THERE has been a Life-boat at Cresswell, on the Northumbrian coast, for the last fifty years. What manner of place it is was described by the then Hon. Secre- tary in an article which appeared in! The Lifeboat in February, 1922.

" Over 90 per cent, of the villagers,"he wrote, " are named Brown, and from time immemorial they have been renowned for their hardihood and giant stature. In the days of the sailing ships many traders making to and from the busy Tyne were cast ashore here, and many gallant rescues have been performed by the men and women of Cresswell.

The village has been the nursery of many daring seamen, for its fisherfolk have been trained in courage, resource, and knowledge of the sea by the hard and dangerous conditions under which they gain their livelihood."At present two families, both, named Brown, compose the Life-boat crew, It is a small village. The men man the Boat; the launchers are the wives, daughters, and younger sons of the crew.

In the summer of 1874 a sudden easterly gale caught the Cresswell fishing boats while they were at sea. The women waited on the shore in growing fear as the gale increased. At last one of the cobles was seen running in, but when she was almost within reach a breaking wave overturned her. The women made desperate efforts to rescue the four men on board, but when at last they were brought ashore-—a father and his three sons—they were dead. It was as a result of this disaster that, within a year, the Institution had placed a Lifeboat at Cresswell. There a Station hasbeen maintained ever since, and its Life- boats have up to the present time rescued ninety-one lives.

In the first Life-boat crew enrolled at Cresswell were William Brown and James Brown, the present Coxswain and Second Coxswain. Now, after fifty years of service, they have retired at the ages, respectively, of seventy and seventy-two.

They both have reason to remember that storm in the summer of 1874 which led to the founding of the Station, for William Brown was out in another fishing boat, which got safely back to land, and it was James Brown's father and three brothers who were lost in the wrecked coble ; while among the women who brought the four bodies out of the surf was his sister Margaret, now Mrs.

Armstrong, who in 1921 was awarded the Gold Brooch of the Institution in recognition of her long services as a launcher.* Since a Life-boat was stationed at Cresswell, William Brown has served continuously, and has, in fact, only twice been absent. He was appointed Second Coxswain on 30th October, 1893, and Coxswain on 8th August, 1908.

James Brown has also served in the Boat since 1875, with the exception of about four years, when he lived further down the coast, and helped in the Life-boat there. He was appointed Bowman on 30th October, 1893, and Second Cox- swain on 8th August, 1908.

The Three Lite-boats.

During their fifty years' service these two men have seen duty in three Boats.

The first to be stationed at Cresswell was the Old Potter, which rescued thirty-three lives. This was followed by the Ellen and, Eliza, which rescued forty-one lives.

The present Boat, the Martha, was launched on 7th October, 1909, about a year after William Brown became Cox- swain, and has, up to the present, been out on twelve services, rescuing seven- teen lives. The Martha actually arrived on the Station in the afternoon of 23rd September, 1909, and was called out for service at 11.30 P.M. the same day.

* It is her services which are described in the Honorary Secretary's article already re- ferred to.

One of the best remembered services, in which both men played their parts, was that to the steamer Korea, which stranded about one and a half miles south of the Station on 22nd December, 1909, at about 9.30 P.M. Owing to the heavy sea, the Boat could not be launched at the Station, but had to be taken by road one and a half miles, and then, the road to the sea at that point being too narrow for the carriage, the Boat had to be taken from it and skidded down to the shore. Many of the helpers, women as well as men, were knocked down by the violence of the breakers, and drenched with the rain and the sea, and the Boat was three times washed ashore before getting away. She stood by the Korea until noon the follow- ing day, the vessel being eventually floated by the aid of tugs.

In recognition of their long services, the Coxswain and Second Coxswain have both received pensions, commuted at their own request into lump sums. They have also been presented with Certifi- cates of Service.

The Women of Cresswell.

Mrs. William Brown and Mrs. James Brown have been staunch in support of their husbands' work by constant atten- dance at service and practice launches.

Mrs. William Brown, better known to a wide circle of friends as " Kitty" Brown, is a familiar figure in the district, as on two occasions she ha's helped at Life-boat processions, when she occupied a post at the busiest part of the main street of Ashington and took part in the flag selling. In addition to helping at Life-boat Day last year, she made, on her own initiative, a collection amongst her customers and friends, and handed over to the Branch the sum of £10 10s. fjd., a very fine achievement.

She has also acted as telephonist at the Station, has seen many stirring events, and has helped at a number of rough launches during her fifty years of service.

On one occasion, in the year 1876, she figured in a single-handed rescue.

William Brown and two other men, who had been out all night in a herring boat, were unable to make harbour, owing to the size of their boat, which could not have been beached and refloated at low tide on account of the rocks. There were BO fishermen available, and, after endeavouring unsuccessfully to enlist the help of two workmen who were working at a wreck, but who had never been out in a small boat, Mrs. Brown launched a small boat herself and went alone to the rescue. Although ex- hausted, she managed to reach the herring boat, and thus enabled the three fisher- men to make the shore in safety. She has been awarded the Institution's Gold Brooch and its Record of Thanks.

Mrs. James Brown has also been a launcher for fifty years, in all that time attending regularly at practice and service launches, except during the four years when she and her husband were not living at Cresswell. She has been| awarded the Institution's Record of Thanks. Cresswell may well be proud of the Life-boat service of its women.

We doubt, in fact, if any Station on the coast can show such, a record as Cress- well, with Mrs. William Brown, Mrs.

James Brown, and Mrs. Armstrong, each with fifty years of service.

It was the intention of Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., the Chairman of the Committee of Management, to go to Cresswell to present these awards, but owing to the illness of Mr. and Mrs. Wil- liam Brown the idea of a public ceremony had to be abandoned, and the awards have therefore been presented to the recipients at their own cottages by the District Inspector, accompanied by the Chairman and Honorary Secretary of the Station.