History
In 1854, the Tees Bay Lifeboat and Shipwreck Society decided to place a lifeboat at Middlesbrough. The lifeboat was a 30-foot self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, and was constructed locally by R. Craggs of Stockton-on-Tees, to the design of James Peake. A boathouse was constructed on the quay at the Dock Cut, near to the Dock Masters office. [3]
At the request of the TBLSS, and agreed at the meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 5 August 1858, the management of their three stations, Redcar, Saltburn and Middlesbrough, was transferred to the RNLI. Each station was visited prior to the transfer by Capt. John Ward, RNLI Inspector of Lifeboats, who requested alterations to the Middlesbrough boat. It was transported to lifeboat builders Forrest of Limehouse, London, where it was lengthened to 33-feet, at a cost of £11-10s-0d. After passing trials, the boat was returned to the station in February 1859. [3] [4]
On the 7 April 1861, the Middlesbrough lifeboat was launched to the aid of the schooner Oregon, on passage from Grangemouth to Middlesbrough, which had run aground on South Gare Sands, at the mouth of the River Tees. The lifeboat managed to rescue four of the five crew, one man having been washed overboard when the vessel struck the sand. [5]
In 1864, Redcar Lifeboat Station had received a new 33-foot Self-righting lifeboat, but they had found that they needed a larger boat. A replacement was ordered, which arrived on station in 1867. The 33-foot boat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, was then transferred to Middlesbrough. The boat was named Crossley, having been funded out of a gift to the Institution by John Crossley, Carpet Manufacturer of Halifax, Yorkshire. [3]
The first service of the Crossley was on 28 February 1870, when she was launched to the aid of the schooner Johns. The vessel had been on passage from Santander, Spain to Middlesbrough when she was wrecked on the North Gare sands. The lifeboatmen had to battle heavy seas in a severe southerly gale to reach the vessel, finally managing to rescue the six crew. [7] [8]
In 1878, funds from the legacy of Mr. Thomas Firbank were appropriated to the Saltburn Lifeboat Station, but the Saltburn lifeboat was replaced in 1880, with a new donor. The legacy was then appropriated to Middlesbrough, and when a new 34-foot lifeboat was provided in 1884, it was named Thomas and Isabella Firbank (ON 6). In 1892, the named would be changed to Thomas and Isabella Firbank of Kingston-upon-Hull. The boat was launched just twice in her 11 years on station, but recorded no lives saved. [3]
It was decided to close the Middlesbrough lifeboat station in 1895. Thomas and Isabella Firbank of Kingston-upon-Hull (ON 6) was transferred to Scarborough, at the request of their crew, where the boat was renamed Queensbury. The station had been sited on a busy dockyard. The North Wharf was re-developed, and a map of the area produced in 1913 shows no trace of the lifeboat house. [10] [11]
