THE new Sennen Cove life-boat is a gift to the Life-boat Service from one of its most generous benefactors, the late Mr. Charles Carr Ashley, who died at Mentone in 1906. He bequeathed his estate to the Institution, subject to a number of life annuities. So far the Institution has received £49,000 and the annuity fund of £16,000 will eventually come to it. Mr. Ashley, during his lifetime, had already presented a life-boat to bear his mother's name, Susan Ashley, and this boat was stationed at Lyme Regis from 1891 to 1915. The legacy itself was to provide five life-boats and endow them, so that they would be replaced, .and continue to be replaced, by life-boats bearing the same names. These five life-boats were built in 1907, one of them with the name Susan Ashley.

All five have now come to the end of their service, and one of them was replaced in 1933 by the present lifeboat at Weston-super-Mare. Another of the five, the Susan Ashley, which was stationed at Brooke, Isle of Wight, from 1907 to 1937, and then sold out of the service, has now been replaced .by the new boat at Sennen Cove. The other three Ashley boats will be replaced later.

The new Susan Ashley, the third to bear the name, is of the 41 -feet Watson type, with two 35 h.p. engines, and she is the first of the type to have a cabin.

She is the sixth life-boat to be stationed at Sennen Cove. The station was established in 1853 and its lifeboats have gone out to ships in distress 140 times and have rescued 180 lives.

Ceremony without the Life-boat The naming ceremony was fixed for the 4th of September, but on the morning of the 3rd a north-west gale was blowing and just after eight o'clock the life-boat was called out to the help of a trawler. She searched for her but could not find her. The trawler had managed to repair her engine and had gone on her way, As it was impossible in that gale for the life-boat to be hauled up her slipway at Sennen Cove, she made for Newlyn. There she had to remain until the 5th.

The life-boat was to be named by Lady Burnett, wife of the" commanderin- chief at Plymouth, Admiral Sir Robert Burnett, K.C.B., K.B.E., D.S.O., Sir Robert and Lady Burnett were already on their way from Plymouth, and it was impossible to let them know what had happened until they arrived at Sennen Cove., so, although the actual naming was impossible in the absence of the life-boat, a ceremony was held. Speeches were made by Mr. J. T. Nicholas, chairman of the branch, Admiral Sir Robert Burnett, Mr. Laurence €.. H. Cave, a member of the Committee of Management of the Institution, and Captain G. R.

Cousins, D.S.C., R.N., the district inspector of life-boats. The Assistant Bishop of.Truro, the Right Rev. John Holden, D.D., said prayers and the naming ceremony hymns were sung, accompanied by the St. Ives Town Band.

In the afternoon Mrs. V. Nelson- Edwards, chairman of the Sennen Ladies' Life-boat Guild, gave a tea party in the boathouse, followed by a children's fancy dress dance, and a dance in the evening.

The full ceremony was held a month later, on the 2nd of October, and besides those taking part in it, there were present Rear Admiral Sir Aubrev Tillard, K.B.E., Lady Tillard, the Mayor and Mayoress of St. Ives, and Coxswain Edwin Madron, of Penlee.

The St. Just Town Band accompanied the singing and Penzance Sea Cadets provided a guard of honour, which was inspected by Sir Robert Burnett.

Mr. J. T. Nicholas presided, and in the absence of Captain G. R. Cousins, R.N., district inspector of life-boats, who was ill, Mr. A. R. Dickinson, district organising secretary, described the life-boat. Mr. Lawrence Cave, on behalf of the donor and the Institution, then presented her to the branch, and she was received by Coxswain John Roberts.

The Rev. W. R. Morris, the rector of Sennen, dedicated the life-boat, and Lady Burnett named her Susan Ashley.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. A. O. Kernick, the honorary treasurer of the branch, and seconded by Mrs. Nelson-Ed wards, chairman of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild. The boat was then launched.

Mrs. Nelson-Edwards entertained the guests to tea at the Success Inn, and after tea the life-boat made three trips with visitors on board. In the evening Mrs. Nelson-Edwards entertained members of the crew and their wives, and members of the branch committee in the boathouse. The ceremony was arranged by Mr. Barrie Bennetts, the honorary secretary of the station, and the local committee..