(My thanks to photographer and ex crew member Ian Moignard for permission to use these photos. He adds that they were taken in March 1973 whilst she was on temporary relief duty at St. Helier, Jersey, and that she wouldn't have been painted orange in her Lowestoft days).
Grateful Thanks to Scott Snowling, Lowestoft lifeboat enthusiast, for his help and provision of lifeboat information. The information below (from which my table was compiled) came from Scott and was slightly edited before posting here, May 14th 2003.
Lowestoft is one of the oldest lifeboat stations in the British isles, founded in 1801, 23 years ahead of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Another claim to fame is that the first sailing lifeboat (in the world?), the Francis Anne, was built for the Lowestoft station.
The first lifeboat was built by Henry Greathead, who, 12 years before, had built for South Shields the first ever purpose built lifeboat, which was named the 'Original'. Six years after the first lifeboat arrived Lowestoft took its place in lifeboat history by having the first sailing lifeboat.
This boat was built for the Suffolk Humane Society, in Lowestoft, at Sparham's yard, under the superintendence of Lionel Lukin, a coach builder from London. The boat named 'Francis Anne' was the first of many sailing lifeboats to serve on our coasts for over 140 years. It was not until December 1948 that the last one of these fine vessels was replaced by a motor lifeboat.
The Francis Ann, the prototype Norfolk & Suffolk class lifeboat, with dimensions of 40' x 10' which took 14 oars, served until 1850. rescuing in excess of 300 lives.
The Victoria/Loetitia came to Lowestoft in 1850. She was of the Norfolk & Suffolk type. She had an overall length of 42' 6" and a beam of around 11'8". Also built by Sparhams yard, she was launched 47 times to save 271 lives. She was condemned & taken off service and broken up in 1876.
The Samuel Plimsol built in 1876 by Sparhams was 44' long and 12'3" wide. She, (He!) was a Norfolk & Suffolk design & took 14 oars. From 1882 she was kept afloat all the time, since then all other lifeboats at Lowestoft have been too. She served at Lowestoft until 1905 when she was sold, having been launched 83 times to save 165 lives.
The Kentwell was built at the Thames Ironworks yard at Blackwell in 1905. At 46' x 12'6" she also took 14 oars. She was launched 60 times saving 168 lives. In 1922 she was sent to Gorleston, where she was sold in 1928. This vessel was Lowestoft's last Sailing boat.
The Agnes Cross was built in 1920 by S.E Saunders, a 46' 6" Norfolk & Suffolk type boat with a motor installed. Formally at Gorleston, where she was called John & Mary Meiklam Of Gladswood, she was disliked there & transferred to Lowestoft in 1921. She was launched 24 times & rescued 209 Lives. Then she went into the relief fleet until 1951.
The Michael Stephens was the next Lifeboat at Lowestoft. She was a 46' Watson motor, built in 1939 at J.S White's. Launched 134 times, she saved 73 lives. In 1963 she was transferred to Exmouth and then into the relief fleet. She was finally sold in 1976 and replaced by another Watson.
This Watson motor was 47' x 13'. Built in 1963 also by J. S. White and was on service up until 1986. launching 250 times saving106 lives.
Then the most short serving lifeboat at lowestoft took over, the Archibald &Alexander M Paterson, a Barnet Class lifeboat, on service for almost one year ( while Lowestoft waited for the new Tyne Class lifeboat to be completed). She made 19 launches during this time.
Then Lowestoft received its current lifeboat, the Spirit of Lowestoft, a Tyne Class lifeboat, 47' long, which arrived during 1987. She was funded by the Lowestoft Journal appeal and other contributions, & gave the town its 'own' lifeboat. This boat has been on and off of service regularly due to refits & other work. In February 2003 the Spirit of Lowestoft went away with hull rust problems, to a yard (Halmatic) on the south coast. We are still waiting for news of her condition.
