Liverpool-class P&S lifeboat

The early Liverpool-class lifeboats used by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) were 'Pulling and Sailing' types (P&S) (i.e. powered by oars and sails) and should not be confused with the later one or two engined Liverpool-class motorised lifeboats.

RNLB J C Madge (ON 536) Liverpool P & S Class
Class overview
Builders	S. E. Saunders and Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
General characteristics
Type	Pulling and sailing lifeboats
Length	35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) to 41 ft 11 in (12.78 m)
Propulsion	Oars and Sails

Description

The Liverpool-class 'Pulling and Sailing' lifeboats were of a non-self righting type of lifeboat of various dimensions and various numbers of oars used by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Typically they were launched from carriages into the sea.

The development of the Liverpool-class motorised lifeboats enabled longer range of operation and smaller crews (i.e. no need for oarsmen).

Fleet

ON[a]	Name	Built	Builder	Description	In Service[1]	Station	Notes[1]
377	Unnamed, Coard William Squarey	1892	Chas. Howson & Co, Liverpool	34 ft 3 in (10.44 m) long	1892–1906	Hoylake
380	H. G. Powell	1895		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1892–1915 1916–1947	Point of Air On Display at Colwyn Bay
381	John and Henrietta	1895		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1896–1919	Formby
383	Admiral Briggs	1895	Rutherford & Co, Birkenhead	35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1895–1914	Hilbre Island
413	James Stevens No.2, Reserve No.9A	1898		35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) long	1898–1912 1912–1914 1914–1924	Campbeltown Relief fleet Hilbre Island
419	Unnamed	1870		33 ft 0 in (10.06 m) long	1870–1894 1896–1898	Point of Air Point of Air No.2
425	James Stevens No. 8, Reserve No.9B	1899		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1899–1913 1913–1916 1916–1920	Ardrossan Wells-next-the-Sea Relief fleet
441	Isabella	1900		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1900–1932	Buckhaven
443	William Arthur Millward	1900		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1901–1931	Dunbar
451	James Stevens No. 17	1900		36 ft 0 in (10.97 m) long	1900–1922	Porthoustock
452	James Stevens No. 18	1901		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1901–1931	Girvan
458	Constance Melanie	1901		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1901–1934	Coverack	Lost at Brancaster in 1966
460	John Groome, Reserve No.9C	1901		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1901–1914 1914–1916 1916–1923 1923–1925	Killough (Rossglass) Relief fleet Point of Air Stored
461	Chapman, Reserve No.9B	1901		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1901–1920 1920–1924 1924–1938	Groomsport Relief fleet Hilbre Island	December 2023, Restored, On display at the Old Lifeboat House, Lytham
477	George Leicester	1901		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1901–1927	Minehead
493	William Maynard	1902		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1903–1930	Skerries
494	Hopwood, Reserve No.9F	1902		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1902–1924 1924–1927 1927–1930	Portrush Relief fleet Minehead	Yacht on Thames, last seen 1977
495	Louisa Heartwell	1902	Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company	38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) long and 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) wide, fitted to 14 oars double-banked, and fitted with two water ballast tanks and two sliding or drop-keels[2]	1902–1923 1923–1931	Cromer Cromer No.2	December 2023, Under restoration at Chatham Historic Dockyard
498	Philip Beach	1902		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1902–1930	Burnham-on-Sea	Last seen at Liverpool, 1957
511	Olive	1903		36 ft 0 in (10.97 m) long	1903–1921	Eastbourne	Believed broken up after WWII
514	Alexandra	1903		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1903–1930 1931–1934	Hope Cove Cromer No.2	December 2023, Holiday Home, Isle of Seil
516	Charles Deere James, Reserve No.9	1903		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1904–1909 1909–1913 1913–1919 1919–1924 1924–1925 1925–1927	St Agnes Relief fleet Humber Relief fleet Winterton No.2 Relief fleet	Destroyed in Cherbourg Harbour, 1950
524	William and Emma	1904	Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Co.	35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long and 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) wide, fitted to 12 oars double-banked, and fitted with two water ballast tanks and two sliding or drop-keels[3]	1904–1916	Salcombe	Capsized and wrecked on service, 27 October 1916.
526	Charles Burton, Reserve No.9C	1904		38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) long	1904–1909 1909–1913 1913–1919	Grimsby Relief fleet Caister	Broken up, Peel, IOM
536	J C Madge	1904	Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Co.	41 ft 0 in (12.50 m) long and 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) wide, fitted to 16 oars double-banked, and provided with two sliding or drop-keels and two water-ballast tanks[4]	1904–1936	Sheringham	December 2023, On display at "The Mo", Sheringham
542	John Rowson Lingard, Reserve No.9D	1905	Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Co.	36 ft 0 in (10.97 m) long	1905–1920 1921–1930 1930–1937	Mablethorpe Relief fleet Blackpool	December 2023, Stored for restoration, River Yonne, Migennes, France
545	Edward Z Dresden	1905	Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Co.	38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) long and 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) wide, fitted to 14 oars double-banked, and provided with two drop-keels[5]	1905–1929	Aldeburgh No.2	Last reported at Ardrishaig, Argyll & Bute, 1974
553	John	1906		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1906–1931 1932–1937	Cloughey Newcastle
554	Samuel Lewis	1906		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1906–1932	Skegness	Last reported, Arbroath 1970s
555	Hannah Fawsett Bennett	1906	Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Co.	38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) long	1906–1931 1931–1936	Hoylake Relief fleet	Last reported, South Benfleet, 1937
569	Sarah Kay	1906		38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) long	1907–1943	Skateraw	Last reported at Skegness, 1966
578	William Cantrell Ashley	1907		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1907–1948	New Quay	December 2023, in storage at the National Collections Centre, Nantgarw for restoration
586	Caroline	1908		38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) long	1908–1935	Blakeney	Last reported Barrow-on-Soar, 1960
587	James Scarlett	1908		36 ft 0 in (10.97 m) long	1908–1925 1925–1928	St Annes Demonstration	Last reported at Kings Lynn, 1969
598	Brother and Sister	1909		36 ft 0 in (10.97 m) long	1909–1932	Llanddulas
604	Janet Hoyle	1909		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1910–1932	Ayr	Broken up at Brightlingsea, 2016
626	Arthur Lionel	1912		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1912–1929 1930–1939	St Peter Port Minehead	Last reported at Fishguard, 1973
636	James and John Young	1913		35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) long	1913–1930 1930–1939	Ardrossan Relief fleet	December 2023, upturned hull on display at the People's Palace, Glasgow.
661	Mary Stanford	1916	S. E. Saunders, East Cowes	39 ft 0 in (11.89 m) long and 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) wide, fitted to 14 oars double-banked, and fitted with two water ballast tanks and two drop-keels[6]	1916–1928	Rye Harbour (Winchelsea)	Damaged on service at Rye Harbour in 1928, broken up 1929
665	Baltic	1916	S. E. Saunders, East Cowes	38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) long and 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) wide, weighing 4 tons 11cwt. 1qr.fitted to 14 oars, and fitted with 12 relieving tubes, ordinary keel, 2 drop keels, and 2 water ballast tanks[7]	1916–1936 1936–1940 1940–1943	Wells-next-the-Sea Aldeburgh No.2 Relief fleet	Broken up at Southampton, 2006

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.

References

1. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
2. "NEW LIFE-BOAT FOR CROMER". Diss Express. 5 September 1902. p. 8.
3. "NEW LIFEBOAT FOR THE COAST OF DEVONSHIRE". The Langport & Somerton Herald. 30 April 1904. p. 5.
4. "NEW LIFEBOAT FOR THE NORFOLK COAST". The Evening Star and Daily Herald. 2 December 1904. p. 2.
5. "NEW LIFEBOAT STATION AT ALDEBURGH". Norwich Mercury. 9 August 1905. p. 4.
6. "NEW LIFE-BOAT FOR SOUTH COAST". Chichester Observer. 1 November 1916. p. 8.
7. "Wells - New Lifeboat". Lynn Advertiser. 6 October 1916. p. 3.