Southwold lifeboat station celebrates RNLI’s 200th anniversary

On the day the charity turns 200, the RNLI is revealing its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved an incredible 146,277 lives during its two centuries of lifesaving.

Southwold RNLI lifeboat station was founded in 1840 and in that time its crews have launched the lifeboats 1004 times and saved 272 lives.

Southwold's first RNLI funded lifeboat was the Harriet, launched in 1855, although the towns own lifeboat society had operated lifeboats from 1840.

The Alfred Corry (1893–1918) was the first example of an improved class of Norfolk and Suffolk lifeboat called the Carvel-class. The boat's construction was funded by a donation left to the RNLI from the estate of Alfred James Corry of Putney, for whom she was named.

During her 25-year working career, she was launched 41 times. She and her crew are credited with saving 47 lives.

On 2 November 1918 the Kessingland Number 1 lifeboat, Bolton, was temporarily loaned to the Southwold lifeboat station whilst the condition of Alfred Corry was reviewed. In 1919, after much hard work during the War, Alfred Corry was found to be in need of considerable repair and was sold out of service, and the Bolton remained as Southwold lifeboat until the arrival of the Mary Scott in 1925, the first motorised lifeboat the Mary Scott was part of the rescue of British soldiers from the beaches at Dunkirk and did not return, without a lifeboat the Southwold Station closed until the arrival of the first of five D-Class lifeboats in 1963.

Southwold RNLI's first Atlantic (B-Class) arrived on station in 1973.

SoleBay was an Atlantic 21 and was on service from 1973-1985 before being replaced by another Atlantic 21 Quiver (1985-1998)

Leslie Tranmer Atlantic-75 Class arrived in 1998 and was on service until 2013 when the station's current 3rd generation Atlantic 85 Class lifeboat Annie Tranmer arrived.

During this period the Lifeboat station moved to its present day site at the harbour entrance.

A Service of Thanksgiving to mark 200 years of the RNLI will take place at Westminster Abbey in London on 4 March. It will be attended by representatives from RNLI lifesaving communities around the UK and Ireland, including Bob Cooper and Joe Barnes from Southwold RNLI Lifeboat Station.

Founded in a London tavern on 4 March 1824 following an appeal from Sir William Hillary, who lived on the Isle of Man and witnessed many shipwrecks, the RNLI has continued saving lives at sea throughout the tests of its history, including tragic disasters, funding challenges and two World Wars.

Two centuries have seen vast developments in the lifeboats and kit used by the charity’s lifesavers – from the early oar-powered vessels to today’s technology-packed boats, which are now built in-house by the charity; and from the rudimentary cork lifejackets of the 1850s to the full protective kit each crew member is now issued with.

The RNLI’s lifesaving reach and remit has also developed over the course of 200 years. Today, it operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on over 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK. It designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes.

While much has changed in 200 years, two things have remained the same – the charity’s dependence on volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the voluntary contributions from the public which have funded the service for the past two centuries.

RNLI Chief Executive, Mark Dowie, says: ‘It has been an honour and a privilege to be at the helm of the RNLI for the past five years, and to see the charity reach its bicentenary. For a charity to have survived 200 years based on the time and commitment of volunteers, and the sheer generosity of the public donating to fund it, is truly remarkable. It is through the courage and dedication of its incredible people that the RNLI has survived the tests of time, including tragic losses, funding challenges, two World Wars and, more recently, a global pandemic.

‘Today, we mark the bicentenary of the RNLI. We remember the achievements and commitment of all those who have been part of the RNLI family over the past two centuries; we celebrate the world-class lifesaving service we provide today, based on our 200 years of learning, expertise and innovation, and we hope to inspire future generations of lifesavers and supporters who will take the RNLI into its next century and beyond.

‘I am immensely grateful to everyone who is involved with the charity – our volunteers, supporters and staff. This is our watch and it is our role to keep our charity safe and secure so it can continue to save lives into the future, as we strive in our vision to save every one.’

Throughout its bicentenary year, the charity is running events and activities to remember its important history and celebrate the modern lifesaving service it is today, while hoping to inspire generations of future lifesavers and supporters.

For further information about the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, visit RNLI.org/200.

Notes to Editors

• Statistics from RNLI Operational Data from 4 March 1824 to 31 December 2023 inclusive. A life saved shows how many of the people helped by the RNLI would have lost their life had the RNLI not been there.

• Click here to access the RNLI 200th anniversary media pack, which contains a selection of RNLI archive images from key points in the charity’s history, an RNLI history timeline, and a film of ‘200 years in 200 seconds’ – all of which can be downloaded.

RNLI Media contacts

[email protected] or the RNLI press office on 01202 336789 / [email protected].