LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society

THE Thirty-sixth Annual Meeting of this ; truly national and useful Society was held j at the City Terminus Hotel, Cannon ,' Street, on the 4th of June. In the un- ; avoidable absence of His Grace the DUKE ', OF MARLBOROUGH, President of the Society, | the chair was taken by Capt. Hon. FRANCIS j MAUDE, E.N. There were also present, I amongst others, LORD BRABAZON, Sir' ANTONIO BRADY, Admirals Hon. J. W. S. J SPENCER, Sir W. H. HALL, K.C.B.', Sir j CLAUDE H. M. BUCKLE, K.C.B., ALEXANDER BOYLE, and M. & NOLLOTH; Captain AN- NESLEY, R.N., and the Rev. GEO. WILKINS.

The Chairman briefly contrasted the position of the Society at the present time with that of 1846, when the late j and present Secretaries were appointed, seven years after its establishment. In 1846 its income was 5,004 .; it then had 500 Honorary Agents, and had relieved 12,910 persons in seven years. Last year the income was 32,638Z.; there were now over 1,000 Agents, and the number relieved in 1874 was 10,028! In 1846 there were 15,000 Fishermen and Mariners subscribing to the Society; in 1874 there were 47,847, by whom upwards of 7,0002.

was voluntarily contributed. Previous to 1846 the Society only relieved the I widows of those who were drowned; now ; they relieved on the same terms the widows of those who died a natural death.

; The Society would be most happy to help Liverpool or any other port with a grant towards such an Aged Seamen's Institu- tion as the " Royal Alfred," at Belvedere, and on the same terms, viz., their having the privileges of votes and perpetual nominations of a certain number of In or Out Pensions for their oldest and most necessitous members. He then called upon the Secretary, Commander W. H.SYMONS, R.N., to read the Report, in which the Committee stated that whether i they regarded the Society's income, or | the magnitude of its operations, there had never been since its foundation more reason for thankfulness to God, and seldom so large a number of grants made to those who have been called to suffer from " sorrow on the sea." Their Royal Highnesses the PRINCE and PRINCESS or WALES had graciously consented to be- come Vice-Patrons of the Society, and many large contributions were announced.

The Society had, amongst its other objects, a "Mariners' National Pension Fund." During the past year it had relieved no less than 4,769 shipwrecked persons, including crews of many foreign countries forwarded to their Consuls.

Belief was given, during the same period, to 5,259 widows, orphans, and aged parents, making a total of 241,910 suf- ferers who had been promptly relieved at the time of great need since the forma- tion of the Society in 1839.

Two silver medals and 581, 7s. in cash had also been granted by the Society last year for gallant services in saving life from Shipwreck on the high seas and coasts of our colonies.

In conclusion, the Committee left with confidence in the hands of a benevolent public the cause of a charity which appealed so powerfully to all, and which was so especially and loudly called for in this great maritime country.

Various resolutions having been moved and seconded, the proceedings terminated.