His Efforts to Interest the Admiralty in his Scheme for a Life-boat Service.

By Major Evan W. H. Fyers, Member of the Major Fyers, to whose researches we owe the discovery of these very interesting letters of Sir William Hillary, written the year before the Institution was founded, is connected by family with the Life-boat Service, for he is a cousin of the late Commander St. Vincent Nepean, R.N., who ivas Chief Inspector of Life-boats from 1893 to 1909, and a cousin of Captain Basil Hall, R.N., who retired in 1919 after twenty-four years' service as a District Inspector. One of his grandfathers was Admiral Evan Nepean, who was a prisoner of war in France for ten and a half years during the Napoleonic Wars; the other, Major-General Peter Fyers, C.B., R.A., who, though a soldier, served at sea for six years and became a great friend of Lord Nelson.

In the issue of this Journal for May, 1921, will be found an account, written by the present Secretary of the Institution, of his efforts to amplify the existing information regarding the life of splendid self-sacrifice of its founder, Sir William Hillary.

There had appeared nothing at that time in the shape of any document coming from. Hillary outlining his proposals, other than his well-known pamphlet entitled " An Appeal to the British Nation." But early last year it was my good fortune to be attracted by a parcel among the Melville Papers which was described as " Naval Telegraphs, Proposed method of conveying Intelligence, etc. Various Letters on Naval Projects, etc." The first proved of great assistance to my continued study of that subject, while the naval projects consisted of different kinds of Council of the Society for Nautical Research.

ruthless and unpractical schemes for destroying the French invasion flotilla at Boulogne during the time of the " Great Terror." There were other papers of deep interest to me historically, among which was only one concerned with the saving of human life, and it was docketed :— Sir Wm. Hillary 18 Feby 1823.

Plan for the preservation of Lives from Shipwreck.

It was already too late to produce it last year, but, through the kindness of the Editor of The Times, I was enabled to append it to a letter on last Life-boat Day, 27th March.

An Appeal to the First Lord.

" Douglas, Isle of Man, " 18th February, 1823.

" MY LORD,—I have had the honour of submitting to the consideration of your Lordship and that distinguished Board over which you so ably preside, a few pages on a subject deeply interesting to every Maritime Nation, and which in a peculiar manner appeals to the Patronage and support of the Admiralty of England, for the rescue from shipwreck of those brave men, who under their directions have so often, and so successfully sustained the power and the Glory of their Country.

" The numerous and fatal Shipwrecks which continue so frequently to occur on every shore, often attended with the most disastrous loss of human life, but too clearly demonstrate how inadequate are all the means now employed for so great an object, and forcibly appeal to the policy and the humanity of the Government and the Country, that those efforts which the impulse of the moment calls forth, and the means of assistance which but too frequently chance alone supplies, should be established into a system by the formation of a National Institution, through which every part of the British Coast should be surrounded by well-organized branches of the Association, where the bravest and most experienced of every class might be found enrolled, and supplied with all the means which science and Nautical skill could suggest, to render them equal to every effort which a noble ardour could inspire, for the aid of their fellow creatures in distress ; until every mariner who may be in danger of Shipwreck on our shores, will feel assured that his rescue will be attempted by every effort which generous enterprise can make, or human foresight arrange, whilst it exalts the honor of the British name, by securing to our Countrymen on every foreign coast, that aid which it should be one of the first objects of this Institution to afford to those strangers, whom storms, and shipwreck, may cast upon our own.

" To the formation of an Institution on so extended a basis, I have now the honor most earnestly to solicit the support of your Lordship, in conjunction with the Government and the Nation ; fully persuaded that to your individual efforts, and to your department in the State, peculiarly belong the power and the means to facilitate the establishment of a system, equally worthy of the Government and the people of the British Empire.

" I have the honor to be, with great respect, " My Lord, " Your Lordship's " Most obedient and " Very humble servant, " WM. HILLARY." To the Right Honourable Lord Viscount Melville, etc., etc., etc.

There are one or two points concerning this letter, the first statement, as I believe, of Hillary's great scheme, which may be noticed here, as there was not space for them in The Times. First, that the face of the letter bears the notes in pencil, no doubt by the Secretary of the Admiralty :— qy. Lithograph ? Reed. 28 March 1823.

See reply to a letter of a subsequent date The Admiralty's Reply.

The first showed that the letter was considered important enough to be reproduced by the process then commonly employed, though it is clear that not even an acknowledgment was returned.

The last impelled me to commence a search among the cumbrous Admiralty " Digest " Volumes, which was rewarded by the discovery of two further letters, and in accordance with the usual procedure the lower corner of each was turned back and bore the Secretary's Minute, giving the substance of the reply to be sent. In the case of the letter of 19th February, the words are simply " Own receipt," but on that dated 11th September, enclosing the above-named pamphlet, I found the draft reply of the Secretary as follows :— " Sept. 11. My Lords have considered his pamphlet and finding there is no precise information as to the means by which the object in question is to be effected, my Lords can only say that while they wish success to any undertaking which has for its object the saving of the lives of mariners, they do not see how they can at present take any steps in this matter." Someone, whose initials I have been quite unable to identify, also noted on the enclosed pamphlet:— " I have run this over and I think what it advocates is worthy at least of consideration, and should not be at once negatived, though I should not deem it at all necessary for the Admiralty to take any immediate lead with respect to it.

G. C. (?)." Here are the second and third letters to the Admiralty.

Letter from Sir William Hillary, Bart., to John Wilson Croker, Esq., Secretary of the Admiralty :—• " Douglas, Isle of Man, " I9th February, 1823.

" SIR,—Having had the honor of submitting to the consideration of Lord Melville and other members of His Majesty's Government, a small pamphlet which I have committed to the press on a subject important to the general interests of humanity, and particularly appealing to the protection and support of that department in which you hold so honorable a station, I should feel that I was wanting in what was due to yourself and to the cause which I have undertaken to advocate were I to omit offering to your perusal, a copy of what I have had the temerity to address to the Government and the people of England.

" I have also taken the liberty of directing a dozen copies to be forwarded to your care, and I shall feel myself greatly obliged, if you will cause them to be distributed to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and other Gentlemen of your Honorable Board.

" Though I have long felt the importance of this subject yet the first ideas of the Institution I have proposed arose to my mind after having recently witnessed some very disastrous scenes on the dangerous and stormy shores of this Island. I have dedicated them, with the most profound respect, to the patronage of a gracious Sovereign, as the father of his people, and the friend and protector of his brave Seamen. I have most respectfully submitted them to the consideration and adoption of His Majesty's Government, and I have felt it an imperative duty to make an appeal to the humanity of a great and a generous people, for the support of a cause which the honor, the policy, and the best interest of the Country demand, for the safeguard of her gallant Navy and their preservation from Shipwreck on their own and every foreign shore.

" With these feelings I have caused about 700 copies of my small work to be printed, for the purpose of distribution amongst the most eminent characters in the State, who by their powerful influence, their talents, or their benevolence were the most calculated to bring to maturity these first outlines of a system which with great deference I have presumed to offer to the approbation of my Country, and if I have happily been the first to suggest the foundation of a national Institution for the objects I have mentioned, I assure you it has been without the most remote idea of arrogating to myself that which appeals to every department of the State. Every System must have its commencement, and what I have proposed is I hope calculated to combine into one well-organized association the results of the united talents and experience of many zealous and able advocates of the same cause, which I earnestly hope, under the direct patronage of His Majesty's Government and sustained by the liberality of his people, may, by their united aid, establish on a permanent foundation all which the most sanguine could desire for the success of so noble a cause.

" To you, Sir, who have long and honorably held so high a situation in the Admiralty of England, I feel that I ought not to attempt any apology for thus trespassing on your attention, the subject will, to your liberal mind best plead my excuse.

" I have the honor to be, " Sir, your most obedient " and humble servant, " WM. HILLARY." To John Wilson Croker, Esq., Admiralty.

Letter from Sir William Hillary, Bart., to John Wilson Croker, Esq.

Enclosing one copy of the pamphlet, " An Appeal to the British Nation," London, 1823.

(Dated on p. 25 : " Douglas, Isle of Man, 28th February, 1823.") " llth September, 1823.

" SIR,—I have the honor of requesting you will submit to the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the accompanying small pamphlet which I have recently published, on the humanity and policy of forming a National Institution, for the preservation of lives and property from shipwreck.

" The arguments which I have therein used to establish the urgent necessity of such a measure, and the plans and regulations which I have proposed in case of its adoption, will I hope best explain to their Lordships the objects which I have in view, and the motives by which I have been actuated, in having offered to the Government and the people of the British Empire, such measures, as I humbly conceive would materially contribute to the rescue of her Seamen and Subjects from the calamity of Shipwreck, on their own and every foreign shore, and feeling that this subject, in a peculiar manner addresses itself to the patronage and support of the Admiralty of England, and anxious that a measure so important to the cause of humanity, and so in accordance with the best interests of a great maritime State, should receive its first impulse from the Government, and be sustained by the bounty of a generous people; I beg leave through you, to offer my views to the consideration of their Lordships, and should they happily be honored by their approbation I should feel much flattered by a communication, how far it might accord with the sentiments of their Honorable Board, that any of the primary measures for the establishment of such an Institution, should emanate from themselves, whether in conjunction with any other department, or if their Lordships would condescend to point out, if in any other manner such a system, and subject to those changes and modifications of which it was susceptible, would be likely to receive their concurrence and support.

" Should there be any other circumstances which their Lordships conceive could be better elucidated by my personally waiting upon them, I shall be happy to attend to any appointment with which they may be pleased to honor me, or to receive your farther communications.

" I have the honor to be, " Sir, Your most obedient " Humble servant, " WM. HILLARY." To John Wilson Croker, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

(On p. 4).—Please to address for Sir Wm.

Hillary, Bt., to the care of Samuel Harman, Esq., No. 36, Jermyn Street, St. James's.

The Founding of the Institution.

The remainder of the story of the inception of the Institution may be read, admirably set forth by Major A. J.

Dawson, in the pages of " Britain's Lifeboats," published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1923. Therein will be found details of the inaugural meeting at the City of London Tavern on Thursday, the 4th March, 1824. It may, however, be of interest to the readers of The Lifeboat to rescue from oblivion the following report of that meeting which appeared in the columns of The Times the succeeding day * :—• " P. 3. SHIPWRECKED SEAMEN.

" A public meeting was yesterday held at the City of London Tavern, for the purpose of forming a National Institution, to be supported by voluntary donations and subscriptions, for the preservation of life in cases of shipwreck on the coasts of the United Kingdom, and for affording assistance to persons rescued, and for conferring rewards on those who preserve their fellow creatures from destruction ; and also for granting relief to the destitute families of any who might unfortunately perish in attempting to save the lives of others. His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury took the chair, and explained the objects of the meeting, at the same time announcing that his Majesty had been pleased to become the patron of the proposed institution.

Several resolutions were then moved and agreed to, and the management of the affairs of the Institution committed to the care of a committee of 40 gentlemen, with Treasurer, Secretary, and Assistants. The Bishop of London, the Bishop of Chester, Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Manning, and Captain Manby in moving some of the resolutions, warmly eulogized the objects of the Institution.

Subscriptions to a considerable amount were announced as already received, and further sums were subscribed at the table. The meeting was but thinly attended, which was attributed to the shortness of the notice given for holding * This extract from The Times was reprinted in The Lifeboat for June, 1924.— EDITOR.

it, as well as to the active canvass going on for the East India Direction." Captain Manby.

There is one name mentioned in this report which cannot be passed over without a word. George William Manby, Captain in the Cambridgeshire Militia, had been a friend and school-fellow of Horatio Nelson, and at the date of this meeting had already received the recognition of Parliament for his invention of establishing, by means of a mortar, communication from the shore to ships wrecked on the coast.

It is noteworthy that the same year (1807), which saw his earliest experiments, also witnessed at Copenhagen, the first employment of Sir William Congreve's war rocket on active service, yet it was not till 1878 that the rocket apparatus superseded the mortar for such life-saving purposes. It possessed two considerable advantages over the mortar, in being much more portable, and probably more accurate. Royal Artillery officers had for very many years lamented the inaccuracy of mortars, especially afloat, seeing that a target smaller than a town hardly counted. Manby also made some subsequent improvements in life-boats, but not very much was heard of them.

[Captain Manby also introduced, in 1829, the method of launching by means of the haul-off warp, which is still used at Stations where the Life-boat has to be got afloat from a flat beach.—EDITOR.].