Kirkcudbright's station history
MEDAL RECORD
One Silver voted in 1865.
The station was established in 1862 following representations by the then Town Council, there having been several disastrous wrecks near the bar of the River Dee.
During World War II the lifeboats at Kirkcudbright launched on 10 occasions and rescued 12 lives.
1862
Lifeboat house constructed at a cost of £144.
1865
Silver Medal awarded to Andrew Lusk, a farmer, who, with five of his servants attempted to rescue the crew of the schooner Havelock of Beston which was wrecked on 30 November 1864. One of the servants, Peter McGinn was drowned in the attempt. All of the schooner’s crew perished as well. The Committee of Management voted £10 for the local fund for Peter McGinn’s widow and children.
1892
Lifeboat station removed to Cutlers Pool. Old lifeboat house sold for £20.
1893
New lifeboat house and slipway constructed at a cost of £1,200.
1908
In August 1908 whilst accompanying his son George who was serving as Pilot on the river Dee Matthew Parkhill, the Coxswain of the Kirkcudbright Lifeboat was drowned. George Parkhill was awarded the Royal Humane Society’s Bronze Medal for attempting to save his father’s life. George was then appointed Coxswain of the lifeboat on the death of his father.
1962
A Centenary Vellum awarded.
1976
The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Coxswain/Mechanic George Davidson for the rescue of two people from a rock at the mouth of the River Dee using breeches buoy in a southerly gale and very rough sea on 16 May.
1985
The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Acting Coxswain/Mechanic Stephen Unsworth when the lifeboat Mary Pullman rescued the crew of three from the fishing vessel Leon Jeannine aground and breaking up on the Milton Sands in a southerly gale and rough seas on the night of 26 November 1984.
1988
B class Atlantic 21 inshore lifeboat, B523, sent to station on 24 July for evaluation trials for a year.
1989
The boathouse and slipway adapted to accommodate the new B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat.
The all-weather lifeboat withdrawn from station on 18 April and replaced with a B class Atlantic lifeboat on 3 May.
2006
New slipway boathouse adaptation completed on 6 March at a cost of £234,531.
A new inshore lifeboat, the B class Atlantic 85, B814 Sheila Stenhouse was placed on service on Thursday 14 December. The lifeboat was generously funded by The Sheila Stenhouse Bequest. Lifeboat B585 has been withdrawn.
2009
A slipway extension was constructed at a total cost of £235,000.
2011
The Trustees of the Institution voted the station a Vellum to commemorate 150 years service in 2012.