Padstow History
In the 1800s several Silver Medals were awarded for rescues off the coast:
1833 William Giles
1836 Captain Mitchell Wade
1841 Coastguard Joseph Mortley
1843 Richard Tredwen
1848 Mr W Johns, Mr W Dark and Mr W Found
1859 Coxswain Daniel Shea
1860 Coxswain Daniel Shea
1866 Coxswain William Hills and Daniel Shea
1870 Coxswain William Hills
1872 Coxswain William Corkhill and Second Coxswain Samuel Bate
1875 Coxswain William Corkhill
1879 Nora O’Shaughnessy and sisters Ellen, Gertrude, Mary and Beatrice Prideaux Brune
1883 Coxswain William Webb
1827 The first lifeboat was built by the Padstow Harbour Association and kept at Hawker’s Cove.
1856 The RNLI took over the station.
1867 During a service to the Georgiana on 6 February five of the lifeboat crew drowned after the lifeboat capsized – Daniel Shea, William Intross, Thomas Varco, Andrew Truscott and Michael Crennel.
1899 The steam lifeboat was kept at moorings on the estuary.
1900 On 11 April the pulling lifeboat Arab was struck by a heavy sea that broke 10 oars and washed eight of her crew overboard. The lifeboat was wrecked on the rocks but the crew got ashore safely. The steam lifeboat James Stevens No. 4 then launched and, as she was leaving the harbour, she was caught by a heavy swell and capsized. Eight of her crew of 11 were drowned – Coxswain David Grubb, T Bate, James Grubb, E Kane, JS Martin, JB Old, J Stephens and S East. A memorial to the men can be seen in Padstow Cemetery.
1911 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain William H Baker for rescuing the Master of the ship Angèle.
1928 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain William J Baker for rescuing 18 crew of the steamer Taormina.
A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1929 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Joseph Atkinson, Master of the steam tug Helen Peele for rescuing five crew from the wrecked fishing vessel Our Girlie on 27 November 1928.
The station’s first motor lifeboat arrived at the station.
1931 A new boathouse and roller slipway were built at Hawker’s Cove for a second motor lifeboat (No.2).
1945 A Silver Medal was awarded to Second Motor Mechanic William Orchard for rescuing seven people from the steamer Sjofna on 23 November 1944. He also received the Maud Smith Award for the bravest act of life-saving in 1944.
1946 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain John T Murt for rescuing 10 crew from the steamer Kedah.
1962 The No.2 station closed because of silting.
1966 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Gordon Elliott and Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to the crew for rescuing two men from the fishing vessel Deo Gratias that was in difficulties in a gale gusting to violent storm on 23 November 1965.
1967 A new boathouse and 240ft slipway were built at Trevose Head.
1976 Special framed certificates were presented to the Coxswain and crew after the lifeboat was severely damaged by a heavy sea causing injuries to the coxswain and some of the crew on 7 December.
1977 Silver Medals were awarded to Coxswain Anthony Warnock and Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Trevor England for saving two crew and a dog from the yacht Calcutta Princess which was in difficulties close to rocks off Dinas Head. The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to the other members of the lifeboat crew.
1979 A special framed certificate was awarded to the Coxswain and crew for several services to numerous yachts in difficulties during the Fastnet Race on 14/15 August.
A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Trevor England when the lifeboat stood by the Greek freighter Skopelos Sky in difficulty off Trevose Head in a westerly hurricane and phenomenal seas on 15 December. Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to the crew and slipway helpers who were at times up to their necks in the sea getting the lifeboat back on her slipway. The winchman was presented with a Vellum Service Certificate.
1984 The boathouse was adapted for the station’s Tyne class lifeboat.
1989 A Framed Letter of Thanks was sent to the Coxswain and crew after the lifeboat stood by the cargo vessel Secil Japan which had grounded on rocks in Deadman’s Cove.
1991 Major repairs were carried out to the substructures of both the boathouse and slipway.
2005 Work began on a new boathouse and slipway next to the existing boathouse at Trevose Head, which will be home to the next generation of lifeboat, the Tamar class.
2006 A boathouse to accommodate the new Tamar class lifeboat was completed in July. The lifeboat, Spirit of Padstow, was placed on service on 17 July.
2007 Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was accorded to Coxswain Alan Tarby for his role in saving the yacht Cawesade and a yachtsman from the Fly during a long service in atrocious weather conditions on 25 June. Crew Members Luke Chown and Christopher Murphy received Framed Letters of Thanks.
Station honours
At Padstow lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 3
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 4
Bronze Medal 2
Silver Medal 28
