History
Newhaven’s first lifeboat was established in 1803 [5] when a lifeboat which had been built to a design by Henry Greathead, [5] the pioneering rescue lifeboat builder from South Shields, was placed on station in the town. The boat was 22-feet long, and was 6-oared. The lifeboat was funded partly by a donation from Lloyd's of London, and the rest from locally raised donations. [8] The lifeboat was one of 31 of this type of lifeboat built by Greathead from his design of 1789 known as the Original. This type of lifeboat was designed to work in the shallow waters off the east coast of England, [9] but in small and open harbours like Newhaven, the Greathead-class boats were not popular because of their weight and the large number of crew needed to man them. [9] This may have been the case at Newhaven, as no record can be found that the boat was ever launched to a service. [5] In 1809 the boat was taken from the station and sent to Brighton. [3]
In 1825 the forerunner of the RNLI, the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, supplied a lifeboat to the town. There was still no boathouse in the town, and so this lifeboat when not in use was stored out in the open under a tarpaulin. This boat was in service at the town until 1829, when it was transferred to Cowes. [10]
There are no records of any other Newhaven lifeboat until 1852, when Newhaven was provided with a lifeboat by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society . [11] From 1851 the Society operated lifeboats, located at Lytham, Rhyl, Portmadoc, Tenby, Llanelli, Teignmouth, Hornsea and now Newhaven, but it was soon realised that it would be wiser if one organisation concentrated on rescuing lives at sea, whilst the other helped the survivors or their bereaved families. In 1854, the Society transferred its lifeboats to the RNLI. [12]
The RNLI's first life boat at Newhaven arrived in 1863. It had previously been on service at Boulmer and Thorpeness, and was extended to 35-feet by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, and for Newhaven was renamed Thomas Chapman. However, she only served Newhaven for four years, performing just one service, but rescuing five crew. [4]
A new boat arrived in 1867, a 33-foot self-righting lifeboat, also to be named Thomas Chapman, and built by Forrestt of London, costing £290-5s-0d. To house the new boat, Newhaven Lifeboat Station would finally get a boathouse, which was a brick built building on the west bank of the harbour, costing £471-8s-0d. [10]
In 1904, Newhaven became the first lifeboat station to operate a motor-powered lifeboat, when former Folkestone lifeboat J McConnell Hussey (ON 343) was temporarily assigned for trials. It had been fitted with an 11 h.p. engine, giving a speed of nearly 6knts.
She served Newhaven for 5 months, before being transferred to Tynemouth for further trials, but it was much liked by the crew, who requested that their regular boat, now the Michael Henry (ON 407) be also fitted with an engine. She was sent to Thames Ironworks, with a reserve lifeboat being placed on station until the return of Michael Henry in 1908. [10]
In 1909, the lifeboat house was extensively modified, and a new slipway was constructed. [13]
On 30 May 1940, the RNLI received a request from the Ministry of Shipping, to assemble as many lifeboats as possible at Dover within 24hrs. Newhaven Lifeboat Cecil and Lilian Philpott (ON 730) arrived in Dover the following morning. She was then used for the Dunkirk evacuation, making one trip and repatriating 51 men, finally arriving back on station on 11 June. [14]
A new Arun-class lifeboat, 52-32 Keith Anderson (ON 1106) arrived on service at Newhaven in 1985. Built by Wm. Osbourne of Littlehampton and costing £415,000, she was funded from the auction of a collection of Jewellery, donated by Mrs Esme Anderson in memory of her late husband. [10]
In November 1999, Newhaven's current lifeboat arrived on station. Costing £1,725,000, she is the 25kt Severn-class lifeboat 17-21 David and Elizabeth Acland (ON 1243). [4]
Royal National Lifeboat Institution 
