The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, was held at Willis's Booms, King Street, St. James's Square, on Thursday, the 17th day of March 1881. In the absence of His Grace THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, P.O., D.C.L., President of the Institution, the Chair was occupied by the Bight Hon. EARL PEROT, M.P.

The following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— ANNUAL REPORT.

THE ROYAL NATIONAL LITE-BOAT INSTI- TUTION has now been in existence fifty- seven years, and it is a source of satisfaction to its Managing Committee to feel that at no period since its founda- tion has it more entirely possessed the confidence of the British public than now, as shown by the noble support it continues to receive—a support which the Committee feel would not have been afforded unless the necessity for its exist- ence had been recognised and its system of management approved.

In truth, at no time has the need of such an Institution been more strikingly exemplified than during the past twelve months, more especially in the fierce gales and blinding snowstorms of January last, on our Eastern coast, which witnessed some of the most daring exploits of our Life-boatmen that have ever been re- corded—exploits which not only testified to their humanity and courage, but to their wonderful physical endurance. In evidence of the same it will suffice to state, that on several occasions during those storms the Life-boats' crews were at sea from fifteen to twenty-four hours, and in one instance (that of the Ramsgate Life-boat), for twenty-six hours—exposed to the full fury of the storm, in the bitterest cold, in some cases without food throughout those long hours, and with their clothes stiffened with ice.

The transactions of the Society during the year may be epitomised as follows:— Life-boats.—Since the last Annual Report seventeen new Life-boats have been sent to the coast, one of them to a new Station, and sixteen to replace other boats. Six- teen boats have been provided with new carriages, and three new boathouses have been built. On the other hand one station, viz., that at Chapman's Fool in Dorsetshire, has been discontinued.

The following are the Stations to which new Life-boats have been sent:— ENGLAND AND WALES.

DURHAM YORKSHIRE NORFOLK .

KENT . .

Whitburn.

Saltburn.

Wells.

Kingsgate.

Bye.

Hastings.

CORNWALL . .

NORTH DEVON.

CARDIGANSHIRE LANCASHIRE Sennen Cove.

Braunton.

Aberystwith.

St. Anne's.

LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL.—VOL. XL—No. 120.

(Second Edition.) 238 ANNUAL REPORT. SCOTLAND. when ordinary boats could not with safety AYRSHIRE . . .

ABERDEENSHIRE . . Ardrossan.

. Fraserburgh. have been employed. Unhappily the Committee are not able to report that these invaluable services were performed IRELAND. without loss of life an longst the brave Co. Down . . Newcastle. men by whom they have been accom- „ LOUTH . • Giles' Quay. plished, no lee s than five of the Insti- n WATKRFORD Tramore.

Ajdmore. tution's Life-boats having capsized, with n CORK . . Ballycotton. a total loss of eighteen of their crews — a number unprecedented within one year in The Life-boats of the Institution have the history of the Institution. The fol- been the means of saving five hundred and lowing is a summary of these painful seventy-seven lives during the past year evidences of the dangerous character of from wrecked or endangered vessels, most the work which the Institution has under- of them under perilous circumstances, taken to supervise : — STATION. Date Number of Number of Number of Lives lost £. Widows. Orphans. 1880 March. 25 nil nil nil ABERYSTWITH October 7 mi nil H'l nil IU1 nil 29 mi mi 10 nil an » *•* 1881 4.U of January 18 YARMOUTH 99 » « £iL Totals . . . 18 15 54 Towards the maintenance of the widows, In addition to these Life-boat services, and of their children until able to sup- 120 lives were saved from shipwreck by port themselves, the Institution has sub- shore-boats and other means, making a scribed 1,8007., to be added to the local total of 697 lives preserved in 1880, for contributions raised in their behalf. which honorary or pecuniary rewards were made by the Institution. Shipwrecks. — The storms of the past year were unusually violent, and most destructive to life and property.

The services of the Life-boats of the Institution during each month of the year Happily about 430 lives were also saved last year by means of the Rocket Appa- ratus belonging to the BOARD OF TRADE, which is worked so efficiently by the Coastguard and the Rocket Volunteer were as follows: — Brigades. Number of Life- Vessels Lives 1880. boat Launches. Saved. Saved. The services of the Life-boats during January 13 2 8 the heavy storms ot January last were 34 4 81 most conspicuous; they were as fol- March April . 17 13 2 1 46 13 lows : — % May, June, and July . 17 3 46 August 12 _ 13 Lives September .... 17 _ _ 50 saved. October 61 7 137 rarif.. flrftoo ner. of Kra. trp.roe 3 November .... 39 5 120 Attila, shin, of Newcastle — rendered assist- December .... 22 3 63 ance. Total .... 245 27 577 Berwick-upon-Tweed fishing-boats — saved two boats and cr 9 ANNUAL REPORT. 239 Lives In the No. of Lives In the No. of Lives saved. Year Saved. Year Saved. Brazilian, S.8. of Barrow — rendered assist- 1824 124 1854 355 ance. 1825 218 1855 406 Brixham pilot gig — remained alongside.

Claremont, steamer, of Newcastle .... 6 Fishguard Lass, smack, of Abersoch ... 3 1826 175 1827 163 1828 301 1829 463 1856 473 1857 374 1858 427 1859 499 Hasselo, brigahtine, of Hagnesund .... 8 1830 372 1831 287 1860 455 1861 424 Bertha, barque, of Christiansund — rendered 1832 310 1862 574 assistance. 1833 449 1863 714 Indian Chief, ship, of Liverpool .... 12 1834 214 1864 698 1835 364 1865 714 1836 225 1866 921 Magdalen and Star of Peace, fishing-boats . 12 1837 272 1867 1,086 1838 456 1839 279 1840 353 1868 862 1869 1,231 1870 784 Matilda, brig, of Gothenberg — tendered as- sistance. 1841 128 1871 882 Minnie Coles, schooner, of Southampton — 1842 276 1872 739 1843 236 •1070 fiftft Miss Beck, schooner, of Carnarvon .... 5 1844 193 AO/O ODO 1874 713 North Wales, barque, of London .... 21 1845 235 1875 921 1846 134 1876 600 1847 157 1877 1,048 Ruby, sloop, of Goole — assisted to save vessel and 2 1848 123 1849 209 1878 616 1879 855 Staithes and Cullercoats fishing cobles — ren- 1850 470 1851 230 1880 697 dered assistance. 1852 773 Total 27,603 Teignmouth fishing-boats — saved two boats 1853 678 and . 2 Trafalgar, screw steamer, of London ... 23 Visitor, brig, of Whitby 6 In view of facts like these the Life- boat Institution cannot fail to maintain Total lives saved in January, inl „« its hold on the support of the British addition to six vessels . . .) public. Eemvrds. — In the Appendix a summary is given of the cases where honorary and other rewards have been voted last year. On some of these occasions the hard- In that period 1 Gold, 6 Silver Medals ships of the Life-boat men were fearful ; and Clasps, 14 Votes of Thanks inscribed but all were borne, and borne bravely, on vellum, and 4,287Z. were granted for their only anxiety often being that their saving the lives of 697 persons by Life- sufferings might not ultimately interfere boats, shore and fishing boats, and by with their timely succour to the ship- other means, on the shores and outlying wrecked sailors. The latter again were sandbanks of our coasts. often found so benumbed by the frost, The Committee continue to devote snow, and wind, as to be all but dead ; and much time and consideration to the in- frequently they also had to be carried vestigation and granting of these awards ; ashore from the Life-boat. but they are rewarded by the assurance that their decisions usually give universal The number of lives saved during satisfaction, and encourage our coast the fifty-seven years from the establish- population to put forth their utmost ment of the Institution, to the end of the exertions to save — often at the peril of year 1880, either by its Life-boats or by their own lives- the lives of others. special exertions for which it has granted The Institution continues to receive rewards, is 27,603, as shown in the the cordial and prompt co-operation of following Table : — H.K.H. the Admiral-Superintendent of 240 ANNUAL REPORT.

Naval Reserves, and of the officers and men of the Coastguard service, to whom the Committee tender their best thanks.

And they desire especially to refer to His Royal Highness' courtesy in pre- senting, on their behalf, the Medals and Votes of Thanks awarded by the Institution to the crews of the Ramsgate Harbour Life-boat and steamer in acknowledgment of their bravery and long exposure, ex- tending over twenty-six hours, on the 5th and 6th January last, in rescuing the survivors of the crew of the barque Indian Chief wrecked on the Long Sands.

Since the establishment of the Insti- tution, it has expended on Life-boat Sta- tions, and other means for saving life from shipwreck, on the coasts of the United Kingdom, upwards of 540,00(W., and has voted 95 Gold Medals, 931 Silver Medals, and 66,5002. in pecuniary rewards for saving life from shipwreck.

Local Committees. — The Committee again tender their best acknowledgments for the valuable and prompt co-operation afforded by the Local Branch Committees and their Honorary Secretaries, which constitutes so important and inseparable a part of the work and supervision of the Institution's numerous Life-boat Establish- ments, and of the collection of funds for their support.

Finances.—The donations, subscriptions, and dividends during the year 1880 have been 38.507Z. 10*. 4&, of which sum 7,550Z. were special gifts to defray the cost of the following eight Life-boats:— £. ». d.

Blyth, No. 2—Mr. and Mrs. T. Jones Gibb 900 0 0 Fleetwood—Colonel W. B. . . . 900 0 0 Fraserburgh— Captain Gordon of Fyvie 650 0 0 Hastings—Charles Arkcoll, Esq.. .2,000 0 0 St. Anne's—James Chadwick, Esq. . 1,000 0 0 Saltbum—Mrs. Ann Townend, per Manchester Branch 1,000 0 0 Tramore—Henry Trower, Esq., and Friends 500 0 0 Wnitburn—A Lady 600 0 0 The Committee have likewise the gratifi- cation to acknowledge the receipt, since the last Report, of the following other special contributions:— £. . d.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN (annual subscription) 50 0 0 " A Well-Wisher and Regular Sub- scriber" 50 0 0 Carswell, Morris, Esq., Pollokshields, N.B., in memory of his Wife . . 15 0 0 Clevedon Life-boat Fund, per Mrs.

Larington (additional} .... 39 13 4 Clothworkers, Worshipful Company of 21 0 0 "Covent Garden" Life-boat Fund, Stewards of the, per Mr. J.Webber 50 0 0 Cromer Church, moiety of Collection on Sunday, 10th October, per Rev.

F. Fitch 13 3 6 Dalston Junction Sunday Schools, per Mr. F. Clements 110 Fothergill, Mrs., a gift from her late Husband 50 0 0 Himalaya, H.M.S., Canteen Fund, per Lieut. Neate, R.N 17 0 0 H. S. C 100 0 0 Hovenden, F. P., Esq. 200 0 0 Hunter, the Misses Harriott and Isabella, in Memory of their late Mother 100 0 0 In Memoriam by"T. J.M." . . . 40 0 0 Jumna, H.M.S., Canteen Fund, per Lieut. Kelham, R.N 500 Land, Philemon, Esq 100 0 0 Lytham Parish Church, collected at the Harvest Thanksgiving Service at, on 23rd September, per Rev.

H. B. Hawkins 38 16 1 Main, Hugh, Esq., H.B.M. Consulate, Alexandria, Collected by ... 44 0 6 Readers of The Christian, per Messrs.

Morgan and Scott (additional). . 6 12 0 The Institution has been informed of the following Legacies left to it during the past twelve months:— £. t. d.

Adams, Miss Eliza, Eltham (stock) . 500 0 0 Bartram, Miss Ann, Hull .... 19 19 0 Best, Mrs. Eleanor, Kelston Milbrook, Southampton 200 0 0 Bradshaw, Mrs. S. H., Reading (stock) 1,500 0 0 Brown, Peter, Esq., Castle Douglas . 100 0 0 Cohen, Miss Matilda, Inverness Ter- race 100 0 0 Dance, Miss Ann, Kelso .... 300 0 0 Deightou, Miss Sarah, Peckham Rye 200 0 0 Dobson, Mrs. A. M., Pall Mall . . 19 19 0 Ferguson, Joseph, Esq., Carlisle . . 500 Forbes, W., Esq., Glasgow. ... 20 0 0 Hamilton, Adam, Esq., Glasgow . . 19 19 0 ANNUAL KEPOKT.

241 £. s. d.

Hargrave, Charles, Esq., Bayswater. 4,000 0 0 Harris, Henry, Esq., Streatham . . 1,000 0 0 Harris, Mrs. Frances, Streatham. .1,000 0 0 Henniker, Aldborough, Esq., Catcott 100 0 0 Holt, Colonel W- J., Bangor ... 500 0 0 Jones, Mrs. Lucy, Wobum ... 10 0 0 Landseer, Miss Jessie, Kensington Park Gardens 100 0 0 Luard, General John Kynaston, Gloucester Gardens 50 0 0 Monk, Capt. John, R.N., Neston . . 500 0 0 Nicholls, Miss Charlotte, Finsbury Park (stock) 800 0 0 Parmeter, R. W, Esq., Aylsham . . 19 19 0 Robinson, Mr. A.,Whitcombe St., S.W. 0 10 0 Sannders, Miss Ellen, for Irish Life- boats 23 18 1 Stanford, J. F, Esq., Regent's Park .5,000 0 0 Sutherland, Mrs. Annie, Gipsy Hill . 10 0 0 Tomlinson, John, Esq., Lincoln . . 15 0 0 Wedgwood, Miss Sarah E., Down, Kent 100 0 0 Wilson, Lieut.-Colonel J. D., Chel- tenham 1,000 0 0 Woodward, Miss Mary, Sproughton. 1,500 0 0 There were expended during the past year 11,097?. 9s. lid. on additional Life- boats, Transpor ting-carriages, Boat-houses, and necessary gear; 13.349Z. Os. 4d. in repairs, painting, refitting, and sundry charges on Life-boat Establishments, and on the Store-yard at Poplar; and 13,13(K. 18s. 8d. in rewards for services to shipwrecked crews, coxswains' salaries, quarterly practice of the Life-boats' crews, and other expenses; making altogether a total of 37,577?. 8s. lid. against receipts amounting to 38,507?. 10s. 4d.

The items of receipt and expenditure are folly detailed in the financial state- ment, which has been audited as usual by Mr. LOVELOCK, public accountant.

In conclusion it is only necessary to state that the Institution now has 271 Life-boats under its immediate control, many of which, under the blessing of God, rendered such signal services to shipwrecked crews during the storms of last winter; and that each Life-boat station of this great and unparalleled Life-saving Fleet continues to appeal with confidence to a generous and dis- criminating public for sympathy and support.