The Lizard History
1859 A Silver Medal was awarded to Mr John Ridge for rescuing 18 people from the schooner Czar.
The first Lizard lifeboat station was established by the RNLI at Polpeor following this rescue and a boathouse was built at the top of the roadway leading down to Polpeor Cove.
1866 Coxswain Peter Mitchell and Crew Members Richard Harris and Nicholas Stevens drowned when the lifeboat smashed onto rocks during a hurricane.
1867 The RNLI established a lifeboat station at Cadgwith.
1885 A larger lifeboat was provided for the station at Polpeor and the smaller lifeboat moved to a new station at Church Cove (No.2).
1888 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Edwin Matthews for ‘long and gallant services’.
1893 A Silver Medal was awarded to Captain David Ball for saving one of his crew from the Gustav Bitter.
1899 The Church Cove (No.2) station closed.
1907 Silver Medals were awarded to Coxswain William Edward Mitchell and Second Coxswain Edwin Mitchell (Lizard lifeboat), and to Rev Henry Vyvyan, Coxswain Edward Rutter (both Cadgwith lifeboat), George Anderson and William Williams (both crew of the liner Suevic) for rescuing 394 people from the White Star liner Suevic in dense fog when it struck the Marnheere Reef off The Lizard. Coverack and Porthleven lifeboats also rescued 62 people.
1914 A new boathouse was built at Polpeor Cove for the station’s first motor lifeboat.
1941 The lifeboat Guide of Dunkirk was one of the 19 lifeboats that helped to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. After Dunkirk she was sent to Cadgwith station.
1958 The Lizard station was extremely exposed and, in certain conditions, launching lifeboats here and at Cadgwith was a difficult and dangerous operation. It was also considered that this important area for shipping warranted a larger lifeboat than could be operated from either The Lizard or Cadgwith. The RNLI therefore decided to build a new station at Kilcobben Cove, lying half way between the two stations.
1959 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station at Polpeor.
1961 The original station at The Lizard (Polpeor) closed.
The boathouse and roller slipway at Kilcobben Cove were completed. The new station was opened on 7 July 1961 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. He also named the new lifeboat The Duke of Cornwall (Civil Service No 33). The station became known as The Lizard-Cadgwith lifeboat station.
1963 The Cadgwith station closed.
1967 The lifeboat launched on 28 May to welcome Sir Francis Chichester home after sailing single-handed around the world.
1979 A special framed certificate was awarded to the Coxswain and crew for their services to several yachts in difficulties during the Fastnet Race on 15 August.
1985 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Peter Mitchell for rescuing the three crew and saving the yacht Bass on 3 September 1984.
1987 The station's name was changed to The Lizard.
1988 The boathouse was adapted for the new Tyne class lifeboat. ON-1145 David Robinson was placed on service in August.
1993 A collective Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Coxswain Philip Burgess, Second Coxswain David Hill, Mechanic Roger Legge, Assistant Mechanic John Harris and Crew Members Michael Legge, Louis Mitchell, Richard Woodmansey and Robert Francis for rescuing 10 people and saving the 49ft gaff-rigged yawl Heptarchy in a 12-hour service.
2004 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Philip Burgess for saving two people and the yacht Gellie on 7 July in winds up to force 11–12 and 7m seas.
Station honours
At The Lizard lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 1
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 1
Bronze Medal 1
Silver Medal 9
