Scarborough History

Scarborough lifeboat station is one of the oldest stations in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

1801 A lifeboat station was established.

Silver Medals for Gallantry were awarded to James Fowler and Smith Tindall (1824), Coxswain Thomas Clayburn (1828), and Henry Wyrill and Coxswain Thomas Clayburn (1857).

1836 The lifeboat capsized with the tragic loss of 10 of her crew.

1861 The station was taken over by the RNLI.
The lifeboat’s first launch ended in tragedy when two of the lifeboat crew and three spectators lost their lives as the lifeboat was smashed against the Spa Wall. Posthumous Silver Medals were awarded to the three spectators and Silver Medals were also awarded to Michael Hick, Joseph Rutter and Oliver Sarony for their efforts from the shore.

1880 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Owston for rescuing 28 crew from five different wrecks.

1911 Coxswain J Owston retired after 41 years as coxswain; he saved 230 lives.

1914 A new boathouse was built on the Promenade.

1923 The station’s first motor lifeboat arrived.

1928 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.

1940 A new boathouse was built and is still in use today.

1952 Bronze Medals were awarded to Coxswain John N Sheader, Assistant Motor Mechanic Thomas J Mainprize and posthumously to Bowman Frank Dalton, when the lifeboat rescued 10 people from the Westkust in December 1951. Bowman Dalton was crushed between the lifeboat and the vessel and died during the service.

1954 The lifeboat E.C.J.R. capsized near the harbour entrance with the loss of three crew – Coxswain John (Jacka) Nicholas Sheader, Second Coxswain John Harrison Cammish and Signalman Francis Bayes.

1958 The first of the new 37ft self-righting Oakley class lifeboat arrived at the station.

1966 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat.

Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to each of the eight crew members for a service to the oil rig Neptune I.

1968 Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to C J Bean and R Swalwell for an ILB service to help a child who had fallen over the cliffs.

1970 A Silver Medal and the Maud Smith Award were awarded to Coxswain William Sheader for saving a man from a capsized boat. Two other men lost their lives. Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to each of the other six crew members.

1973 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Acting Coxswain Thomas Rowley for rescuing four crew from the Eun Mara an Tar.

1991 The boathouse was adapted for the new Mersey class lifeboat.

1992 HRH The Duchess of Kent named the Mersey class lifeboat Fanny Victoria Wilkinson and Frank Stubbs.

1994 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Richard Constantine for attempting to rescue a person who had gone into the sea to save a dog.

1995 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to ILB Helmsman Paul Stonehouse for rescuing four surfboarders.

2001 A Bicentenary Vellum was awarded to the station to commemorate 200 years as a lifeboat station.

2003 Former Coxswain/Mechanic Richard Constantine was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty The Queen.


Station honours


At Scarborough lifeboat station the following awards have been made:


Framed Letter of Thanks 11

Thanks of the Institution on Vellum 7

Bronze Medal 4 

Silver Medal 13