Scarborough’s first lifeboat was launched in 1801, one of the first in the country, just behind Sunderland and Montrose the previous year, and was located near today’s Spa Bridge. Newspapers were soon writing about its impressive rescues: ‘Common boats could not live in the sea from which these men were rescued – It is much to be wished that a life-boat was stationed at every port of the empire’. This was a big improvement on the fishermen’s cobles that had previously been used in rescues.
In 1861, the Scarborough Lifeboat Station agreed to join the RNLI, accepting their offer to send Scarborough one of their best self-righting boats. Its site moved to near the West Pier in 1821, crossing the road to its current home in 1940.
During one storm on 28th and 29th October 1880, several fishing vessels failed to enter the harbour and the lifeboat sprang into action. Coxswain John Owston was later awarded the silver medal of the RNLI for gallantry, credited with rescuing 28 people from five shipwrecks. Owston served as coxswain for 41 years, during which he was involved in saving 230 lives. He retired aged 68 in 1912, succeeded in the role by his son Jack.
The Scarborough Lifeboat crews have suffered a number of tragedies, in 1836, 1861 and 1951 for example. On December 8th 1954, three members of the lifeboat crew were lost when their vessel capsized after being hit by a 20-ft (7m) wave near the harbour, on their return from escorting fishing boats during stormy weather. Five of the crew of eight were flung overboard. While two men were pulled back into the boat, three more - her coxswain Jack Sheader, 63, his second Coxswain Jack Cammish, 52, and signalman Frank Bayes, 30 – could not be saved. A funeral service was held at St Mary’s Church on 13th December, which was broadcast to crowds who could not fit inside the church. The Times wrote that ‘there were five lorry loads of wreaths.’ Coxswain Sheader was described as ‘a man who could not leave the sea’, having served over 40 years on the lifeboat. The Scarborough lifeboat was back out at sea three days later, with a reconstituted crew.
It is now an annual tradition that a memorial service is held on the nearest Sunday to 8th December to honour and remember all Scarborough lifeboatmen who lost their lives in service.
