Ix 1950 the Committee of Management of the Institution resolved that life- boat stations which had been pre- sented with a vellum to commemorate the completion of a hundred years would be presented with another to mark the completion of a hundred and fifty years.

Three life-boat stations celebrated the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the foundation in 1951: Lowestoft, Montrose and Scarborough; and six in 1952: Aberdeen, Douglas, Holy Island, Ramsgate, Rcdcar and Whitby. Ex- cept at Aberdeen and Ramsgate, where ceremonies are still to take place, a vellum was presented to each station by the Institution, signed by the Duchess of Kent as its president, expressing the Institution's apprecia- tion of the voluntary work of the officers and committee of the station and the devotion and courage of the life-boat crews.

LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK In 1801 a life-boat built by Henry Greathead, the builder of the Original, was stationed at Lowestoft. The Institution has no records of the work of this life-boat, which was replaced in 1807 by the Francis Ann. The Francis Ann was built for the Suffolk Humane Society by Messrs. Sparham, of Lowestoft, und"er the superinten- dence of Lionel Lukin, the London coach builder, and is second only in importance to the Original, for she was the first of the sailing life-boats and is the direct ancestor of the later Norfolk and Suffolk type of boat.

The Francis Ann served at Lowestoft until 1850 and so far as can be ascer- tained rescued 300 lives. In 1855 the Institution took over the station, and in 1869 a second station was estab- lished at Lowestoft. This station was maintained until 1913. The two stations have had twelve life-boats and have rescued over 1,200 lives. Two gold, nineteen silver and ten bronze medals have been awarded to Lowes- toft men for gallantry.

The vellum was presented to Lowes- toft by Lady Somerleyton, J.P., the branch president, at a dinner held on the 30th of January, 1952.

MONTROSE, ANGUS Montrose was one of the five places in Scotland to have a life-boat built bv Henrv Greathead, the other four being Aberdeen, Arbroath. Ayr and St. Andrews. The first Montrose boat went to the station in 1800. This is the oldest station in Great Britain and Ireland. From 1869 to 1950 two life- boat stations were maintained there.

They have had fifteen life-boats which have rescued 516 lives. Fourteen silver medals have been awarded to Montrose men for gallantry. Seven of them were awarded for rescues by men who were not themselves life-boat men. The Norwegian Government awarded medals and diplomas for a service to a Norwegian vessel in 1916.

The vellum was presented by Com- modore the Duke of Montrose, K.T., C.B., C.V.O., V.R.D., R.N.V.R., at a whist drive and dance held at Montrose on the 3rd of October, 1951.

SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE The first life-boat was stationed at Scarborough in 1801, a year before the neighbouring station at Redcar was established. The Scarborough station was taken over by the Institution in 1861, and since then its life-boats have rescued 409 lives. Twelve silver and three bronze medals have been awarded to Scarborough men for gallantry. There have been thirteen life-boats at Scarborough.

The vellum was presented by the Marchioness of Carisbrooke, G.B.E., after she had named the E.C.J.R. life- boat at the South Bay, Scarborough, on the 15th of June, 1951.

ABERDEEN The first life-boat at Aberdeen was built by Henry Greathead, builder of the Original, but of the work of this life-boat the Institution has no records.

In 1853 the Harbour Commissioners stationed a life-boat at Aberdeen.

This was known as the "beach life- boat." In 1875 they stationed a second life-boat which was known as the "harbour life-boat." These two life-boats remained in service until 1925.

At the beginning of that year, at the request of the Harbour Commissioners, the Institution took over the stations, the Commissioners agreeing to contri- bute £550 a year towards their main- tenance and handing over to the Insti- tution a legacy received in 1894 to provide a life-boat at Aberdeen, which by 1925 amounted to £3,000. At Torry and North Pier shore life-saving apparatus is maintained by the Insti- tution and manned by men in its service. They have rescued 41 lives.

Since 1925 the Aberdeen life-boats have rescued 131 lives. Three silver medals and five bronze medals have been awarded to Aberdeen men.

There are at present two life-boats at Aberdeen.

DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN As soon as Sir William Hillary, of Douglas, had seen his appeal for a national life-boat service answered by the founding of the Institution in 1824, he set to work to organise a district life-boat association in the Isle of Man. In 1824 a station was estab- lished at Douglas. This was followed by a station at Castletown, which was closed in 1922. The Peel Station was established in 1828 and the Ramsey station in 1829, so that within six years of the founding of the Institu- tion, at a time when there were only 45 life-boats on the entire coasts of the United Kingdom, there were four stations in the Isle of Man. About the middle of the last century they were allowed to fall into decay, but after the Institution had been re- organised in 1851 there was a revival of the Isle of Man stations.

Since 1850 the Douglas life-boats have rescued 123 lives. Sir William Hillary won the Institution's gold medal three times, and he was also awarded the gold medal as the Insti- tution's founder. His son, Augustus William Hillary, won the silver medal for gallantry. In addition, one gold medal and eleven silver medals have been awarded to Douglas men for their services. There have been seven life-boats stationed at Douglas.

The vellum was presented on 15th February, 1953, by H. E. the Lieuten- ant-Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir Ambrose Dundas Flux Dundas, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., and received by the chairman of the Douglas branch, Mr.

A. J. London. The ceremony took place at the annual meeting of the Douglas branch.

HOLY ISLAND, NORTHUMBERLAND The station was established in 1802, its first life-boat being built by Great- head. Since 1867 there have been two stations at Holy Island and they have had altogether ten life-boats.

Two of these life-boats were named Grace Darling.

The Institution has no record of the work of the first life-boat, which served until 1829, but since then the Holy Island life-boats have rescued 336 lives. One gold, eight silver and two bronze medals have been awarded by the Institution to Holy Island men.

The vellum was presented on 14th of August, 1952, by Mrs. R. Crossley, vice-president of the Berwick Ladies' life-boat guild, and was received by the coxswain, Mr. Henry Walker.

The ceremony took place near the boathouse and attracted a large crowd of holiday-makers. In honour of the occasion the life-boat from Berwick paid a courtesy visit to Holy Island.

RAMSGATE, KENT The Ramsgate station was estab- lished in 1802, its first life-boat being built by Greathead. In 1863 the In- stitution stationed a life-boat at Rams- gate, and from then until 1922 the station was maintained jointly by the Institution and the Board of Trade, the Institution supplying and maintain- ing the life-boats, while the Board of Trade bore the cost of maintaining the station and rewarding the crew, and placed a tug at the disposal of the life-boat for towing her out to vessels in distress.

In March, 1922, the Institution took over full financial responsibility for the station. The Ministry of Transport, which at the same time relieved the Board of Trade of its duties in connection with the harbour, continued to supply a tug until 1925, when the Institution placed the present life-boat Prudential at Ramsgate.

Altogether Ramsgate has had eight life-boats. Three of them, which were at the station from 1877 to 1905, were gifts from the City of Bradford.

Since 1865 the Ramsgate life-boats have rescued 1,642 lives, the third largest figure for the British Isles.

Two gold medals, thirty-six silver medals, and one bronze medal have been awarded for gallantry. In addition Ramsgate has received awards from the President of the United States and the thanks of the German Government.

REDGAR, YORKSHIRE The station at Redcar is the second oldest of the stations maintained by the Institution. It was established in 1802. The first Redcar life-boat was the Zetland. She was built in 1800 by Greathead and she was not replaced until 1867. She actually carried out a service in 1880 when no other life- boat was available, and her length of service is therefore unique. There have been seven life-boats stationed at Redcar, and since 1850 they have rescued 289 lives. A silver medal was presented to a coxswain in 1857 for long service.

The vellum was presented by Alder- man B. O. Davis on 2nd August, 1952, and was accepted by the Mayor of Redcar, Councillor R. Cowie, J.P., who handed it over to Mr. W. Stott, honorary secretary, who received it on behalf of the Redcar branch. The ceremony took place in a thunder- storm, and the City of Leeds was launched and visited Saltburn and Marske in support of their life-boat davs.

WHITBY, YORKSHIRE According to a Whitby historian, Dr. Young, Whitby possessed a life- boat in 1798. Of this the Institution has no record, but in 1802 Henry Greathead. builder of the Original.

built a life-boat for Whitby. The station was taken over by the Institu- tion in 1861. A second station was established there in the same year, and a third station in 1919, which was equipped with a motor life-boat. In addition to these three stations, there was a station at Upgang, which was closed when the Whitby motor life- boat station was opened. These four stations had altogether twenty-four life-boats. They have rescued 813 lives. Six gold, thirteen silver andnine bronze medals have been awarded to Whitby men for gallantry. Today there are two life-boats at Whitby.

The vellum was presented on 30th of October, 1952, by Miss C. Yeoman, honorary secretary of the ladies' life- boat guild, to Councillor J. C. Stoney, Chairman of Whitbv Urban District Council, and received on behalf of the Literary and Philosophical Society for safe keeping in the Museum by Miss D. M. Walker, president of the ladies' life-boat guild and one of the Museum's honorary curators. The ceremony took place at the Pannett Art Gallery..