At the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at Willis's Booms, King Street, St. James's Square, on Tuesday, 13th day of March, 1883, His Grace THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, P.O., D.C.L., President of the Institution, in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee was read by the Chief Inspector of Life-boats, in the absence of the Secretary:— ANNUAL REPORT.

IN rendering their Annual Account to their supporters and the British Public, the Committee have once more to express their grateful thanks for that continued generous pecuniary aid which has enabled them to prosecute successfully the great national work they have undertaken—a work that will ever be needed, so long as British trade and commerce endure.

It might have been hoped that increased skill in navigation, the substitution of steam-colliers for the Bailing craft of former years, and increased sobriety among our merchant seamen, would hate greatly diminished the number of wrecks and of lives lost, at least on our own coasts.

But, whilst those changes may have occasioned some diminution, the increase of collisions on our crowded sea-thorough- fares, and other causes, have made up the average amount, and the courage and capacity of our Life-boat men have been called into requisition as often, if not more frequently, than in previous years.

The transactions of the year will be found summarised under the usual heads.

A speciality of the year has, however, been that, at the suggestion of the Chair- man—EDWARD BIRKBECK, Esq., M.P.— the Committee have once more made an exception to their general rule to confine their attention exclusively to the work of the Institution, and have made another effort to diminish the loss of life amongst that industrious and invaluable class of the population, our coast fishermen, on whom the Institution is often dependent to man its Life-boats.

Some twelve years ago, the Institution was mainly instrumental in the introduc- tion of decked fishing-boats on the East coast of Scotland, which improvement has undoubtedly been the means of saving many lives. And now again the Committee hope to be indirectly the means of saving many more, by inducing all fishermen whose vocation is prosecuted at long distances from the land, to provide them- selves with reliable Aneroid Barometers, which, when far at sea, beyond sight of land, shall forewarn them of the approach- ing storm, and enable them to run for shelter ere overtaken by it.

Through the liberality of the manufac- turers of these valuable instruments, who have undertaken to provide them for this special object at a'greatly reduced price, the Institution, by offering them to owners  or masters of fishing vessels at only half that amount, has already—through the kind exertions of its Honorary Secretaries —induced the large number of 1050 to purchase them, so that there is great reason to hope they may in future be looked on as an indispensable article of equipment for every long-distance fishing- boat.

Life-loots.—Since the last Annual Report nine new Life-boats have been placed on the coast; four sent to new stations, and the remainder to replace other boats.

The following are the stations to which those Life-boats have been or are about to be sent:— ENGLAND AND WALES.

LINCOLNSHIRE . . Mablethorpe.

NORFOLK .... Mundesley.

SUSSEX Winchelsea.

CORNWALL .... Looe.

„ ... Porthleven.

SOMERSETSHIRE . . Weston-super-Mare.

GLAMORGANSHIRE . Swansea.

CARNARVONSHIRE . Llanaelhaiarn.

IRELAND.

DONEGAL Aranmore Island.

Seven of the above boats have been supplied with transporting-carriages, and for four of them new boat-houses have been built.

The Life-boats of the Institution have been the means of saving seven hundred and forty-one lives during the past year from wrecked or endangered vessels.

In addition to the Life-boat services, 143 lives were saved from shipwreck by shore-boats and other means, for which services rewards were given by the In- stitution, making a total of 884 lives rescued last year.

With much regret the Committee have once more to report that the brave ser- vices of their Life-boat crews daring the past year have not been performed with- out some loss of life, as if to remind their countrymen of the dangerous character of the Life-boat work.

On the night of the 4th of November, the Winchelsea self-righting Life-boat, when running, under sail, to the lee-shore of the Bay, off Eye Harbour, in reply to signals of distress, was struck by a heavy broadside sea and upset. One of her crew, named EDWAKD ROBTJS, unable to regain her, swam for the shore, and, unfor- tunately, being in a bad state of health at the time, succumbed, ere he reached it, to the cold and buffeting of the waves.

On the 26th of January last the New Brighton Tubular Life-boat, when pro- ceeding to jaid a wrecked crew off Crosby, near the entrance to the Mersey, also in the night, was struck y a very heavy sea, which swept two of her crew overboard, one of whom their boatmates succeeded in rescuing, but the other, named CHARLES FINLEY, was drowned. ri "" fcastry, on the 27th January,- the Swansea Life-boat, stationed at the village of Mumbles, when, attempting to rescue the crew of the German barque Admiral Prim Adalbert, from her wind- Ward side, was thrown violently against her, and swept over successive ridges pf rock by heavy seas. On this melancholy occasion no less than four of her crew lost their lives, and the remainder were all more or less seriously injured, the coxswain, JENKIN JENKINS, losing two out of four of his sons who were in the boat, and a third having his leg broken.

In each of the above cases the poor men left a widow and children unpro- vided for, but the Committee granted to each widow the sum of .200Z-, or 1,2002. in all, towards the local subscriptions raised in behalf of the widows and orphans.

Shipwrecks.—The loss of life from the numerous shipwrecks and collisions during the past year, and particularly during the fearful and frequent gales of last November and December, is sad to con- template. It is, however, satisfactory to find that on such disastrous occasions the exertions of the Life-boats' crews are ever prompt and unceasing.

2 E.

ANNUAL REPOKT. 27 The number of Life-boats now under In the No. of Lives In the No. of Lives Year Saved. Year Saved. the management of the Institution is Two 1824 124 1855 406 hundred and seventy-three, and their ser- 1825 218 1856 473 1826 175 1857 374 vices during each month of the year were 1827 163 1858 427 as follows: — 1828 301 1859 499 1829 463 1860 455 1830 372 1861 424 Number of Life- v essels Lives 1831 287 1832 310 1862 574 1863 714 1882. boat Saved. Saved. 1833 449 1864 698 Launches. 1834 214 1865 714 13 r' 15 1835 364 1866 921 12 15 1836 225 1867 1,086 March 26 3 100 1837 272 1868 862 26 3 77 1838 456 1869 1,231 1839 279 1870 784 . 10 4 33 1840 353 1871 882 July ) 1841 128 1872 739 August 15 1 54 1842 276 1873 068 September .... 9 1 57 1843 236 1874 713 19 3 75 November ....

December . • • . 47 54 3 4 171 144 1844 193 1845 235 1875 921 1876 600 1846 134 1877 1,048 Total .... 231 23 741 1847 157 1878 616 1848 123 1849 209 1879 855 1880 697 As in former years, the launches of the 1850 470 1851 230 1881 1,121 1882 884 Life-boats unattended with positive re- 1852 773 suits have been very frequent. Neverthe- 1853 678 Total 29,608 less, it is no time for hesitation when the 1854 355 ship's signal of distress is either seen or heard ; but on the contrary, it is a period Rewards. — A summary is given in the when judgment and promptitude are Appendix of the cases in which honorary of the utmost importance. and other rewards have been voted last year. In that period 11 Silver Medals and Clasps, The Rocket Apparatus belonging to the BOABD OF TBADB, worked so efficiently by the Coast-guard and the Rocket Volunteer 19 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum, and 3,134Z. were granted for saving the lives of 884 persons by Life-boats, shore Brigades, also saved hundreds of lives and fishing boats, and by other means, in the same period. on the shores and outlying sandbanks of our coasts. The number of lives saved during Much time and careful consideration continue to be devoted by the Committee the fifty-nine years from the establish- ment of the Institution, to the end of the year 1882, either by its Life-boats or by special exertions for which it has granted rewards, is 29,608, as shown in the annexed Table. to the granting of these Rewards. Each case is minutely inquired into, in the first instance, through the valuable co- operation of the Officers of Coastguard and Customs, the local Honorary Sec- retaries of the several Branches, or other responsible persons; and afterwards Every one must feel that the saving they are in succession thoroughly con- of so many thousand lives from drowning sidered by the Preparatory Committee, shows the absolute necessity of main- previous to their being sanctioned by taining and extending the benevolent the General Committee at their monthly work of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTI- meetings. TUTION, which has thus been productive The thanks of the Institution are due, of such noble results. and have been respectfully and cordially c -2 2 E.

28 .

ANNUAL REPORT.

conveyed, by His Grace the President, on behalf of the Committee, to H.E.H. the DUKE of EDINBURGH, KG-., the late Ad- miral Superintendent of Naval Reserves, for his unceasing and valuable co-operation with this Committee during the period he held that important appointment.

The acknowledgments of the Committee are also due to the officers and men of the Coastguard Service, who are ever ready—often at the peril of their own lives—to save life from shipwreck.

Since its establishment the Institu- tion has spent on Life-boat Stations, and other means for saving life from shipwreck on the coasts .of the United Kingdom, upwards of 600,000?., and has voted 96 Gold Medals, 962 Silver Medals, and 74,800?. in pecuniary rewards for saving life from shipwreck.

Local Committees.—The Committee have the satisfaction of acknowledging the continued valuable and earnest co-opera- tion afforded them by the Local Branch Committees, and especially the Honorary Secretaries, which constitute so essential a portion of the machinery for the super- vision and working of the Institution's numerous Life-boat Establishments, and for the collection of funds for their sup- port.

Finances.—The donations, subscriptions, and dividends during the year 1882 have been 43,117?. 15s. Id. Of this sum 7,615?. were special gifts to defray the cost of the following ten Life-boats, and 5,200?. to endow four Life-boats:— £. s. d.

Flamborough—Geo.Middlewood,Esq. 1,065 0 0 Llanaelhaiarn—Mrs. Noble . ,. . 800 0 0 0 0 Poole }"B°y's Own" Life-boat Fund 1,200 Mablethorpe—A. P. Heywood-Lons- 0 dale, Esq 1,000 Mundesley—Mrs. J. H. Elliott . . 1,000 0 0 Padstow—R. A. B. Preston, Esq. .1,000 0 0 Weston-super-Mare — Mrs. E. S.

Symes (in aid) 150 0 0 A Friend (E. M. S.) .1,000 0 0 Whitbum—A Lady 400 0 0 Endowments.

Bamburgh Castle—Miss Betty Cuttell 1,000 0 0 Tynemouth No. 1—Civil Service Life-boat Fund 1,000 0 0 Whitby No. 1— The late Mrs. M. A.

Ellis 1,200 0 0 Mrs. Joseph Somes . 2,000 0 0 The Committee have likewise the satis- faction to acknowledge, in addition, the receipt, since the last Report, of the fol- lowing special contributions:— £. «. d.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN (annual subscription) 60 0 0 Athenian, Union Steamship, Col- lected from passengers, per Capt.

Warleigh 12 10 9 Berners Dramatic Club, Proceeds of Entertainment, per Mr. H. Finnis 10 0 0 Dublin, Proceeds of Concert at Howth, in aid of the Howth Life- boat, per Wm. Armstrong, Esq. . 2ft 0 0 Glasgow, Collected by the Children of John Street Baptist Church • Sabbath School, per R. Coats, Esq. 313 6 Hadnall, Salop, Collected after Ser- mons preached on Sunday, 5th November, per Rev. B. C. Mortimer 20 0 0 Hartlepool. Engine Works, contri- buted by the Sea-going Engineers, per T. Richardson, jun., Esq. . . 800 Noden, E. Byron, Esq., appropriated from residue of trust fund ... 50 0 0 Plow, Rev. H. A., Bradley Rectory, Alresford, on behalf of his late son, Mr. J. C. Plow, R.N 500 Potosi, s.s., Proceeds of Concert on board the, per Capt. C. E. Darley. 950 Royal Artillery at Aden, per Capt.

J. J. Congdon, R.A 10 0 0 S. Michael's, Paddington, amount of coll. per Rev. G. F. Prescott, M.A. 28 fill Shepperton, Profits from Penny Readings, per Rev. W. F. J. Han- bury 430 Triumph, H.M.S., Band Fund of, per Commander W. A. Ackland, R.N. 16 10 0 The Institution has been advised of the following Legacies during the past twelve months:— £. s. d.

1,000 0 0 50 0 0 100 0 0 50 0 0 Bates, Brian, Esq., Buxton . . .

Bates, Robert, Esq., of Whitburn Brown, Henry, Esq., Plymouth . .

Cheesman, George, Esq. Dorking .

Churchill, Miss Elizabeth Rebecca, Exeter 100 0 0 Cooke, Christopher, Esq., Lincoln's Inn Fields 10 0 0 Cuff, Miss Alice, Frome . . . . 100 0 0 Domett, John, Esq., Camberwell . 10 0 0 Duke, Miss Hannah, Hornsea . . 50 0 0 2 E.

ANNUAL REPORT.

29 £. *. d.

Elwes, Miss F. J., Highmoor Hall, Oxford 500 0 0 Eyre, G. J., Esq., Hove .... 200 0 Godwin, Henry Morgan, Esq., Brighton 1,000 0 0 Goodwin, Miss Elizabeth, Yaxley . 50 0 0 Hay, David, Esq., Edinburgh . . 1,000 0 0 Henderson, Miss Elizabeth Frances, Edinburgh 50 0 0 Hewitt, Thomas, Esq., Meole Brace, Shropshire 500 0 0 Jeffrey, Miss Elizabeth, Nottingham 50 0 0 Lockwood, Mrs., Upper Phillimore Place 200 0 0 Marr, Miss Mary, Tufnell Park ... 19 19 0 Martin, Horace, Esq., Battle ... 100 0 0 Mayott, W. F., Esq., Camberwell . 100 0 0 McGregor, Alexander, Esq., Glasgow 50 0 0 Oldham, James Naish, Esq., Bridling- ton Quay 500 0 0 OTd,W.G.H.,Eaq.,Bowdf n,Chester 250 0 0 Ormston, Robert, Esq., Newcastle- on-Tyne 1,000 0 0 Osborne, Rev. Philip, Leamington . 1,000 0 0 Outlaw, Miss E. H., Weymouth . 100 0 0 Oxley, C. C., Esq., Ripon ... 50 0 0 Paddon, Miss Emily, Brighton . . 100 0 0 Powell, G. E. J., Esq., Cardigan. . 50 0 0 Price, Mrs. A. T., Peckham . . .1,000 0 0 Sinclair, Mrs. Mary, Gourock, N.B. . 200 ' 0 0 Stamp, Mrs. A. G., Hull . ... 50 0 0 Stratford, T. N., Esq., Worcester . 1,000 0 0 Suter, Henry, Esq., Douglas, Isle of Man 20 0 0 Washbourne, Mrs. Jane, Torquay . 100 0 0 Williamson, Mrs. Anne, Manghold, Isle of Man 100 0 0 Wright, Mrs. Eliza, Southport . . 700 0 0 During the past year the sum of 11,7312. 16s. 3d. was expended on addi- tional Life-boats, Transporting-carriages, Boat-houses, and necessary gear; 13,193?.

5s. 3d. in repairs, painting, refitting, and sundry charges on Life-boat Establish- ments, and on the Store-yard at Poplar; and 11,821Z. 3s. Id. in rewards for services to shipwrecked crews, coxswain's salaries, quarterly practice of the Life-boats' crews, and other expenses ; making altogether a total expenditure of 36.746Z. 5s. Id.

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

Having thus rendered a faithful ac- count of the great trust the public has for nearly sixty years confided to them, it is a source of satisfaction to the Committee to conclude by stating that the organisation of the Institution was never more complete and active, than at the present time; and thus they are prompted afresh, and with unshaken confidence, to appeal for continued and increasing support to an Institution which, with God's blessing, has been, and is productive of such manifestly gratifying results in the cause of humanity.

P.S.—Since this Report was read to the Annual Meeting on ike Ydth March, the Committee have had regretfully to record the death of their late Secretary, Mr. Richard Lewis, who had held that important office, to the great advantage of the Institution, for the long period of Thirty-three years..