ME. JAMES HARTLEY BURTON has been Honorary Secretary of a Life-boat Station, first at Penmon in Anglesey —the Station was closed in 1915—and then at Beaumaris, for over 20 years.

He has brought to the work a life-long interest in the sea, for he has spent many years of his life afloat in small vessels besides having sailed on most of the oceans of the world in Ms own yachts.

Nowhere has the Institution a more active and thorough Honorary Secretary, and one more trusted and esteemed by the Crew ; yet Mr.

Burton carries on his Life-boat work in the midst of many other public duties. He is an Alderman of the County Council of Anglesey, Chairman of its Road and Bridge Committee, and an Alderman of the Borough Council of Beaumaris. In addition he has been Mayor for 13 years in all.

In spite of these many claims upon him he has found time not only to administer the Station but on many occasions to go out on service with the Crew. His tribute to them is also, unconsciously, the best tribute to his own work: " We have been fortunate throughout in being able to obtain the services of a capable crew, with whom during the entire period there have been no misunderstandings or troubles at any time— always ready for service at any hour of the night or day regardless of con- ditions." One knows what manner of man an Honorary Secretary must be, when there is a Crew like that.

On one occasion when Mr. Burton was out on service the wind and spray were so severe that on his return he found that his face was bleeding freely, but the most arduous of the launches in which he has taken part was the launch of the Penmon Life-boat on October 26th, 1909,.

to the help of the ketch William of Liverpool. A gale from E.N.E. was blowing, with a heavy sea, when, just after six in the evening, the Lifeboat was launched.

She found the ketch, with her sails blown away, riding at anchor close inshore.

With great difficulty communication was made between them, but though the gale was increasing, and the Life-boat warned them of their danger, the crew refused to leave the ketch.

The Life-boat stood by, still maintaining communication, with the gale continually increasing, until, about two in the morning, the ketch's anchor started, and she drove towards the shore. No signals were seen nor did her crew appear on deck, although the Lifeboatmen shouted to warn them of their danger. Then the Life-boat followed her into the surf, and next sighted her aground and smothered in foam. No one was on deck or in the rigging. The Life-boat passed close by her, but it was out of the question, to attempt to make fast alongside, and impossible to approach her by anchoring to windward, as the ketch was still driving up on the flat sandy beach with a rising tide as fast as the Life-boat.

Eventually the Life-boat herself was driven on shore. When, day broke the ketch was seen to be a wreck, and the three men on board her were drowned.

It was nine in the morning, fifteen hours after she had been launched, when the Life-boat came ashore. For this gallant but unsuccessful attempt to save the lives of the three men of the ketch's crew, Mr. Burton and the Coxswain both received the Institution's Silver Medal.

In 1918 Mr. Burton was presented with an inscribed Aneroid Barometer, as a small mark of the Institution's gratitude for his long and valuable help.