Stonehaven RNLI seeks descendants of the crew from 1874 disaster
Stonehaven RNLI is seeking descendants of the crew of the St George, the lifeboat involved in the Stonehaven lifeboat disaster of 1874.
On Sunday 25 February, the local RNLI lifeboat station will be holding an event in Stonehaven to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the disaster. The RNLI lifeboat station would like to invite family members of the crew of the St George to attend the commemoration.
The lifeboat St George, of Stonehaven, launched in a gale on 27 February 1874 to go to the aid of the Grace Darling of Blyth which was flying signals of distress north of Stonehaven. When the lifeboat reached her the signals of distress were taken down. Unable to return to Stonehaven through the gales the St George made for Aberdeen Harbour. However, crossing The Bar disaster struck and she capsized.
Four of her crew, Coxswain James Leiper, 2nd Coxswain John Brown, Alexander Main and James Lees, were lost and the boat smashed beyond repair.
Andy Martin, volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Stonehaven RNLI: ‘We hope to reach any relatives via the press and social media so that they can attend on the 25 February along with our current volunteer crew and other members of the community.’
For further details of the event please contact [email protected]
Notes to editors
· A RNLI Lifeboat Station was first formed at Stonehaven in 1867 and ran until 1934. The St George lifeboat was placed on service at Stonehaven in 1868
· In 1967 an Inshore Lifeboat Station was established at Stonehaven with the placing on service of a D-Class lifeboat. The RNLI station was closed in 1984
· A RNLI station was re-established in 2013 with the placing on service of a B-Class Atlantic 75. The current Inshore lifeboat is an Atlantic 85 B-Class the ‘Jamie Hunter’
· This year sees the 200th Anniversary of the establishment of the RNLI
RNLI media contacts
Anna Carlton, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07530 338562, [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Tom McGuire, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland and Ireland, 00353 87 476 4436, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789
RNLI online
For more information on the RNLI please visit rnli.org. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre rnli.org/news-and-media.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,200 lives.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.