Runswick Lifeboat Station
Lifeboat station in North Yorkshire, England

Runswick RNLI Lifeboat Station
1910 Runswick Lifeboat Station;
Runswick Lifeboat Station is located in North Yorkshire
Runswick Lifeboat Station
Runswick Bay, North Yorkshire
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationRunswick Bay, North Yorkshire, England
Coordinates54°32′00″N 0°45′00″W / 54.5332°N 0.7499°W / 54.5332; -0.7499
Opened1866–1978

Runswick RNLI Lifeboat Station was located in the village of Runswick Bay, approximately 7 mi (11 km) north-west of Whitby, in the county of North Yorkshire, England.

A lifeboat station was established here in 1866 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).[1]

In 1978, the nearby lifeboat station at Staithes was reopened as in Inshore lifeboat station, and renamed Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station. The Runswick All-weather lifeboat 37-11 The Royal Thames (ON 978) was withdrawn, and Runswick Lifeboat Station closed.[2]

Following a meeting of the local population, and with the view that a rescue service was still required, the Independent Runswick Bay Rescue Boat was established in 1982.

History

At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 1 February 1866, the report of the Inspector of Lifeboats was approved, following his visit to Runswick. The October 1866 edition of the RNLI journal 'The Lifeboat', reported of the establishment of a new station at Runswick, in response to the loss of life from a local shipwreck during the previous winter.[3][4]

The new 32-foot (9.8 m) self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (ten) oars, along with its carriage, was transported from London to Whitby free of charge, by the Great Northern and North Eastern railway companies, from where the boat was towed by steamer to its station. Funded by the Sheffield Lifeboat Fund, primarily through the efforts of former mayor Thomas Jessop, the lifeboat was according named Sheffield, where it had been exhibited prior to its arrival at Runswick.[4]

In April 1901, all the fit and able men were fishing in the bay, when a sudden storm erupted over the area. Older men from the village were drafted in to crew the lifeboat, but it was hauled into the sea by the women of the village.[5]

A new station was erected on the site of the previous lifeboat house in 1910. The enlarged station was necessary to accommodate the new 35-foot (11 m) lifeboat Hester Rothschild (ON 612).[6]

In 1933, a new motor-powered Liverpool-class lifeboat was received on station, and was named The Always Ready (ON 766). Soon afterwards, Coxswain of the lifeboat Robert Patton died at sea, attempting to rescue a disabled seaman. The lifeboat was renamed Robert Patton - The Always Ready in 1934.[7]

On the evening of 28 August 1957, schoolmaster Christopher Jardine took a party of schoolchildren to bathe in the harbour, despite a rough sea and flood tide. Shouts for help were soon heard by head lifeboat launcher George Hanson, who jumped into the water fully-clothed, and rescued one boy. He then went out again to assist the schoolmaster, but collapsed face-down in the water.[8]

Two local men, Stephen Jackson and James Wright, along with lifeboat coxswain Frank Verill, put out in a small boat, and brought Mr Hanson ashore, but he died soon afterwards. The search continued for Mr Jardine, whose body was found after dark. A memorial clock and barometer in memory of George Hanson was later erected in the village. A pension was granted to Mr. Hanson's widow by the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust.[8][9]

In 1978, following a coastal review by the RNLI, the lifeboat station at Staithes was re-opened as an Inshore lifeboat station. With motor-powered lifeboats at Whitby and Teesmouth, the Runswick station was closed. Staithes lifeboat station was named Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station.The Runswick lifeboat The Royal Thames (ON 978), was transferred to Pwllheli.[10]

Following the withdrawal of the Runswick lifeboat, it was still felt that with the popularity of the bay, particularly in the holiday season, some sort of rescue cover was still required. A meeting was held in 1980, and the local population at Runswick Bay set about to raise £4000 for their own rescue boat. Runswick Bay Rescue Boat (RBRB) was established at Runswick Bay in 1982, and this now operates in conjunction with all rescue services on the coast, coordinated by HMCG.[11][12]

For more information about the current rescue service, please see:–

Coxswain Robert Patton

At 04:25 on 8 February 1934, the new Runswick lifeboat The Always Ready (ON 766) launched to the aid of the steamship Disperser, which had started to sink whilst under tow in gale force conditions. Seven of the eight crew were taken off by the tugboat, but the eighth, a young man with a physical handicap, was still aboard. Reaching the vessel an hour after launch, the lifeboat eventually managed to get alongside. However, the man didn't jump, but lowered himself over the side, and then wouldn't let go. Coxswain Patton grabbed the man, but still he wouldn't let go. As the lifeboat was swept away, the Coxswain was left clinging to the man, and then fell into the sea. He was crushed three times as the lifeboat moved in and out to the vessel. The man was eventually dragged into the lifeboat, but the Coxswain had been badly injured, and was taken to hospital with broken ribs, a broken pelvis, fractured vertebrae, and other injuries. Visited in hospital by a representative of the Institution, he said, "I could not let the poor lad go, as he might have drowned". Patton died nine days after the event.[13]

Robert Patton, Coxswain of Runswick Lifeboat, was posthumously awarded the RNLI's highest honour, the RNLI Gold Medal. The medal, and the vote, inscribed on vellum, and signed by H.R.H. Prince of Wales, president of the Institution, was presented to Mrs Patton by the Prince of Wales in London on 20 April 1934.[13]

At a ceremony on 20 September 1934, the new lifeboat, The Always Ready (ON 766), which had not yet been officially named, was named Robert Patton–The Always Ready by the Princess Royal.[14]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Runswick.[15]

Robert Patton, Coxswain – 1934 (posthumous)
George Tose, Coxswain – 1893
Andrew Tose, Coxswain – 1924
Thomas Patton, Second Coxswain – 1924
George Hanson – 1957 (post.)
George Hanson – 1957 (post.)

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Runswick lifeboat.

  • On service to the steamship Disperser, 8 February 1934
Robert Patton, Coxswain (46)
  • Drowned during the attempted rescue of a man in the harbour, 28 August 1957.
George Hanson, Head launcher (52)

Runswick RNLI lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON[a] Name Built On station[16] Class Comments[17]
Pre-463 Sheffield 1866 1866–1880 32-foot Prowse Self-righting (P&S) [Note 1]
207 Margaret and Edward 1879 1880–1893 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 2]
341 Cape of Good Hope 1893 1893–1908 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
455 Forester 1900 1908–1910 34-foot Dungeness Self-righting (P&S) [Note 4]
612 Hester Rothschild 1910 1910–1933 35-foot Rubie Self-righting (P&S) [Note 5]

Motor lifeboats

ON[a] Op. No.[b] Name Built On station[18] Class Comments
766 – The Always Ready 1933 1933–1934 Liverpool Renamed Robert Patton–The Always Ready in 1934.
766 – Robert Patton–The Always Ready 1933 1934–1953 Liverpool [19]
918 – The Elliot Gill 1953 1954–1970 Liverpool [20]
978 37-11 The Royal Thames 1964 1970–1978 37-foot Oakley Previously at Caister
RNLI Station closed in 1978.
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[21] Comments
T16 YW 3377 Clayton 1940–1942
T46 KGP 1 Case LA 1949–1957
T54 KXX 566 Case LA 1957–1966
T55 KXX 565 Case LA 1966–1969
T66 XYP 400 Fowler Challenger III 1969–1974
T57 NYE 351 Fowler Challenger III 1974–1976
T62 PLA 698 Fowler Challenger III 1976–1978
  1. ^ a b ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ^ a b Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 32-foot x 7-foot 5in (10-oared) Prowse-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Sheffield LB fund, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £242.
  2. ^ 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of an anonymous 'lady' from Brighton, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £363.
  3. ^ 34-foot x 7-foot 6in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mt C. Hawkins of London, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £424.
  4. ^ 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) Dungeness-class (Rubie) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Ancient Order of Foresters, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £712.
  5. ^ 35-foot x 8-foot 10in (10-oared) Rubie self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs L. Halfron of Paris, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £965.

References

  1. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 116.
  2. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 116.
  3. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. VI (61): 204. 2 July 1866. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. VI (62): 216–217. 1 October 1866. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Stations: Stronger than the Storm by Grant McKee (RNLI, £8.95)". The Northern Echo. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  6. ^ Leach 2018, p. 113.
  7. ^ "Saviours of the sea". The Yorkshire Post. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2019 – via Newsbank.
  8. ^ a b "Death of a Head Launcher". The Lifeboat. XXXIV (382): 523. December 1957. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  9. ^ Morris, Jeff (December 1998). The Story of the Staithes and Runswick Lifeboats (Fifth ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society. p. 14.
  10. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 56–57.
  11. ^ "History". Runswick Bay Rescue Boat. RBRB Association. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  12. ^ Robinson, Chris (July 1984). "The Foresight of Man, and the Birth of the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat". North East Times County Magazine.
  13. ^ a b "Coxswain Robert Patton of Runswick". The Lifeboat. XXIX (318): 253–254. June 1934. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  14. ^ "The Princess Royal at Runswick". The Lifeboat. XXIX (320): 377–378. November 1934. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  15. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. p. 59. ISBN 0907605893.
  16. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 10–40.
  17. ^ Farr, Grahame; Morris, Jeff (1992). List of British Lifeboats Part 1 & 2 (Second ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 51, 55, 62, 77–78.
  18. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 46–57.
  19. ^ "Name The Always Ready | National Historic Ships". www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  20. ^ "Name The Elliot Gill | National Historic Ships". www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  21. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 103–104.

Sources

  • Chrystal, Paul (2012). Lifeboat Stations of North East England; From Sunderland to The Humber, Through Time. Stroud: Amberley. ISBN 9781445613765.
  • Leach, Nicholas (2018). The Lifeboat Service in England; the North East Coast, Station by Station. Stroud: Amberley. ISBN 9781445668321.
  • Video of the naming and launch of the lifeboat Robert Patton – The Always Ready in 1934
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