The 200th anniversary of Henry Greathead's Original, THE LIFEBOAT Spring 1990, aroused considerable interest, and we continue the story of early lifeboats with a brief history of Greathead's only survivor... Zetland Henry Greathead's Lifeboat Zetland, preserved at Redcar, is believed to be the oldest lifeboat in the world. Built in 1800, at a cost of £200 which was raised by the local fisherfolk, she went to the town on 7 October 1802 and was to serve there for 78 years and save more than 500 lives before being preserved by those who realised the extent of her work.

Greathead built 31 lifeboats during his lifetime, and records show that 30 have been destroyed, leaving only Zetland as a tribute to his achievements.

Although simply named Life-boat early in her career she was later christened Zetland in honour of the Lord of the Manor. Built of oak (seasoned for 20 years) she is 30ft long with a 10ft beam and originally had a thick layer of cork on the outside for buoyancy, later replaced by copper-lined air cases.

She is very shallow, and eight valves in the bottom of the boat provide an efficient outlet for waves which swamped her.

Greathead built her as double-ender, and she never needed to turn round whilst afloat - the oarsmen simply sat in the opposite direction and rowed on.

The crew would have numbered 13: coxswain, second coxswain, bowman and ten oarsmen, except in rough weather when there would be two men to each oar. Five oars were painted blue and five white, so that the coxswain could order 'pull on the blues' or 'back on the whites'.

A boy ran through the streets banging a drum to call the crew, and the boat was launched by a team of horses from the local farm.

Ropes were rove through the two holes in the stem and all the villagers would pull the boat over the beach.

The calls for her help were numerous, and it would not be possible to recount them all, but a total of 30 vessels were wrecked between Marske and the river Tees during a storm in 1821, and on a January day in 1830 she was launched 3 times saving total of27 lives. On 15 November 1854 the brig Jane Erskine, with a crew of nine, went aground on the rocky scars and local fishermen sailed out in their cobles to attempt to re-float her. A sudden gale brought immediate danger and Zetland was hurriedly launched to bring ashore a total of 52 people, nine crewmen from Jane Erskine, 26 local fishermen and the 17 crew.

The only lifeboatman to lose his life aboard Zetland was William Guy, on Christmas Day 1836. A coal brig was driven ashore on Coatham sands and during his strenuous efforts to throw a line, a huge wave swept him overboard.

In 1864, condemned by the RNLI as 'no longer required for service', a lifeboat joiner named Toy Wilson was sent to destroy her on the beach. The townsfolk thought a great deal of 'their Zetland' and prevented him from breaking her up. Collecting another £100 the local people had her repaired at Shields and housed in a shed at the end of the Esplanade.

On 29 October 1880 her long career continued with the rescue of seven crew from the brig Luna, and there are also records which tell of the carefully maintained Zetland being taken to Huddersfield and Dewsbury for their Lifeboat Saturdays. According to the Redcar Chronicle this annual journey ceased in 1894 due to the expense of the journey from Redcar.

The Marquis of Zetland offered her shelter in a barn at Marske and there she stayed for some years before finally being brought back to Redcar in 1907.

Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, a visitor at Upleatham Hall, wrote a poem about Zetland and in the last verse are the words: 'Thine age shall be respected', words which are now inscribed on the boat.

Even today Zetland is helping to save lives. Now open to public view the collecting boxes in the museum provide the RNLI with funds towards their continuing endeavours to save lives at sea.

Carefully maintained and looking out across the rocky scars and the North Sea where her life's work was so courageously performed, she takes pride of place in Redcar's history.

/-" N The Zetland Museum (on Redcar Seafront) is open daily from May to September We are indebted to the museum for allowing the reproduction of material included in its leaflet..