Newburgh Lifeboat Station

Newburgh Lifeboat Station
Former lifeboat station, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire
Newburgh, Aberdeenshire
General information
StatusClosed
LocationThe Old Lifeboat House
AddressYthan Estuary Beach
Town or cityNewburgh, Aberdeenshire, AB41 6BY
CountryScotland
Coordinates57°18′46.4″N 1°59′42.8″W / 57.312889°N 1.995222°W / 57.312889; -1.995222
Opened1828 (RNIPLS)
18 November 1877 (RNLI)
Closed1841 (RNIPLS)
30 September 1965 (RNLI)
Website
Aberdeen RNLI Lifeboat Station

Newburgh Lifeboat Station was located on the western shore of the River Ythan estuary near Newburgh, a village approximately 14 miles (23 km) north-east of Aberdeen, in the county of Aberdeenshire, on the east coast of Scotland.[1]

A lifeboat was first placed at Newburgh in 1828 by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), but the station closed in 1841. A new station was established at Newburgh in 1877, by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).[2][3]

Newburgh Lifeboat Station was closed in 1965.[4]

History

In 1828, a lifeboat station was established at Newburgh by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), later to become the RNLI in 1854. A Palmer-class lifeboat, probably 26-foot, rowing 6 oars, was placed at the station. No records of any service have been found, and the station closed in 1841.[5]

At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 3 May 1877, following representation from local residents and from the Inspecting Commander of H.M. Coastguard, and following the report of his visit by RNLI Inspector of Life-boats, Rear-Admiral John R. Ward, it was decided to once again place a lifeboat at Newburgh.[3][6][7]

A tender was accepted for the construction of a boathouse, and a 30-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with (8) oars and sails, along with its launching carriage, was sent to the station. The expense of the lifeboat, its carriage, and all equipment, was provided from the legacy of the late Miss M. A. Birtwhistle of Cheltenham. At a service of dedication and naming ceremony on 18 November 1877, the lifeboat was named Alexander Charles and William Aird, and launched for a demonstration to the assembled crowd.[3][8]

Whilst setting up a Haul-off warp prior to exercise on 3 November 1899, in a strong south-west gale, the lifeboat Ellen Newman and John Bentley (ON 255) was swamped, and three crew were washed overboard. Two managed to swim ashore, but one man, the Assistant Coxswain, was seen to be in difficulties by a retired Naval Lieutenant, who swam out, and brought him ashore. Lt. Eustace William Clitherow Stracey, RN (Retd.) was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.[9]

On 13 October 1923, the Aberdeen fishing trawler Imperial Prince was wrecked off Belhelvie. The Aberdeen Harbour lifeboat (No.2) was launched, but broached as she approached the wreck. Four lifeboat men were washed overboard, but all regained the lifeboat. The lifeboat James Stevens No. 19 (ON 459) was pulled 7 miles (11 km) overland to the scene, where with 11 crew from HMS Vampire and HMS Vendetta, both vessels had been at Aberdeen at the time, she was launched four times to the wreck. With assistance from the Peterhead lifeboat, and the Coastguard Rocket Brigade, seven of the nine crew of the trawler were rescued. Two silver medals, and one bronze medal, were awarded for gallantry that day.[10]

At 04:20 on 26 January 1942, the John Ryburn (ON 837) lifeboat crew were called, after reports of flares from a vessel in distress to the north, but it was soon confirmed that a ship was ashore at Cruden Bay, and that the coastguard rocket-brigade were on scene. The lifeboat crew were stood down. A second vessel was then spotted ashore at Hackley Head by assistant mechanic George Whyte, and after confirmation, the lifeboat launched at 08:40, into a strong south-east gale, heading to the SS Lesrix. The lifeboat arrived with the vessel, to find it well ashore with her back broken, with no sign of life, and in a position impossible for the lifeboat to reach. It was decided to head home. About 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the river Ythan, approximately 300 yards (270 m) from the shore, the lifeboat capsized. 15 minutes later, the seven crew were washed onto the beach, but two, crewman James Walker, and asst. mechanic George Whyte, were unconscious and could not be revived.[11]

By 1965, it had been four years since the last call, and eight years since any lives were saved. With lifeboats stationed to the north at Peterhead, and to the south at Aberdeen, the decision was taken to close Newburgh Lifeboat Station on 30 September 1965.[4]

Since the station reopened in 1877, 155 lives had been saved. The boathouse still stands on the shore at Newburgh. The last lifeboat on station, John Ryburn (ON 837), was sold from service in 1966, and was last reported in 2010 as having been broken up.[12][4]

In 2018, the original Newburgh service board dating back to 1889, which once resided in the Newburgh lifeboat house, was donated back to the RNLI by lifeboat enthusiast Keith Webb, and presented to the nearest active RNLI station at Aberdeen.[13]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Newburgh.[9]

Lt. Eustace William Clitherow Stracey, RN (Retd.) – 1899
John Innes, Coxswain – 1923
Petty Officer Charles Albert William Essam, RN, HMS Vampire – 1923
James Innes, Bowman – 1923
  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
John Innes, Coxswain – 1923
Petty Officer Charles Albert William Essam, RN, HMS Vampire – 1923
James Innes, Bowman – 1923
11 Naval crewmen of HMS Vampire and HMS Vendetta – 1923

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Newburgh lifeboat.

  • Lost when the lifeboat capsized, on service to the steamship Lesrix, 26 January 1942[11]
George Whyte, Assistant Mechanic
James Walker, crew member

Newburgh lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON[a] Name Built On Station[14] Class Comments
Pre-128 Unnamed 1828 1828–1841 Palmer [Note 1]
Station Closed 1841–1877
Pre-621 Alexander Charles and William Aird 1877 1877–1889 30-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 2]
255 Ellen Newman and John Bentley 1889 1889–1901 31-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
459 James Stevens No. 19 1901 1901–1926 34-foot Self-righting Dungeness (Rubie) [Note 4]
504 John and Amy 1902 1926–1935 34-foot Self-righting Dungeness (Rubie) [Note 5]
591 John and Robert C. Mercer 1909 1935–1941 34-foot Self-righting Dungeness (Rubie) [Note 6]
837 John Ryburn 1941 1941–1965 32-foot Surf [Note 7]
Station Closed in 1928
Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No.[b] Reg. No. Type On Station[15] Comments
T2 AH 5933 Clayton 1924–1930
T25 IJ 3424 FWD 1930–1932
T5 IJ 3424 Clayton 1932–1944
T33 FYP 356 Case L 1944–1947
T5 IJ 3424 Clayton 1947
T38 HYU 15 Case L 1947–1956
T34 FYR 552 Case L 1956–1965
  1. ^ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ^ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat or vehicle carried on the hull.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ ~26-foot lifeboat.
  2. ^ 30-foot x 8-foot (8-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
  3. ^ 31-foot x 7-foot 3in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
  4. ^ 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting Dungeness-class (Rubie) lifeboat.
  5. ^ 34-foot self-righting Dungeness-class (Rubie) lifeboat.
  6. ^ 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting Dungeness-class lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London.
  7. ^ 32-foot Surf-class lifeboat, built by Alexander Robertson & Sons of Sandbank, Argyll and Bute.

References

  1. ^ "Aberdeenshire Sheet XLVIII.SW". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  2. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 123.
  3. ^ a b c "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. X (107): 219–220. 1 February 1878. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Notes of the Quarter". The Lifeboat. XXXVIII (414): 460. December 1965. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  5. ^ Farr, Graham (1975). George Palmer's Lifeboats, 1828–47. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0905033019.
  6. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. X (105): 182. 1 August 1877. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. X (106): 200. 1 November 1877. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. X (106): 202. 1 November 1877. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  9. ^ a b Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0907605893.
  10. ^ "A Silver Medal Service By the Newburgh Life-Boat". The Lifeboat. XXV (280): 93–94. December 1923. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  11. ^ a b "The S.S. Lesrix". The Lifeboat. War Years (1942): 24–25. 1942. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  12. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 50–51.
  13. ^ McNeill, Terry (25 May 2018). "Historic Newburgh-on-Ythan Lifeboat service board comes home after 129 years". RNLI. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  14. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 2, 16–51.
  15. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 103–104.
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