at Newton Ferrers, a village approximately 6.4 nautical miles (11.9 km) south-east of Plymouth, on the south east coast of Devon.
A lifeboat station was first established at Newton Ferrers in 1878 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Yealm River lifeboat station was closed in 1927.

## History

On the report and recommendation of the Inspector of Lifeboats, following his visit at the invitation of local residents, it was decided at the meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 1 March 1877, to establish a lifeboat station at the mouth of the River Yealm, near Plymouth, and to appropriate to the station, the gift of £800 received from an anonymous donor, A. B. S., with a lifeboat to be named Bowman. "There are plenty of fishermen .to man the Life-boat, which can be readily launched in smooth water at all tides and in any wind; while she is in a good windward position for commanding Bigbury Bay in westerly and southwesterly gales, which are the most prevalent ones in this district."
A new stone-built boathouse and slipway was constructed, at a cost of £345, on land granted by Rev, Duke Yonge, MA. A new 35-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboat, one with (10) oars and sails, costing £432-12s, was sent to the station along with its launching carriage. On 27 April 1878, a service of dedication was carried out by the Rev. Yonge, followed by a naming ceremony. The lifeboat, as requested by the donor, was named Bowman, after which it was launched for a demonstration to the assembled crowd.
In a south-west gale on the night of 28 January 1885, both the Plymouth and Yealm River lifeboats were called to the barque Wellington of Windsor, Nova Scotia, which had drifted ashore. The vessel had been under tow by the Government tug Scotia, following an incident aboard, which had cost the lives of the Captain and two crew, whilst on passage from Le Havre to New York. The lifeboats spent several hours transferring lines to and from the tug, until at 04:30 the following morning, the vessel was out of danger, grounded in the Yealm estuary. The River Yealm lifeboat crew were then tasked by the Queen's Harbour Master to guard the crew and vessel, and remained there until 16:00, when the vessel was towed to Plymouth Sound.
Two more lifeboat s would come to serve at Yealm River. In 1887, a new 34-foot lifeboat arrived on station. Funded by the legacy of the late Mrs. Thomas, of Nunney, Somerset, at the donors request, the lifeboat was named Darling (ON 163). The lifeboat would serve for 17 years, until she was replaced in 1904 by the 35-foot Michael Smart (ON 527), funded from the legacy of the late Mr. Michael Smart of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.
At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 20 January 1927, it was decided to close Yealm River lifeboat station.
The lifeboat station still stands, as is believed to now be a private residence. The lifeboat on station at the time of closure, Michael Smart (ON 527), was sold from service in 1927, but no further records of the lifeboat are available.

## Yealm River lifeboats

| ON | Name | Built | In service | Class |
| Pre-619 | Bowman | 1877 | 1878−1887 | 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 163 | Darling | 1887 | 1887−1904 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 527 | Michael Smart | 1904 | 1904−1927 | 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.