Two life - boat stations celebrated their centenaries in 1938: Dover, Kent, and Wexford and Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford. In each case a vellum was presented by the Institu- tion, signed by the H.R.H. Duke of Kent, K.G., as President, expressing the Institution's appreciation for the volun- tary work of the officers and committee of the station and the devotion and courage of the life-boat crew. Sixty- three centenary vellums have now been presented.

Dover, Kent.

A station was established in 1837 by the Dover Humane Society, and a 37-feet life-boat, built by Elvin, of Dover, was stationed at Townsend.

In 1853 the Dover Humane Society decided to place a new boat at the station. The Institution contribvited to the cost, and the boat was built by Clarkson, of London, of a material which he had patented, composed of alternate layers of laminae, canvas, cork and wood, fastened to each other with marine glue. In 1855 the life-boat was taken under the management of the Institution, and was replaced by a new boat in 1858.

The station was closed in 1914, owing to the difficulties in manning the boat.

It was reopened in 1919, and the steam life-boat James Stevens No. 3 was stationed there. It was closed again in 1922. In 1929 it was reopened with the present motor life-boat, Sir William Hillary, a life-boat specially designed, with nearly twice the speed of any other life-boat on our coasts, in order to protect not only the steamer but the aeroplane traffic across the straits. The station has had altogether nine life-boats.

Before 1858 there is no record of launches and lives rescued. Since 1858, when the first life-boat built by the Institution was stationed at Dover, there have been 76 launches on service and 104 lives have been rescued.

On May 28th the centenary vellum was presented to the Mayor of Dover by Colonel R. J. P. Wyatt, M.C., the organizing secretary for the South-East of England, and was accepted by the Mayor to be hung in a prominent position in one of the public rooms at the Town Hall.

Wexford and Rosslare Harbour.

A station was established by the Institution at Rosslare, Co. Wexford, in 1838, as the result of a request by the Inspector-General of Coastguard.

The Corporation of Wexford granted £30 towards the expenses of the estab- lishment. The first life-boat was one transferred from Newcastle, Co. Down.

She was replaced by a new boat in the following year.

The early records of the station are incomplete, but it appears to have been closed for some time after 1851 until 1858. In that year a small life- boat was stationed there. In April, 1859, the American immigrant ship Pomona was wrecked near Rosslare, with the loss of 386 out of the 409 people on board. In the following November a second station was estab- lished. The first was known as Ross- lare Fort No. 2 and the second as Wexford No. 1.

In 1896 a station known as Rosslare Harbour was opened, and Rosslare Fort No. 2 was closed in the following year.

In 1921 a motor life-boat, with a permanent crew, was stationed at Wexford (Rosslare Point), and in the same year the Rosslare Harbour station was closed.

During December, 1924, and January, 1925, severe gales, with very heavy seas, overwhelmed the station on the point. It had to be abandoned, and it was eventually washed away. The life-boat was then kept at Wexford itself until 1927, and in that year the present station was opened at Rosslare Harbour.

Altogether these stations have had thirteen life-boats. Since 1850 they have been launched on service 310 times and have the splendid record of 738 lives rescued from shipwreck.

Two gold, twenty-one silver and onebronze medal for gallantly have been awarded by the Institution. In 1914 the King of Norway awarded silver medals to Coxswain Edward Wickham, Mr. James Wickham and Mr. William Duggan (who were also awarded silver medals by the Institution), for their gallantry when the Norwegian schooner Mexico ran ashore on South Keeragh Island. The Fethard life-boat, which went to her rescue, capsized, drowning nine of her crew of fourteen. Ten of the schooner's crew were then rescued by the Wexford life-boat from the island on which they had taken refuge, and two by the Dunmore East life- boat.

The presentation of the vellum was made to the Mayor of Wexford at the Chamber of Commerce by Commander J. M. Upton, R.D., R.N.R... the Irish District Inspector of Life-boats, on 30th July, 1938. Among those present were Major-General B. J. C. Doran, C.B., a vice-president of the Wexford branch, ex-Coxswain Edward Wickham and Captain Boyle, son of Coxswain Marcus Boyle, who won the silver medal in 1878. The weather was bad, and Coxswain James Wickham and his crew were not present, as it was not thought safe for them to leave the station. In addition to the Mayor of Wexford and Commander Upton, the speakers were Mr. Fintan O'Connor, the Rev. J. E. Hazley, rector of Wexford, Mr. W. J. B. Moncas, the secretary of the Rosslare Harbour station, and Mr.

E. McCarthy one of the honorary secretaries of the Wexford branch..