Holyhead Lifeboat Station

Lifeboat station in Anglesey, Wales

Location shown on Anglesey, Gwynedd

General information
Type| RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location| Anglesey
Country| Wales, United Kingdom
Coordinates| 53°19′05″N 4°38′31″W﻿ / ﻿53.318°N 4.642°W﻿ / 53.318; -4.642
Opened| 1828
Owner|  Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Holyhead Lifeboat Station (Welsh: Gorsaf Bad Achub Caergybi) is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station in the coastal town of Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales. It is one of the three oldest lifeboat stations situated on the North Wales coast, a disused building of which houses the Holyhead Maritime Museum.

## History[edit]

Holyhead Lifeboat 1950 until 1980 Barnett Class ON884 St Cybi (CS No 9) at Chatham

Holyhead Lifeboat Station was first mentioned in 1825 when it was decided a lifeboat would be built for the coastal town of Holyhead. A local committee was formed three years later and the first lifeboat arrived at the station shortly afterwards.[1] The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) took over control of the station in 1855 and an lifeboat house was built three years later. The station covered the shipping lane in and out of Liverpool.

In 1892, Holyhead Lifeboat Station received its first steam lifeboat, which was one of six to serve in the RNLI. The lifeboat was involved in an operation to rescue crew members of the SS Harold in 1908 which anchored near rocks between North Stack and South Stack. The third steam Lifeboat to serve at Holyhead, James Stevens No.3, was retired in 1928 when it was replaced by a motor-powered Watson-class lifeboat, H.C.J. (ON 708)

Twenty-one years later, a new boathouse and slipway were constructed on Salt Island.[2] The boathouse and slipway were used until 1980, when a new Arun-class boat was allocated to the station and kept afloat in the harbour. Unfortunately, wash from the ferry traffic led to the boat's GRP hull being damaged, and as a temporary measure a steel-hulled Waveney-class boat was placed on station while the boathouse and slipway were reconditioned and a new Tyne-class boat was constructed for the station. The new boat entered service in 1985, and slipway launching continued until 1997 when a new, more protected, berth was found for another Arun-class boat, 52-37 Kenneth Thelwall (ON 1123) to take over.

In 2003, the Arun-class was replaced by the present Severn-class Lifeboat, 17–41 Christopher Pearce (ON 1272)

An inshore lifeboat station was established on the site in 1967. The boathouse was expanded in 1987 to fit a D-class lifeboat (EA16) and its launching trolley. Its current inshore boat, (D-791) Mary & Archie Hooper, entered service in 2016.[2] Lead was stolen from the station's roof in the morning of 16 June 2011.[3] In February 2015 the station appointed its first female helm.[4]

## Station Honours[edit]

The following are awards made at Holyhead[5][6]
Holyhead have been awarded 49 medals. 4 Gold, 32 Silver and 13 Bronze

* RNLI Gold Medal

Rev James Williams - 1835

Captain William Owen - 1835

William Owen, Coxswain - 1908

Lieut Commander Harold Harknett Harvey VRD,
RNR, Inspector of Lifeboats for the North West area - 1967

* RNLI Silver Medal

Thomas Hughes - 1929

Robert Stables, Coxswain - 1833
Captain William Owen - 1833
Oliver Anthony, Master Mariner - 1833

Richard Morris, Coxswain - 1835

Henry Parry, Coxswain - 1840

William Rowlands, Coxswain - 1866

William Rowlands, Coxswain - 1867 (Second Service Award)

Thomas Roberts, Coxswain - 1833
(This service was carried out in the Rhosneigr lifeboat).

Coxswain Roberts - 1886 (Second Service Award)

Edward Jones, Coxswain - 1887

John O Williams, Chief Officer of HM Coastguard, Hon. Secretary - 1888

Edward Jones, Coxswain - 1889 (Second Service Award)

Robert Jones, Second Coxswain - 1889

John O Williams, Chief Officer of HM Coastguard, Hon. Secretary - 1890 (Second Service Award)
William Owen, Pilot - 1890
George Jones, Boatman - 1890
John Roberts, Farmer and Fisherman - 1890
John Morris, Farmer - 1890

Thomas W Brooke, crewman - 1908
George Jones, crewman - 1908
Lewis Jones, crewman - 1908
Richard Jones, crewman - 1908
Samuel Jones, crewman - 1908
James Lee, crewman - 1908
William McLaughlin, crewman - 1908
Charles H Marshall, crewman - 1908
William Owen Jnr, crewman - 1908
Lewis Roberts, crewman - 1908

Thomas Alcock, Coxswain - 1967
Eric Samuel Jones, Motor Mechanic - 1967

William Jones, Coxswain - 1977

* RNLI Bronze Medal

Richard Jones, Coxswain - 1943
John Jones, Motor Mechanic - 1943

Richard Jones, Coxswain - 1949 (Second Service Award)

William John Jones, Second Coxswain - 1967
Francis Ward, Acting Bowman - 1967
Jack Sharpe, Acting Assistant Mechanic - 1967
John Michael Hughes, crew member - 1967
David Graham Drinkwater, crew member - 1967
Brian Gordon Stewart, crew member - 1967

Donald Malcolm Forrest, Mechanic - 1971
Gareth Ogwen-Jones, crewmember - 1971
John Michael Hughes, crew member - 1971 (Second Service Award)

William Jones, Coxswain, - 1977 (Second Service Award)

* The Thanks of the Institution on Vellum

Awarded to each of the 15 crew - 1883
(This service was carried out in the Rhosneigr lifeboat).

All the lifeboat crew - 1978

* The Sugar Manufacturer’s Association (of Jamaica) Ltd Case of Rum 1954
for the longest continuous service during the winter months of 1953/54

Holyhead lifeboat crew - 1954

* Member, Order of the British Empire| Member (MBE)

Thomas Brian Thomson, Coxswain - 2007[7]

## Holyhead lifeboats[edit]

### All-weather lifeboats[edit]

#### Holyhead (No.1)[edit]

ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name  | In service [8] | Class  | Comments

|
|
|
|
|

–  | –  | Unnamed | 1858–1864  | 30' Self-Righting (P&S)  | [Note 1]
[9]
–  | –  | Princess of Wales | 1864–1875  | 30' Self-Righting (P&S)  | [9]
192  | –  | Thomas Fielden | 1875–1891  | 37' Self-Righting (P&S)  |
300  | –  | Thomas Fielden | 1891–1897  | 39' Self-Righting (P&S)  |
231  | –  | Duke of Northumberland | 1897–1922  | 50' Steam |
420  | –  | James Stevens No.3 | 1922–1928  | 56' 6 Steam |
708  | –  | H.C.J. | 1928–1929  | 45ft 6in Watson |
717  | –  | A.E.D. | 1929–1950  | Barnett |
884  | –  | St.Cybi
(Civil Service No.9) | 1950–1980  | Barnett |
1086  | 52-15  | Hyman Winstone | 1980–1983  | Arun |
1003  | 44-004  | Faithful Forester | 1984–1985  | Waveney |
1095 | 47-004 | St.Cybi II
(Civil Service No.40) | 1985–1997 | Tyne |
1123  | 52-37  | Kenneth Thelwall | 1998–2003  | Arun |
1272  | 17-41  | Christopher Pearce | 2003–  | Severn |

#### Holyhead No.2[edit]

ON[a] | Name  | In service [8] | Class  | Comments

|
|
|
|

264  | Joseph Whitworth | 1890–1915  | 37' Self-Righting (P&S)  |
617  | Fanny Harriet | 1915–1929  | 37' Self-Righting (P&S)  |
485  | Reserve No.D7 | 1929–1930 | 34' Self-Righting (Motor) | [Note 2]

#### Holyhead No.3[edit]

ON[a] | Name  | In service [8] | Class  | Comments

|
|
|
|

231  | Duke of Northumberland | 1892–1893 | 50' Steam | [Note 3]

### Inshore lifeboats[edit]

Op. No.[b] | Name  | In service [8] | Class  | Comments

|
|
|
|

D-116 | unnamed | 1967–1976 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
D-249  | Caribbean I | 1976–1988  | D-class (Zodiac III) |
D-358  | unnamed | 1988–1996  | D-class (EA16) |
D-507  | Spirit of Bedworth and Nuneaton | 1996–2005  | D-class (EA16) |
D-654  | Angel of Holyhead
(Civil Service No.46) | 2005–2016  | D-class (IB1) |
D-791  | Mary & Archie Hooper | 2016–  | D-class (IB1) |

1. ^ a b c 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[edit]

* List of RNLI stations
* Royal National Lifeboat Institution
* Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Later named Forester
2. ^ Previously Robert and Catherine at Appledore (Braunton Burrows)
3. ^ Later in service at No.1

## References[edit]

1. ^ "About". Holyhead Lifeboat Station. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
2. ^ a b "Holyhead lifeboat station". History Points. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
3. ^ "Thieves steal lead from Holyhead lifeboat station". North Wales Chronicle. 17 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
4. ^ Wyn-Williams, Gareth (19 February 2015). "Holyhead RNLI gets its first female helm in almost 200 years". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
5. ^ "Holyhead's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
6. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0 907605 89 3.
7. ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
8. ^ a b c d Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–128.
9. ^ a b Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.

## External links[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

RNLI Lifeboat stations in Wales

* Penarth
* Barry Dock
* Porthcawl
* Port Talbot
* The Mumbles
* Horton and Port Eynon
* Burry Port
* Tenby
* Angle
* Little and Broad Haven
* St Davids
* Fishguard
* Cardigan (Poppit Sands)
* New Quay
* Aberystwyth
* Borth
* Aberdovey
* Barmouth
* Criccieth
* Pwllheli
* Abersoch
* Porthdinllaen
* Trearddur Bay
* Holyhead
* Moelfre
* Beaumaris
* Conwy
* Llandudno
* Rhyl
* Flint

(Stations are ordered in clockwise order around the coast)
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