Teignmouth History

1851 The first lifeboat was stationed at Teignmouth by the Shipwrecked Fisherman's and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society.

1854 The RNLI took over the lifeboat station.

1862 A new boathouse was built on The Den, with doors facing the harbour.

1863 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain John B Bulkeley for ‘his long and gallant service’.

1870 A Silver Medal was awarded to Second Coxswain William Stuggins on his retirement.

1907 Silver Medals were awarded to Honorary Secretary Mr William Burden and to Coxswain George Rice and additional monetary awards were made to the lifeboat crew for a service to the schooner Tehwija. The lifeboat was driven back towards the harbour after a heavy sea knocked down every man and every oar went overboard. The lifeboat eventually crossed the bar out of the harbour and rescued the eight crew who were in the rigging. The schooner became a complete wreck 15 minutes after the rescue.

1940 The station closed and the lifeboat was sold for £200 five years later.

1990 The station re-opened in March for evaluation as an inshore lifeboat (ILB) station and became fully operational on 3 November. A B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat was placed on service.

1991 The 1862 boathouse was re-acquired and was converted for the Atlantic lifeboat and launching vehicle. The Atlantic 21, B-588 Frank and Dorothy, was placed on service.

1997 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Daniel McCarthy (17) and his brother Luke McCarthy(19), for rowing their dinghy from Shaldon Beach to assist two men whose small motor boat Nutshell had sunk.

2001 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station in celebration of 100 years of service.

2004 Launch and recovery trials of a new Atlantic 85 lifeboat took place in June.

2006 The new B class lifeboat The Two Annes was placed on service.

Station honours

At Teignmouth lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks 1
Silver Medal 4