The Mumbles Lifeboat Station is at

Mumbles Pier The Grade II listed structure of Mumbles Pier is an long Victorian pleasure pier built in 1898. It is located at the south-western corner of Swansea Bay near the village of Mumbles, within the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The pier i ...

, located at the south-western corner of

Swansea Bay Swansea Bay () is a bay on the southern coast of Wales. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan, River Kenfig and Clyne River flow into the bay. Swansea Bay and the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel experience a large tidal range. The sh ...

, near the village of

Mumbles Mumbles () is a headland sited on the western edge of Swansea Bay on the southern coast of Wales. Toponym Mumbles has been noted for its place names considered unusual, unusual place name. The headland is thought by some to have been named by ...

, within the city and county of

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

, in the historic county of

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. A lifeboat was first placed at Mumbles in 1835, provided by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), but managed by Swansea Harbour Trustees. Management of the station, by now located in Swansea, and known as Swansea Lifeboat Station, was taken over by the

Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...

(RNLI) in 1863, and moved back to Mumbles in 1866. The station currently operates a All-weather lifeboat, 16-27 ''Roy Barker IV'' (ON 1307), on station since 2014, and the smaller Inshore lifeboat, ''Hugh, Maureen and Heather Pope'' (D-895), on station since 2024.

History

In February 1832, the

cutter Cutter may refer to: Tools * Bolt cutter * Box cutter * Cigar cutter * Cookie cutter * Cutter (hydraulic rescue tool) * Glass cutter * Meat cutter * Milling cutter * Paper cutter * Pizza cutter * Side cutter People * Cutter (surname) * Cutt ...

''Ilfracombe Packet'' ran aground, whilst trying to enter Swansea harbour. Silvanus Padley, son of the Harbour Trust clerk, having been initially refused the loan of the Customs Officers' boat, smashed its securing lock, and put out with 5 pilots to aid the vessel. This was just one of dozens of incidents that prompted discussion and demands for a lifeboat, but despite meetings and action plans by the Swansea Harbour Trust, and the formation of a committee including Silvanus Padley, nothing was done. In October 1833, John Bevan, Master of the

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

''Gower'', swam out to the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

''Andrew and Margaret'' of

Maryport Maryport is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town is on the coast of the Solway Firth and lies at the northern end of the former Cumberland Co ...

, on passage from

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, when it ran aground at

Margam Margam is a suburb and community (Wales), community of Port Talbot in the Wales, Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway. The community had a population of 3,017 in 2011; the built up area being l ...

, Rescuing one man in the water, he also got a line to the vessel, and the remaining crew of four were also saved. Bevan was awarded the RNIPLS Silver Medal. Finally, in 1835, a petition from locals for the provision of a lifeboat, to be stationed at

in the charge of the Inspecting Officer of Coastguard, was sent via the Swansea MP

John Henry Vivian John Henry Vivian FRS (9 August 1785 – 10 February 1855) was a Welsh industrialist and politician of Cornish extraction. He was a member of the Vivian family. Vivian was the son of John Vivian (1750–1826), of Truro, Cornwall, and his ...

, to the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), who agreed to provide a lifeboat. A 28-foot (12-oared) non-self-righting Palmer lifeboat, was ordered from Taylor of

Blackwall, London Blackwall is an area of Poplar, London, Poplar, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, East London. The neighbourhood includes Leamouth and the Coldharbour, Tower Hamlets, Coldharbour conservation area. The area takes its name from a historic ...

, costing £120. There are no service records for the boat. On 3 May 1851, Capt. Edwards of Swansea Harbour Trust reported the boat unserviceable, adding that it had never been regarded as a good boat, and was the reason no money had been spent on its upkeep by the Trustees. In 1859, Capt. Crewe-Read, RN, Coastguard Inspector at Swansea, reported that there had been a lifeboat at Mumbles for some years, but had proved useless there, and had been taken to Swansea. Meanwhile, ships had still been wrecked, and rescues had taken place. The RNIPLS awarded no less than nine Silver Medals for rescues in the area between 1835 and 1840. The Harbour Trustees ordered a new lifeboat in 1855. It was in fact a legal requirement, under the

Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 The Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 ( 10 & 11 Vict. c. 27) is an act of Parliament of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a cou ...

, companies operating Dock facilities were required by Act of parliament to provide a lifeboat. A 30-foot Self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was constructed by Forrestt of

Limehouse Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains throu ...

, arriving in Swansea on 1 April 1856. A boathouse was constructed next to the Swansea harbour office, at a cost of £64-17s-0d. In 1863, a meeting of the Harbour Trustees was held with Capt. John Ward of the RNLI, (the RNIPLS having become the RNLI in 1854). He was firmly of the opinion that the lifeboat should be stationed at Mumbles Head, and it was agreed that the RNLI would undertake this. A site for the boathouse was provided by

Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1 February 1824 – 30 April 1899), styled Earl of Glamorgan until 1835 and Marquess of Worcester from 1835 to 1853, was a British peer, soldier, and Conservative politician. He served as Mas ...

, and a tender of £174 from James Randall of

Kidwelly Kidwelly () is a town and community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales, approximately northwest of the most populous town in the county, Llanelli. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census the community had a population ...

was accepted, for its construction. Initially, a 30-foot (10-oared) self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat was provided, one with both oars and sails, arriving in 1863, and being named ''Martha and Anne''. The boat was kept at the Swansea South Dock, awaiting completion of the Mumbles boathouse. The boat wasn't new, and had previously served at the Drogheda (Baltray) Lifeboat Station. The boathouse was ready in 1864, but couldn't be used, as plans to extend the railway there had developed. However, a number of incidents occurred off the Mumbles, and the boat was finally transferred to Mumbles in January 1866, although she would be stored in the open, under the cliffs. Finally it was confirmed that the railway extension had been abandoned, and construction of the slipway could start. Soon afterwards, the RNLI provided a new lifeboat, the 33-foot ''Wolverhampton''. During a gale on Saturday 27 January 1883, the German

barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts of which the fore mast, mainmast, and any additional masts are Square rig, rigged square, and only the aftmost mast (mizzen in three-maste ...

''Admiral Prinz Aldabert'' was driven on to rocks near the

Mumbles Lighthouse Mumbles Lighthouse, completed in 1794, is a lighthouse located in Mumbles, near Swansea. The structure, which sits on the outer of two islands off Mumbles Head, is clearly visible from any point along the five mile sweep of Swansea Bay. Along wi ...

. ''Wolverhampton'' went out to assist and was capsized multiple times, finally being washed on to rocks. The lifeboat was badly damaged, and four of the lifeboat crew drowned, with others being seriously injured. Coxswain Jenkin Jenkins was awarded the RNIPLS Silver Medal, but had lost two sons in the incident. Building with RNLI plaques - Mumbles - geograph

Building with RNLI plaques - Mumbles - geograph

The badly damaged lifeboat ''Wolverhampton'' was withdrawn, and replaced with a slightly larger 34-foot 8in lifeboat, also to be named ''Wolverhampton'' (ON 229). The boathouse was demolished and rebuilt, by Watkins and Jenkins, at a cost of £350, completed in 1884. In 1888, a new 15-foot wide, 60-foot long slipway was constructed, at a cost of £110. In 1897, Mumbles Railway and Pier Company constructed a new slipway for the RNLI, at no cost to the Institution, as they extended the railway across the top of it, right past the boathouse, to reach the

, which was under construction. On 31 January 1903, the

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

''Christina'' of

Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...

ran aground on Aberavon sands. The crew were able to walk ashore at low tide. The following day, Mumbles lifeboat (ON 432) was launched into gale-force conditions, to stand by the vessel as she refloated. Deciding to take shelter in the mouth of the

River Afan The River Afan () is a river in Wales whose valley formed the territory of the medieval Lords of Afan. The Afan Valley encompasses the upper reaches of the river. The valley is traversed by the A4107 road. Settlements in the area include Cwma ...

, the lifeboat was hit by huge waves, and capsized twice. Six of the ten men thrown into the water were lost, including Coxswain Thomas Rogers, and David Morgan, a survivor of the 1883 capsize. was withdrawn from service. After a short period with relief lifeboat ''Reserve No.4'' (ON 378), the 37-foot lifeboat ''Quiver No.1'' (ON 265) (Reserve No.3A) was placed on service. Too long for the boathouse, she was moored afloat, and a second boat, former lifeboat ''Richard'' (ON 248), was modified, and housed in the boathouse, to be used as a boarding boat.

Close-up of Mumbles lifeboat station - geograph

In October 1904, the station officially became The Mumbles Lifeboat Station. At a meeting of the Mumbles lifeboat committee in 1905, it was agreed that a boathouse and slipway, accessed via the new Mumbles Pier, was the way forward. It would be 1916 before the slipway was constructed, and a further 6 years in 1922, before a boathouse was completed, constructed on top of the slipway. The boathouse would remain in use until 2014.

Notable Rescues

On 4 October 1944, the Canadian

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

HMCS Chebogue was hit by a torpedo, whilst escorting westbound Atlantic convoy ONS 33. With all other crew taken off, she was towed 890 miles, with just 37 men and six officers still aboard. She arrived in Swansea Bay on 11 Oct under tow from the Ocean Tug HMS ''Earner'', but arrived in worsening conditions, of hurricane force. The tow line was lost, and the vessel ran aground on Port Talbot bar. The Mumbles lifeboat ''Edward, Prince of Wales'' (ON 678) was launched at 7:45pm. Due to the position of the vessel, and in extremely difficult conditions, the lifeboat had to make 12 visits to the ship, rescuing three or four men at a time. One man broke a leg, one jumped and landed on the Coxswain, who was badly bruised, and a third fell between the boats, fortunate not to be crushed, but all were rescued. Coxswain William John Gannon was awarded the

RNLI Gold Medal A number of awards have been established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since its creation in 1824. None are approved by the Crown, and are therefore unofficial awards. As such, they do not appear in the official British order ...

, with other awards made to the crew.

The Mumbles lifeboat disaster 1947

A third disaster would strike the Mumbles lifeboat. On 23 April 1947, the Mumbles lifeboat ''Edward, Prince of Wales'' was launched to the aid of the

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...

'' Samtampa'', which was bound for

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay * Newport (Vietnam), a United States Army and Army of t ...

, but had developed engine trouble in a violent gale, and was reported drifting towards Nash Shoal. The lifeboat was last seen just after 7pm. The ''Samtampa'' came ashore at Sker Point, and broke into three sections. All of the 39 crew of the ''Samtampa'' perished. At dawn, the upturned wrecked lifeboat could be seen. All eight lifeboatmen were also lost, including RNLI Gold medal holder Coxswain William John Gannon.

Today

The lifeboat is the main workhorse of the station, being used for more than 60 per cent of the callouts. In 2014 a new Tamar class lifeboat entered service at The Mumbles, temporarily based at Swansea Marina while a new, larger, boathouse and slipway were constructed on the end of Mumbles pier. In 2015 and 2016, Mumbles was the busiest station in Wales, launching 83 times, and was the busiest station in 2022, with 126 launches. In January 2023, safety concerns over access over the existing pier to the station, caused the station building to be closed. The current pier owners do not have the funds to pay for essential repairs. The lifeboat is currently kept afloat at a mooring.

Station honours

The following are awards made to the crew of Mumbles Lifeboat Station *

::William John Gammon, Coxswain – 1944 * RNIPLS Silver Medal ::John Bevan, Master of the

''Gower'' – 1833 ::William Evans – 1835 ::John Reeve, Master of the

''Wave'' – 1838 ::Capt. Thomas Jones – 1839 ::Capt. John Howell – 1839 ::Capt. Charles Sutton – 1839 ::Capt. Joseph Foley – 1839 ::Arthur Rees – 1839 ::Lewis Jenkins – 1839 ::Capt. Joseph Foley (Second-Service clasp) – 1840 *

RNLI Silver Medal A number of awards have been established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since its creation in 1824. None are approved by the Crown, and are therefore unofficial awards. As such, they do not appear in the official British order ...

::Jenkin Jenkins, Coxswain – 1883 ::Lionel Derek Scott, Coxswain – 1964 ::Lionel Derek Scott , Coxswain (Second-Service clasp) – 1971 *

RNLI Bronze Medal A number of awards have been established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since its creation in 1824. None are approved by the Crown, and are therefore unofficial awards. As such, they do not appear in the official British order ...

::William John Gammon, Coxswain – 1941 ::Robert Trevor Williams, Mechanic – 1941 ::William Gilbert Davies, Mechanic – 1944 ::Thomas John Ace, Bowman – 1944 ::Lionel Derek Scott, Coxswain – 1968 *Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum ::Gunner Edward Hutchings, RA – 1883 ::Charles R. Davies, crew member – 1944 ::Thomas A. Davies, crew member – 1944 ::William John Eynon, crew member – 1944 ::Alfred D. Michael, crew member – 1944 ::William Michael, crew member – 1944 ::W. Davies, Second Coxswain – 1964 ::J. Gammon, Mechanic – 1964 ::W. Tucker, Assistant Mechanic – 1964 ::J. Bailey, Signalman – 1964 ::K. Kostromin – 1964 ::G. Parsons – 1964 ::H. Randall – 1964 ::J. Whitford – 1964 ::Alan Richards Jones, Helm – 1971 ::Peter Allan Algie, crew member – 1971 ::Anthony David Lewis, crew member – 1971 ::Lionel Derek Scott , Coxswain – 1981 ::Anthony David Lewis, Helm – 1983 *A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution ::W. Clements – 1973 *The Maud Smith Award 1944 : ::William John Gammon, Coxswain – 1944 *The Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal and Thanks Certificate ::R. J. Gammon, Mechanic – 1948 *

British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

::Lionel Derek Scott, Coxswain – 1970QBH * Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) ::Capt. Peter Royall Griffiths, Deputy Launch Authority – 2009NYH *Binocular glasses from Kaiser William I, Emperor of Germany ::Jenkin Jenkins, Coxswain – 1874 *Engraved Statuette of a Lifeboatman ::Lionel Derek Scott , Coxswain – 1980

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving The Mumbles lifeboat. *Mumbles lifeboat ''Wolverhampton'' capsized multiple times, on service to the

''Admiral Prinz Adalbert'' of Danzig, 27 January 1883 ::John Jenkins, Second Coxswain ::William Jenkins, crew member ::William Macnamara, crew member ::William Rogers, crew member * capsized on service to the

''Christina'' of

, 1 February 1903 ::Thomas Rogers, Coxswain ::Daniel Claypitt, Second Coxswain ::George Michael, crew member ::James Gammon, crew member ::Robert Smith, crew member ::David John Morgan, crew member (Survivor of 1883 capsize) *RNLB ''Edward, Prince of Wales'' (ON 678) capsized, and was wrecked, whilst on service to the

SS Samtampa SS ''Samtampa'' was a 7,219 ton steamship wrecked on Sker Point, off Porthcawl and Kenfig, Wales, in the Bristol Channel on 23 April 1947. At the time of the shipwreck, the ''Samtampa'' was operated by the Houlder Line. The ''Samtampa'' ha ...

, 23 April 1947 ::William John Gammon, Coxswain ::William Noel, Second Coxswain ::Gilbert Davies, Mechanic ::Ernest Griffin, Assistant Mechanic ::William R. S. Thomas, Bowman ::William L. Howell, crew member ::William Ronald Thomas, crew member ::Richard Smith, crew member

The Mumbles lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

Inshore lifeboats

Notes

References

External links

RNLI website: Mumbles lifeboat station

Facebook page: Mumbles lifeboat station facebook page

“The Second Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster: 1st February 1903 - lifeboat James Stevens No.12,” by Kate Jones
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mumbles Lifeboat Station Lifeboat stations in Wales Swansea Bay Transport infrastructure completed in 1835