Lytham Lifeboat Station

Lytham Lifeboat Station is a 'former' lifeboat station, (by virtue of its merger), located in the Fylde coast town of Lytham, Lancashire.

A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society (SFMRBS) in 1851. Management of the station was passed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on 7 December 1854.

In 1931, the Lytham station merged with the St Annes RNLI branch, becoming Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Station

History
In 1851, Mr John Hayes of Lytham wrote to the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1851, requesting that a lifeboat be placed at Lytham. The Institution had been going through lean times, especially since the loss of its driving force and founder in 1847, Sir William Hillary, Bt, and requested that local funding make up half the cost of the boat. Having raised £200, the SFMRBS then stepped forward, and offered to fund a boat for the amount already raised. Concerned at the decline of the RNIPLS, they were wanting to start their own lifeboat stations.

An agreement was made, and a 28-foot 8-oar lifeboat was constructed by James Beeching, using a design which had won the prize of £100 for a self-righting lifeboat, in a competition set by the Duke of Northumberland, now the president of the RNIPLS. Land and a boathouse were provided by local landowner John Talbot Clifton of Lytham Hall. The lifeboat arrived in December 1851, and was named The Clifton.

Less than one year later, disaster struck Lytham Lifeboat. Capsized on exercise on 1 October 1852, 8 men were lost. The lifeboat didn't self-right. Afterwards it was discovered that doors had been cut into the airtight boxes for storage, and that the water ballast tanks had not been plugged, allowing the water to escape, thus cancelling any self-righting capability. None of the crew were wearing lifejackets. In a twist of fate, the two survivors, James Parkinson and Richard Gillett, would be drowned in a separate incident in 1863.

In 1854, under the guidance of the Duke of Northumberland, the RNIPLS was in a better financial position. On 5 October 1854, the RNIPLS became the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and on 7 December, the SFMRBS handed over the management of all their stations, including Lytham, to the RNLI. This would allow the SFMRBS to concentrate of the welfare of those people rescued.

A 30-foot Peake-class lifeboat built by Forrestt of Limehouse arrived at Lytham on 12 Aug 1855. She was named Eleanor Cecily, after Mrs Clifton of Lytham Hall. In terrible conditions on the 20 October 1862, the Lytham boat rescued 14 from the Full-rigged vessel ''Ann. E. Hooper'' of Baltimore, ashore on Horse bank. with another 4 being rescued by the Southport lifeboat. Lytham coastguard George Read was aboard the Eleanor Cecily. He would later be awarded the Presidential Gold Medal. Monetary awards were sent by president Abraham Lincoln. 13 were rescued from the Brazil of Liverpool, on passage from Bangor, Maine, which went ashore on Salthouse Bank on 26 December 1862.

Eleanor Cecily would be replaced in 1863 with the Wakefield, a 33-foot 10-oared self-righting lifeboat, costing £263-4s-4d, provided by Mr Thomas Clayton, and named after his home town. A new lifeboat house was constructed next to Lytham Windmill at a cost of £160-2s-0d, the old boathouse being demolished soon afterwards.

In those days, donors were expected to make regular payments, and if not forthcoming, the boat may be assigned funds from other donors, and renamed accordingly. In 1878, the Wakefield was renamed Charles Biggs, the legacy of Miss L. M. Woods of London. In its 23-year service, the boat would launch 49 times, and rescue 85.

James Candlish, Coxswain since 1854, would be awarded the RNLI Silver Medal in 1864 for two services to the St Lawrence, and for his previous service.

On the 9 December 1886, the German barque Mexico was driven ashore at Trunk Hill Brow, Ainsdale. Much has been documented about the Mexico disaster. All 13 crewmen aboard the Laura Janet of St Annes, and 14 of 16 crew of the Southport lifeboat Eliza Fearnley were lost, the greatest ever disaster for the RNLI. As it turned out, the Southport and St Annes boats need not have launched at all, as all 12 aboard the Mexico had already been saved by the Lytham boat. For the efforts that day, Coxswain Thomas Clarkson was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal. The station also received an award.

On service to the vessel Douglas of Preston, Lancashire on 15 December 1911, an enormous wave lifted the Charles Biggs (ON 73), and deposited her down onto Salter's Bank. Impossible to refloat the boat, the crew had to leave the boat where it was and walk home, the boat being retrieved undamaged two days later. Charles Biggs would remain in service at Lytham until 1912. The replacement was a 35-foot Self-righting lifeboat Kate Walker (ON 627), named after the late wife of the donor John Charles Walker. She would serve Lytham through to 1931, launching just four times, but rescuing 8 lives.

On 12 March 1931, the 'Lytham' RNLI Branch merged with the 'St Annes' RNLI branch, and on 7 April 1931, Lytham St Annes would receive the replacement motor-powered lifeboat J.H.W.. The boathouse at Lytham would no longer house the lifeboat due to it weight, although it remained in use as storage for equipment and boarding boats until 1960. Kate Walker was transferred to Porthoustock where she would serve for another 11 years.

For more information about St Annes, or Lytham St Annes lifeboat stations, please see;
 * St Annes Lifeboat Station 1881–1925
 * Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Station 1931–

Station honours
The following are awards made at Lytham


 * United States Presidential Lifesaving Gold Medal
 * George Read, H.M. Coastguard - 1880 (for service in 1862)


 * RNLI Silver Medal
 * James Candlish, Coxswain - 1864


 * Thomas Clarkson, Coxswain - 1886


 * Silver Medal, awarded by the Societe des Sauveteurs, Medailles du Gouvernement de la Gironde for courage and devotion to duty
 * Lytham Lifeboat Station - 1886

Roll of honour
In memory of those lost whilst serving Lytham lifeboat.

On exercise in Lytham Lifeboat Clifton, 1 October 1852
 * William Swann, Coxswain
 * John Davies, Second Coxswain
 * John Gillett
 * Thomas Gillett
 * George Cookson
 * John Whiteside
 * Thomas Hardmen
 * James Winders

Lytham lifeboats

 * Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.