Off the coastline of the Ard's Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland, there are off-shore half-tide reefs and other navigational hazards.

During the 18th and 19th century increasing numbers of merchant vessels were wrecked on the reefs or driven ashore.  Often, there was considerable loss of life.

In 1865 the Royal National Lifeboat Institution decided to establish its first lifeboat station on the Ard's Peninsula at the coastal village of Ballywalter, County Down.  

Twenty years later, in 1885, an additional RNLI lifeboat station was established at the village of Cloughey, located about 10 miles south of Ballywalter.

The Ballywalter lifeboat station was closed in 1906.

In 1910, a RNLI all-weather lifeboat station was established at Donaghadee.

In 1979 the RNLI put a small in-shore lifeboat on trial in Strangford Lough which was based at Portaferry.  The trials were successful and an in-shore lifeboat station was established at Portaferry on 1 May 1980.

Today, two of these lifeboat stations still provide life-saving services along the Ard's Peninsula; Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Station & Portaferry RNLI Lifeboat Station.

LOCAL RNLI HISTORY

The following is part of the history of the Ballywalter and Cloughey RNLI lifeboat stations that originates from a smaller research document that was initially prepared by Portaferry Lifeboat Station for a RNLI Coast Review in 1998.   The history was later updated for use during preparations for the granting of the 'Freedom of the Borough of Ards' to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution by the Ards Borough Council on 2 March 2001 in celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI..  

This is only a small part of a history about all those brave men of the Ard's Peninsula and elsewhere, who, with the support of their families, and without question of their own safety, day by day, month by month and year after year, put to sea in small pulling (rowing) and sailing lifeboats during life-threatening weather conditions, with one aim, to save the lives of others in peril on the sea.

Words; none better that those of Winston Spencer Churchill during the centenary celebrations of the RNLI in 1924 best describe the purpose of the RNLI lifeboats and the courage of those who man them;

'It drives on with a courage which is stronger than the storm.  It drives on with a mercy, which does not quail in the presence of death; It drives on as a proof, a symbol, a testimony, that man is created in the image of God, and that valour, and virtue, have not perished........'

And, in the words of Sir William Hillary, founder of the RNLI;

'With courage, nothing is impossible'

Hazards off the Ard's Peninsula

Off the east coast of the Ard's Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland, there lie several off-shore half-tide rocky reefs such as, the 'Skullmartin Rocks' off Ballywalter and the 'North' & 'South' rocks off Portavogie.

In addition, there are strong tidal currents in areas along this coastline and in particular at the entrance to Strangford Lough (the Strangford Bar) where, in stormy conditions there can be high and confused seas on ebb tides, especially when winds are from the north-east thru south-east.   During spring tides currents in the Strangford Narrows can reach up to 8 knots in places.

It is therefore not too difficult to realise that in the 'days of sail' it was not uncommon for vessels to come to grief along and off this coastline, especially if those on board had little or no local knowledge.  

This area was often referred to as 'The graveyard of the East Coast'.

Although now well marked and charted, these hazards still need to be respected by all mariners, especially anyone planning a passage within or close to the area for the first time.  

NOTE : Strangford Lough is a sheltered and picturesque sailing area and today is home to no less than 10 yacht clubs.   There is a marina at Portaferry with some space reserved for visitors and a new visitors pontoon in Strangford harbour.  For maximum enjoyment, visitors to Strangford Lough should consult one of the various publications that give sailing directions, such as those published by the Irish Cruising Club.   See also the 'Links Page' on this website for local information.

The 17th & 18th centuries saw significant growth in maritime trade between Great Britian, Ireland, the Far East and the new americas.   Not unsurprisingly, the numbers of merchant vessels lost at sea or running aground etc, increased significantly.

The coastline of the Ards Peninsula, with its many off-shore hazards, saw such increasing numbers of shipwrecks.

In 1701, William Montgomery (1633-1707) of 'Greyabbey House', Greyabbey, County Down, in his updated Topographical description of the 'Ardes', wrote about the hazards of the coastline of the Ard's Peninsula referring to the importance of a local landmark, 'Kirkistown Windmill', as an aid to navigation;

'Is seen far off at sea, and serves in day-time in good steade as a landmark for saylors to avoyd the north and south rocks whare noted in all mapps for the misfortune that ships especially foreigners have had on them in stormy and dark weather. So that it were to be wished that a lighthouse were to be erected and maintained there'.

Over 40 years later the Irish historian, Walter Harris (1686 - 1761), wrote; 'But beware of the South Rock on which many brave ships have perished; for it overflowed every tide, and no crew can save their lives {as it stands a full mile from the shore} if the winds blow high.'

In 1783 the newly formed Belfast Chamber of Commerce, in a petition to the Irish House of Commons, requested that a lighthouse be erected at the 'South Rock' and advised that between 1735 and 1768 sixty-four vessels had been lost in this area and, as a consequence, 253 persons had perished.  

With the financial and lobbying support of Lord Kilwarlin, 2nd Marquiss of Downshire, a grant of £1,400 was obtained to assist in the building of a lighthouse on the South Rock by resolution of the Irish House of Commons on 14 November 1783.   

'Resolved, That the sum of £1,400 be granted to the Right Honourable Lord Kilwarlin, Robert Ross Esq and George Hamilton Esq towards erecting a light house on the south rock on the east coast of the county of Down'

However, it was not until 1793, ten years later, that construction began.  

The lighthouse was designed and built under the supervision of Thomas Rogers, lit for the first time on 25 March 1797 and named the 'Kilwarlin Light' in honour of the Marquiss.   Only two 'wave washed' lighthouses, the Eddystone and Bell Rock lighthouses, had been built earlier.   

Thomas Rogers, an englishman, had hithertoo been involved with the design and supply of lamps, reflectors and lenses for use in lighthouses with his business partner, George Robinson, who was an optical engineer.  In 1789 Rogers was contacted by a representative of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Marquis of Buckingham, offering him the commission to design and construct a new lighthouse at Howth, County Dublin, to replace the one already in existance.  Rogers accepted the commission and henceforth became much involved in the construction and design of lighthouses around the coastline of Ireland.  He was credited with the design and the building of several lighthouses including; Aranmore Island, Cranfield, Howth, Loophead, Old Head of Kinsale, etc.   

Rogers was also responsible for improving the lights of various lighthouses, including that on the Copeland Islands, altering it from candle power to that of oil.  The new lantern he helped to develop consisted of six Argand oil lamps (invented and patened in 1780 by the frenchman Aimé Argand).  Rogers fitted each lamp with a silvered copper parabolic refelector, that focused the light from each lamp through six bulls-eye lenses.

The Belfast Newsletter of 19 July 1793 reported;

'Mr Rogers an emininent artist has now begun the lighthouse on the South Rock, under the patronage of the Earl of Hillsborough.   The several lighthouses now in the Kingdom have been viewed by Mr Rogers preparatory to their being improved'

When construction of the Kilwarlin Lighthouse began in 1793 plans to use finished stone blocks from Wexford had to be abandoned after the first supply vessel sank on passage and the second was driven well off course onto the English coast.  It was then decided to use local granite from a quarry near Newry, County Down, and a squad of 20 masons, 18 labourers, 2 smyths and 2 foremen were employed.  They were based in the townland of Newcastle on the Ard's Peninsula (Note : not the town of Newcastle, County Down) where a masonary platform and a short quay was built, from where the construction materials were transported to the South Rock.  

The Kilwarlin Lighthouse (or South Rock) still stands

Photo credit - Gill Mladek

The provision of lighthouses around the coastline of Ireland had hithertoo been managed by the Revenue Board.  The Revenue Board had little interest supervising or maintaining lighthouses and offered Rogers the position of 'Lighthouse Contractor and Inspector'.  He accepted the post and took over the construction and supervision of Irish lighthouses.   Sadly, Rogers attempted to cut the cost of running the lighthouse service and in so doing did not hire sufficient numbers of keepers, paying those he did employ very poor wages.  Many keepers turned to additional ways of enhancing their income, some of which were illegal or immoral and the matter eventually became such a scandal that an Act of Parliament was passed in 1810 transferring the management of the lighthouse service into the care of the Dublin Ballast Board, latterly the Commissioners of Irish lights.

The 'Kilwarlin Lighthouse' (or the South Rock Lighthouse) remained lit for 80 years, until 1 April 1877, when it was replaced by a manned light vessel, named the 'South Rock Light Vessel', positioned about 2 nautical miles further east of the Kilwarlin Light.   The light vessel was eventually automated and the crew withdrawn on 31 March 1982.

Although unused since 1877, the former Kilwarlin Lighthouse still stands.   It is the oldest wave-washed lighthouse in Ireland and one of the oldest in the world.   Unfortunately, some well equipped and 'knowledgeable' thieves broke into the lighthouse in 1972 and removed the old lantern of which the thereabouts remain unknown.  The Kilwarlin Lighthouse remains unlit.

(The 'South Rock Lightvessel' was withdrawn from service on 25 February 2009 and replaced by a red, port-hand lateral superbuoy with a racon and an AIS transponder)

When the 'South Rock Lightvessel' was commissioned (1 April 1877) a 'bell boat' was also placed off the dangerous Skullmartin Rocks, located several miles further north.   This was replaced by a manned light vessel, The Skullmartin Light Vessel, on the 1st January 1886.  

(The Skullmartin Lightvessel was withdrawn from service on 9th June 1967 and its place taken by a whistle buoy that has since been further updated)  

South of the Strangford Bar, the sea area off Dundrum Bay presented an additional hazard to sailing ships.  

Several miles off Dundrum Bay tidal flows from the Atlantic meet in the Irish Sea, one flowing and ebbing via the North Channel and the other from the St Georges Channel, resulting in an area where there is almost continual slack water.   In the days when merchant vessels had sail as their sole means of propulsion, if they were unable to make sufficient weather to stand well off St John's point, in light winds they could become embayed in Dundrum Bay, such, that if un-favourable on-shore winds developed, they could be driven ashore or put aground.

As a result, in 1884 a lighthouse was established at St John's Point, at the north-easterly point of Dundrum Bay, to warn vessels to stand off the coast.    The St John's Lighthouse was the first in Ireland to be fitted with a dioptric lens, invented by Augistin Fresnel in 1882.  It remains lit today.

One of the shipwrecks along this coast that may have sealed the fate of the catholic-presbyterian 'United Irishmen' uprising in 1798, and perhaps that of the history and future governance of Ireland, occurred on the County Down coast on the night of 7 April 1797.  

The three-masted French frigate, L'Amitie of Brest, was carrying cannon and munitions destined for the 'Untied Irishmen', most likely those in the north of County Down, when she ran ashore and sank during a storm and blizzard conditions on a desolate part of the coastline of County Down, off Sheepland Harbour, north of Ardglass.   Of the 104 persons on board only one survived, believed to be the helmsman.  Legend has it that the Frenchman was able to make his way to the little village of Sheepland where he was given shelter and hidden from the authorities.   It was said that thereafter he frequently returned and took a path to the Sheepland Harbour to visit the place where his ship and fellow crew had foundered.  The path was known by locals as 'The Steersman's Path'.

Just some of the many hundreds of shipwrecks during the 19th Century off the coastline of the Ard's Peninsula, the Strangford Bar and southwards to Newcastle, County Down, included;

January 1805 - the brigantine 'Three Sisters' - loss of captain & 2 crew

24 March 1810 - the 'Mally of Workingtown' - all crew lost

6 March 1826 - the barque ' Richard Pope' - loss of 4 - 11 saved

11 September 1837 - the 'Coeur de Lion' - bound Quebec from Liverpool - 24 saved    Patick Goolaghan & George Starkey from the Newcastle - St John's Point lifeboat station were drowned during the rescue - their names are inscribed (see below) on the Lifeboat Memorial sculpture at the RNLI Headquarters, Poole, Dorset.

NEWCASTLE > 1837 > P Goolaghan . G Starkey   (listed on the 5th row)

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown

22 September 1846 - Brunell's iron steamship 'Great Britain' - 180 passengers & all crew saved

1855 - the French sailing vessel 'Saint Marie' - loss of all 30 crew

28 January 1860 - the scooner 'Barbara' - loss of captain, mate and 2 crew

14 August 1861 - the square-rigger 'Coriolanus' - loss of all 28 on board

15 February 1861 - the brigantine 'Manchester' - loss of all 5 on board - 1 dog survived

2 January 1867 - the brigantine 'General Williams' - loss of 1 person

1867 - A Spanish ship - loss of her entire crew of 27

27 February 1881 - the brig 'John Kendall' - 5 saved, mate & 2 crew lost

11 January 1883 - the clipper 'The Wild Deer' with 209 emigrants and 40 crew - bound New Zealand from Glasgow - all on board were saved.

A detailed history of the shipwrecks along the coastline of Northern Ireland can be found in the publication, 'Shipwrecks of the Ulster Coast' by Ian Wilson - published by Impact-Amergin, Stone Row, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. ISBN 0948154933

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The Ballywalter Lifeboat

During the 19th century more than 1,000 merchant vessels were lost along the coastline of Northern Ireland; the largest proportion were off the County Down coast.

In addition there were many un-recorded incidents relating to fishing vessels and other small craft.

One such shipwreck of a merchant vessel occured off the coastal village of Ballywalter, Co. Down on 21 October 1813 when the merchant vessel, 'Caesar' of Greenock, on passage to Jamaica with a cargo that included 14 nine-pounder carriage cannon and munitions, was driven ashore in a storm and three of the crew were drowned.

Five men from Ballywalter put to sea in a bid to rescue the crew of the Caesar but perished when their boat overturned.   The 'Ship's Bell' of the 'Caesar' was recovered and since 1813 has been displayed in Ballywalter Presbyterian Church in memory of all those who perished.

On 30 December 1828 the steam packet passenger vessel, Sheffield, on passage from Liverpool to Belfast, went aground on the Skullmartin Rock in strong winds.  She was seen by coastguards to be flying a distress signal and they put to sea to affect the rescue of those on board.

Having reached the Sheffield, after coastguards had rowed for over an hour, the Chief Boatman Coastguard, Philip Lithaby, was able to get aboard the stricken vessel using a line attached to a buoy.  Over a period of 6 hours he assisted in getting the 24 passengers, including women and children, 16 crew, two engineers, two mates and the Captain safely ashore in a coastguard and three other rescue boats.   Philip Lithaby was awarded a Silver Medal by the RNLI for his gallantry.

For many years some of the hazards off Ballywalter had been marked by local seafares using various means but they were frequently washed away or moved out of position by storms.  One of the greatest hazards were the Skullmartin Rocks off Ballywalter.    

In 1836 a black cone buoy was placed off the Skullmartin Rocks by Trinity House.  The black buoy was useless in darkness or in poor visibility and in 1854 it was replaced by a cage bell buoy.  This was an improvement, but the bell could not be heard in strong winds, especially to windward.  

On the 1st April 1877 (when a light vessel was placed off the South Rock), a 'bell boat' with a louder sounding bell was placed in position further off the Skullmartin Rock by the Ballast Board.  

On 1st January 1886 the 'bell 'boat' was removed by the Ballast Board (Irish Lights) and replaced by a manned light vessel, the 'Skullmartin Lightvessel'.  (The 'Skullmartin Light Vessel' was replaced by a lit whistle bouy on 9 June1967)

In 1865 the Royal National Lifeboat Institution decided to establish a lifeboat station at Ballywalter.  

A boathouse to house the new lifeboat was built the following year at a cost of £180. At that time there were RNLI lifeboat stations at the village of Groomsport (est. 1858), to the north, and Newcastle (est. 1854), to the south.   

Note - A lifeboat station was established earlier at Rossglass, near Tyrella, Co. Down in 1825 by the County Down District Association and then moved to St John's Point in 1835.

Ballywalter's first lifeboat was the 'The Admiral Henry Meynell', a pulling (rowing) & sailing lifeboat.

The lifeboat was 32 feet in length, had a beam of 71/2 feet, was fitted with 10 oars, two masts with sails and was donated by the Misses Meynell Ingram of Rugeley, Staffordshire, in memory of their uncle, Admiral Henry Meynell.  

Admiral Henry Meynell, born in Yorkshire in 1789, had a distinguished and interesting naval career.  He joined the Royal Navy in 1803 at the age of 14 and then served for thirteen years in various commissions on conveys to the East Indies and China.  In 1816 he was appointed Captain of HMS 'Newcastle', the flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm, Commander-in-Chief at the St Helena Island Station. Captain Meynell was charged with maintaining a blockade around the St. Helena Island where Napoleon Buonaparte was being imprisoned.   Capt Meynell accompanied Rear-Admiral Malcom during many private meetings with Napoleon Buonaparte after which he recorded details in a diary of the many interesting conversations.  In 1826 Capt Henry Meynell was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Borough of Lisburn, County Antrim and continued to serve as an MP for the constituency until 1847.   He was appointed Admiral (reserve list) in 1862.  He never married and died in Paris on 25 March 1865.

The 'Lifeboat Journal' of 1866 quotes;

'Ballywalter Ireland - The Institution has formed a lifeboat establishment at Ballywalter on the coast of Down, that place having been thought suitable for a lifeboat station, as there was a considerable distance of coast between Groomsport to the north and Tyrella*** to the south, unprotected by lifeboats and wrecks were not of infrequent occurrence in the locality.  There were also pleanty of fishermen to man the boat on all occasions.  A 32 foot lifeboat, pulling 10 oars double-banked, and provided with a transporting carriage, has been placed here in a substantial and commodious boathouse, built for its reception.  The cost of the boat, carriage and stores, amounting to £500 has been munificently presented to the Institution by the Misses Meynell Ingram, in memory of their late uncle, Admiral Henry Meynell, after whom the boat is named.  The lifeboat and carriage were conveyed, free of charge, in July last by the London and Belfast Steam Shipping Company and were readily taken thence to their station by land.'

*** NOTE: Partly due to the efforts of William Ogilvie, a wealthy Scot, who was much involved with the enlargement and improvement of the port of Ardglass, the first lifeboat station on the County Down coast was established at Rossglass in 1825 by the County Down District Association.   Rossglass, is located in the north-west corner of Dundrum Bay, between Tyrella and St John's Point.  The lifeboat was reported to be just over 18 feet in length and was equipped with 8 oars. In 1835 she was moved to the coastguard station at St John's Point at the request of Coastguard Captain, R H Browne, where she remained in service until the late 1840's. The RNLI's Newcastle Lifeboat Station was opened in 1854.   The reference above in the RNLI records of the Ballywalter Lifeboat in 1866 to a lifeboat station existing at Tyrella rather than at Newcastle tends to support some evidence that a secondary RNLI associated lifeboat may have been operational again for a short period in the Rossglass/Tyrella area during 1866.  It is also possible that an error was made in refering to Tyrella rather than Newcastle in the RNLI 'Lifeboat Journal' of 1866.

One of the earliest services of the Ballywalter Lifeboat was on 2 January 1867, to the brigantine 'General Williams' of 105 tons, bound Belfast from Maryport with a cargo of coal.   The vessel had gone aground on the 'Long Rock' at 2 am that morning in a severe easterly gale and in blizzard weather conditions.

At the break of dawn wreckage was noticed on the Long Rock and the Ballywalter Lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Robert Boyd, put to sea.  Four men were found clinging to the remaining rigging of the brigantine and the exhausted survivors were eventually brought safely ashore.  Sadly, the body of a young deck-hand was recovered, Richard Gribben from Ardglass.

Later that year, on the night of 11th September 1867, the scooner rigged yacht 'Tana' of 45 tons , owned by a British army officer, Captain Knowles, of the 63rd regiment, was on passage from Greenock to Dublin.  On board were his wife, their child of 18 months, Agnes Murray (a female servant), and three crew.  

The yacht was heading south and beating to windward along the coast.  Capt Knowles had just gone below to check his charts when, just before midnight, the Tana struck the Skullmartin Rocks and sank within a few minutes.  A small tender on board the yacht was too full of chattles and was unable to be cleared in time to aid any escape.  In the confusion that followed the female servant lost hold of the child who fell into the sea and perished.  Mrs Knowles put on a life-ring and was lashed to the vessels shrouds to prevent her from being washed away.  Captain Knowles stayed with her in the sea.  Agnes Murray and the three crew took to the rigging.  

Mrs Knowles and Agnes Murray died of exposure during the night, as did Captain Knowles just before first light.  At dawn the wreck was spotted by coastguards at the Roddans Coastguard Station, located a few miles south of Ballywalter, and the three exhausted crew members were rescued.  

Those involved in the rescue were Chief Officer William Blissenden, chief boatmen John Alcorn & William Betts and boatmen, James Colter, Patrick Cooper, Joseph Harris and William Widdecombe who were recorded to have each received an award of £1 from the Board of Trade.

During an inquest that followed, Robert Boyd, coxswain of the Ballywalter Lifeboat, advised, 'if distress signals had been sent, all of those on board could have been saved'.  The jury recommended that a lighthouse be built on the Skullmartin Rock.   It was not until 1877 that a 'bell boat' was established off the Skullmartin Rock

In 1854 an Inspector of Lifeboats, Capt. Ward, designed a life-jacket using narrow blocks of cork attached to a vest made of canvas.  The life-jacket was designed to be flexible and worn by lifeboatmen whilst at sea. One instance prooving the importance of wearing the new cork lifejacket occurred in 1861 when the Whitby Lifeboat capsized whilst on a rescue mission.  Only one of the crew survived, Henry Freeman, the only one wearing a cork lifejacket.

On 26th December 1868, whilst on exercise, the Ballywalter Lifeboat capsized and the coxswain, Robert Boyd, was drowned.  

The 'Lifeboat Journal' of April 1st 1869 records the tragedy, with an apt modern-day message to everyone about the importance of the wearing life-jackets correctly;

'The Committee regret, however, having to report that on one occasion when exercising the Ballywalter Lifeboat in the month of December, it was upset by being over-pressed with sail, and the coxswain, through having neglected properly to adjust his life-belt, unfortunately perished.  It is a source of much satisfaction to the Committee to be able to report that the crews of several life-boats of the Institution continue to regard them with un-bounded confidence.  This confidence is un-doubtedly full justified by the very small number of lives lost which (considering the perilous character of the life-boat work) have been lost from them, amounting to less than an average one in each year since the Institution, in the year 1852, *** undertook the work of providing our coasts with improved lifeboats.'   

(*** The Duke of Northumberland was appointed President of the RNLI in 1851 and launched a competition the following year for the best design for a new lifeboat for the RNLI)

Following the drowning of Coxswain Robert Boyd, the Institution's Committee of Management donated the sum of £50 to his dependants.

Robert Boyd is remembered on the RNLI Memorial sculpture in Poole, Dorset, alongside the many others who lost their lives in the service of the RNLI.

RNLI Memorial sculpture - RNLI Headquarters, Poole, Dorset

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown

Ballywalter > 1868 > R Boyd   (listed on the second row)

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown

in 1809 the 'Preventive Waterguard' was established in Great Britain with the primary objective to assist the Board of Customs in addressing the large increase in smuggling along the south coast of England.  A secondary task of the new force was to give assistance during shipwrecks.  

Water Guard watch stations were soon established along the coastline of Great Britain and Ireland at frequent intervals, in particular in areas where the levels of smuggling, actual or suspected, was high.  

In 1821 a recommendation was made by a Government committee of enquiry to transfer the management of the Preventative Waterguard to the Board of Customs and the service to be re-named the Coast Guard.

Thus, on 15 January 1829 the present day Coastguard Service became operational.

During these formative years seven Coastguard stations were built along the 30 mile Irish Sea coastline of the Ard's Peninsula.  These were positioned a few miles apart; at Donaghadee, Ballywhisken (south of Millisle), Roddans (south of Ballywalter), Burr Point (Ballyhalbert), Cloughey (Cloghy), Tara (Quinton Bay) and at Portaferry.

Prior to, and during the 19th Century coastguards were often directly involved in putting to sea in their own rowing vessels to affect rescues.  Senior coatguard officers often would be appointed as the Coastguard Captain (2nd coxswain) in many RNLI lifeboat stations.  Coastguards frequently joined with lifeboat crews on their rescue missions.

One example of such a rescue off the Ard's Peninsula took place on 14 April 1877 when a smack, the Boaz of Carnarvon, bound from Glasgow for Dundalk with a cargo of coal, was driven ashore in Ballyhalbert Bay in gale force winds and rain.

Her plight was spotted by a coastguard look-out at the Roddans Coastguard Station.  Having struck a reef the Boaz quickly filled with water and began to sink, when the three crew, the captain, a seaman and a boy, took to the rigging.   

Fearing that the vessel would break up in the heavy surf the chief coastguard officer, John Aiken, and his men, William Coffin, James Greenham, Hollingshead and John Rees made ready to put to sea.  In addition, a John Bell from Ballyhalbert and a Captain Ballie, the Lloyds Agent from Ballywalter, both joined in the rescue mission in the coastguard's rowing galley.  With great difficulty the seven men put to sea.  Eventually they reached the wreck of the Boaz and were successful in getting a line aboard and took off the crew of three.  

On turning to make for the shore, large following and breaking seas overwhelmed the galley which filled with water and then overturned throwing the rescued and rescuers into the sea.  Only five of the ten aboard the galley were able to make it to safety ashore.  

Coastguard John Rees, Captain Ballie, John Bell, the Captain of the Boaz and the boy of the Boaz, all perished.

Several people who had gathered on the shore sought to assist, in particular a Miss Bella Clinghan, the daughter of a Ballywalter farmer.  She rushed into the sea and caught one of the coastguards, William Coffin and helped to bring him to safety ashore and then returned to assist the others.  

For her bravery, Bella Clinghan was awarded the 'Thanks of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution on Vellum'. 

Another example that closely involved local coastguards from the Roddans Station occured on 11 January 1879, when the 1,231 ton passenger clipper Loch Sunart, on passage from Melbourne to Glasgow, ran aground on the Skulmartin Reef.  She was carrying 45 passengers.   The women and children were taken ashore by the Ballywalter Lifeboat and the male passengers and crew by coastguard boats.   

Due to these continuing shipwrecks on the Skulmartin reefs a boat-shaped bell buoy was placed to the east off the Skulmartin Rock on 1 April 1877.   It broke free from its moorings 4 years later and was recovered by the Ballywalter Lifeboat.  The bell buoy was replaced nine years later by a manned light vessel, the Skullmartin Light Vessel, on 1 January 1886

Lifeboat crew in the 1800's were often fishermen, but the Ballywalter Lifeboat from time to time had two local clergymen as crew members, the Rev Henry R Wilson, incumbant of Drumbeg and the Rev J O'Reilly Blackwood, incumbant of Ballywalter.

The Rev Henry R Wilson (his father, the Rev Hugh Wilson, incumbant of Ballywalter parish, was at that time the Honorary Secretary of the station) was a member of the crew on the 11th March 1880 when the lifeboat responded to signals of distress around midnight from the scooner 'Jenny Lind' of Coleraine, bound for Portrush from Maryport with a cargo of coal.  She had lost her rudder in a south-easterly gale and gone aground on the Long Rock.  The records read;

'In response thereto the life-boat "Admiral Henry Meynell" was promptly launched and proceeded to the spot; but the night being very dark, with a gale blowing from the S.E., and a heavy sea running on the rocks, upon which there was not much water, the boat was compelled to wait for daybreak before going alongside the stranded vessel.  During the time of waiting the tide fell, which rendered the task somwhat easier.  The night was a very severe one, with tremendous rain squalls, to which the life-boat men were exposed for about six hours.  However, they at last had the satisfaction to save the shipwrecked crew of 5 men, arriving back with them at Ballywalter at about 7 a.m.'  

For his help in rescuing the master, Captain Monaghan, and his crew of four, the Rev Henry Wilson was awarded the 'Thanks of the Institution on Vellum'.

The Rev J O'Reilly Blackwood was a member of the crew (and at that time he was also the station's Honorary Secretary) when the lifeboat responded to reports received at 1 am on 4th March 1881 of the grounding in Ballyhalbert Bay, of the 1,361 tons square-rigger 'Castlemain' of Liverpool, on passage from Rangoon for the Clyde with a cargo of teak.   The records read;

'At about 1 a.m. intelligence was received that a ship had stranded in Ballyhalbert Bay, three miles south of this life-boat station.  The wind was blowing a hurricane from the S.E., with heavy sleet and rain at the time.  Horses were obtained, and the life-boat "Admiral Henry Meynell" proceeded by road to the scene of the wreck.  Great delay was occasioned on account of the horses being unable to draw the boat against the gale and rain, the road being very bad and exposed.  However, she at last reached the Bay, and was then launched with great difficulty over the very rough shore through a very heavy surf.  She was repeatedly driven back by the seas, but after great exertion the crew managed to get hold of a line drifted to leeward from the ship, and by rowing and hauling they got under the bow of the vessel, which proved to be the ship "Castlemaine", of Liverpool, bound from Rangoon to the Clyde, with a cargo of teak and bones, and in two trips brought ashore the crew of twenty-five men'

The Rev O'Reilly Blackwood was awarded the RNLI's 'Silver Medal' for his part in the rescue.

On 6th February 1883 the Rev O'Reilly Blackwood was acting coxswain of the Ballywalter Lifeboat when the 149 ton brig 'Euphemia Fullerton', with a cargo of coal, was wrecked on the Long Rock during 'a very fierce east-south-east gale'.    The Rev O'Reilly was awarded a second-service clasp to his 'Silver Medal'.   A 'Silver Medal' was also awarded to George Prior, 'in recognition of his services in helping to launch and recover the lifeboat on this occasion'.  Awarding medals to shore helpers in the 1800's was most unusual and remains so today.   The award of a silver medal to George Prior must have been for an act of exceptional courage.

In 1885, Ballywalter's 'Admiral Henry Meynell' was replaced with a new lifeboat, the 'William Wallace', at the cost of £300, funded from the legacy of William Wallace of Shoreditch.  The new lifeboat was also a pulling (rowing) and sailing lifeboat, equipped with 10 oars, 2 masts, sails and 34 feet in length, 2 feet longer than its predecessor.

In the same year the Cloughey Lifeboat Station was established in the village of Cloughey, located about 10 miles south of Ballywalter.

In early 1883 the Glasgow Shipowners Association wrote to the Ballast Board (Commissioners of Irish Lights) requesting that a light be placed on the Skullmartin Rock and for other improvements to the lighting to be made along the County Down coast.  The Ballast Board consulted with the Belfast Harbour Board and following a meeting in Dublin in May 1984 it was suggested by the Belfast Harbour Board's deputation that a lighthouse be placed at the eastern end of the South Ridge.  In response the Ballast Board expressed concerns over the high costs and the delay that would be incurred in building a lighthouse.  They suggested the placing of a lightship off the Skulmartin Rocks until the proposal for a lighthouse had been fully investigated.   

On 1 January 1886, the bell-boat buoy off the Skulmartin Rock was removed and a light-ship, the Petrel, was placed on station further east by the Irish Lights vessel, Princess Alexandra.  A lighthouse was never built.

Improvements in lighting and the introduction of steam driven ships that did not wholly rely on sail for their propulsion started to improve the safety of shipping and in consequence a lower frequency of shipwrecks along the County Down coast.   Subsequently, coastguard stations and their associated living accommodations, that were at that time placed every five or so miles along the Ards Peninsula, began to close.  Coastguards and their life-saving apparatus were withdrawn from Ballywalter in 1904.

In 1906 the Ballywalter Lifeboat station was also closed, 'due to lack of suitable men for a crew', quite possibly influenced by the lack of coastguards following the closure of the local CG station.

The Ballywalter lifeboat house was subsequently sold for £75.

Shipwrecks continued to occur along the County Down coast.   During the first decade of the 1900's over 170 serious incidents relating to merchant vessels were recorded of which 37 resulted in a total loss.

During the 40 years of service of the Ballywalter Lifeboat the following lifeboats were on station;

ADMIRAL HENRY MEYNELL            1866 to 1885       launches - 22     lives saved - 142  

WILLIAM WALLACE - ON 93             1885 to 1906       launches - 15     lives saved -   12

TEMPORARY LIFEBOAT                   1892                      launches -   1     lives saved -     0

During the 40 years of service (1866 and 1906) the Ballywalter Lifeboat saved 154 lives.

RNLI records list the names of the coxswains and honorary secretaries;

Coxswains

Robert Boyd           1866 to 1868

Robert Adair           1868 to 1883

Robert Adair           1883 to 1906

   Honorary Secretaries

Rev Hugh Wilson    1866 to 1877

William Gibson       1877 to 1878

Rev J O'Reilly Blackwood       1878 to 1883

Henry L Mulholland        1883 to 1885

Rev W McManus       1885 to 1886

Henry Mulholland       1886 to 1887

Rev J O'Reilly Blackwood       1887 to 1895

Rev J A Greer       1895 to 1901

Rev W S Kerr       1901 to 1906

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The Cloughey Lifeboat

Cloughey [Cloughy] (Clochaigh - a stoney place) is located on the eastern coast of the Ard's Peninsula, County Down, approximately 30 miles southeast of the capital city of Northern Ireland, Belfast.

Cloughey is about 10 miles south of Ballywalter, where the first RNLI lifeboat station of the 'Ards' was established in 1866.

The North and South Rocks, Butter Pladdy and many other hazards had claimed many lives over past centuries.  The off-shore, 'half-tide' rocks presented a particular hazard to sailing vessels in stormy weather or in conditions of poor visibility.  Often, when the hazards were first seen, it was too late to take evasive action.  

After the Kilwarlin Lighthouse was built on the South Rock in 1797 there was little improvement in the number of vessels coming to grief and it became clear that an advance warning of the hazards was needed further out to sea.  Thus, in 1877, a manned light vessel using the same light sequence as the Kilwarlin Light was placed a few miles to the east and further out to sea from the South Rock.   Being manned 24/7 by a crew of 8, if there was poor visibility the fog signal cannon would be fired manually every 15 minutes (the Skullmartin Light Vessel further to the north every 10 minutes) to identify it as the South Rock Light Vessel and thereby warn any vessel standing into danger.

Prior to a RNLI lifeboat station being established at Cloughey, local fishermen and coastguards had often rendered assistance to vessels in distress.  

Such was the case on the 27th February 1881 when the brig the 'John Kendall', of Penzance, on passage from Greenock to Barbados with a cargo of coal went onto the 'Ridge', off Cloughey.  A boat was lowered by the crew but it was swamped by the high waves.  A second boat was lowered and the captain and four of the crew took to the South Rock where they were able to make signals of distress.  Shortly afterwards the ship foundered with the loss of the mate and two crewmen.  The distress signals were seen ashore in Cloughey and local fishermen and coastguards put to sea.  After some time the rescuers were able to bring five survivors to safety ashore.  Of the men who went to the assistance of the 'John Kendall', five had the surname Young, a family that would for coming decades provide coxswains and crew members for the Cloughey Lifeboat.      

The Cloughey Lifeboat Station was established by the RNLI in 1885.  

Cloughey's first lifeboat, the 'Faith', ON 94, was built at a cost of £363 and paid for out of the legacy of Mrs S H Bradshaw of Reading.  The lifeboat house had been built the previous year on the shoreline of Cloughey Bay close to the 'old' Presbyterian Church (built 1842) and whose graveyard headstones now bare testimony to many of those who, aboard or ashore, served the Cloughey Lifeboat.

Mrs H Bradshaw's legacy also provided another RNLI lifeboat in 1885, the 'Hope', ON82, to the Castletown Lifeboat Station, Isle of Man.

Cloughey Lifeboat's first coxswain was Frank Young who served as such for 5 years until October 1890 when his brother, John Young, took over the role.  It would appear that there were some initial difficulties in launching the lifeboat off the beach at Cloughey and it was reported some years later that  'adequate arrangements' had been made to aleviate the problems.  There are also some suggestions in other records that during the first few years of the Cloughey Lifeboat that the Ballywalter or Tyrella lifeboats were launched to give assistance to casualties in the area.   Records indicate that a relief lifeboat was placed in Cloughey in 1889 for a short period.   During that year the relief Cloughy Lifeboat was called out to guide the steam ship 'Lady Ailsa' to safety.

In the early 19th century Coastguards were frequently part of a lifeboat's crew.  Cloughey Lifeboat records show that from 1885 to April 1900, under the heading, Second Coxswain - 'Coastguards always appointed'.

In 1900 pushing poles were provided to the station to assist the launching of the lifeboat off the Cloughey beach.

The 'Faith' remained on service at Cloughey until 1906.  During this period she was launched on service 32 times, saving 54 lives.  She was replaced by the 'John', another pulling and sailing lifeboat, built at a cost of £973 and funded from the legacy of Mr John A Hay of Cheltenham.

On 14 November 1908 the French barque, Croisset of Rouen, ran aground on the South Rock during, what was reported to be a hurricane.  The Cloughey lifeboat was launched with Coxswain Robert (Robbie) Young at the helm.   The lifeboat crew of fifteen had to row to and from the foundering vessel several times and were successful in rescuing the entire crew, no less than twenty-six souls.  

Following this rescue the French Government awarded Gold Medals to the Coxswain and the Chief Officer of the Coastguard.  The lifeboat crew were awarded silver medals and the Honorary Secretary, J McMullan, an aneroid barometer.

The Irish News of 17 June 1909 reads;

Above are some of the crew of the Cloughey Lifeboat, 'The Faith', after rescuing all the twenty-six persons on board the French three-masted sailing ship 'Croisset' on 14 November 1908.  Front row (left to right & seated on the 4 horse shafts); John (Jonny) Young, George Drysdale, John Young, Davy John Young, Robert Young.  Second Row; Andy Young, Bob Young, Andrew (lame Andy) Young.  Third Row; Edwin Cupman (Coastguard Captain), Robert (Robbie) Young (Coxswain), John Beggs.  Back Row; are 4 unidentified coastguards - three are possibly surnamed; Solway, Rose and Taylor who also received Silver Medals from the French Government.

In 1910 the lifeboat station at Groomsport, County Down, was closed and a new lifeboat station was established at the port of Donaghadee, a few miles further south of Groomsport and about 20 NM north of Cloughey.

In 1913 the practice of using horses to transport the Cloughey Lifeboat onto and off the beach was discontinued and additional 'shore helpers' were then used.  Shore Helpers, all too often un-recognised for their bravery, played a very significant and important role during the 19th and early 20th century, often working to launch lifeboats in dangerous weather conditions.   During 1913, an acetylene beach light to assist shore-helpers in launching at night was suppied to the station.

The 'John' was involved in many daring rescues during the following 25 years, such as;

On 18 November 1920 the SS Scarpa ran aground on the North Rock during a gale.  After several passages by the lifeboat the entire crew of thirty were brought safely ashore by the Cloughey lifeboat under the command of acting coxswain, Andrew (Andy) Young.

The brigantine 'Helgoland', laden with barley, ran ashore at Tara Point in a strong southwesterly gale at about 10 pm on 11th January 1924.  Flares were fired from the stricken vessel that were seen ashore and coastguards were informed.  The Coxswain of the Cloughey Lifeboat at that time was John Young but he was away from the Lifeboat Station.  Another brother, Robert Young, who was the second coxswain, was at home, gravely ill.   A third brother, Andrew (Andy) Young, was with his ill brother, Robert.  Andy was a member of the lifeboat crew and as both his brothers were unable to lead the rescue bid he decided to leave his brother Robert's bedside and, as acting Coxswain, took charge of the rescue.   He had served as acting coxswain on previous occasions.

The RNLI records read; 'The 'Helgoland' had sunk and the crew were in the rigging.   She lay surrounded by rocks and the night was very dark.  There was a strong S.S.E gale and showers of sleet and hail'.   The rescue could not be effected until first light and was witnessed from the shore by an Inspector of Coastguards who later made a report in which he declared that 'it was the finest piece of seamanship I have ever seen'.  Others witnessed the rescue reported that just after the last man had been rescued from the rigging the foremast fell onto the deck and the 'Helgoland' sank.  

Sadly, after the safe return of the lifeboat with five survivors on-board, Andrew Young received the news that his brother Robert had passed away just two hours after the Cloughey Lifeboat had put to sea on its rescue mission.  

At the Centenary meeting of the RNLI in 1924, held at the Mansion House, London, Andrew 'Andy' Young was presented with the RNLI 'Bronze Medal' by HRH Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, for his part in the rescue of the crew of the Helgoland.

The 'John', remained on service until 1931 when she was sent to Newcastle Lifeboat Station and remained in service there until 1937.   Over her 25 years at Cloughey this pulling and sailing lifeboat was responsible for the saving of no less than 131 lives.   Her service years also included those of the first World War when she was sometimes called to aid survivors from vessels that had been sunk, scuttled or damaged by German U-boat activity in the north Irish Sea.   

Some of the vessels sunk by U-Boat activity off the County Down coast during 1917 were;

ss Amber - 401 tons - cargo of coal bound Waterford from Troon - scuttled by U-boat crew

ss Derrymore - 485 tons - in ballast bound Troon from Dublin - explosives placed on board by U-Boat crew

ss Morion - 299 tons - in ballast bound Carnlough from Dublin - bomb exploded by U-Boat crew

ss Saint Mungo - 402 tons - cargo of coal bound Dublin from Troon - bomb exploded by U-Boat crew

ss Neotsfield - 3,821 tons - cargo of coal & coke bound Naples from the Clyde - torpedoed by U-Boat

ss Daybreak - cargo of maize - torpedoed without warning by U-boat 87 - sank rapidly with the loss of 21 lives (The following day, Christmas Day, U-boat 87 attempted to attack a convoy in the Irish Sea but was rammed by the sloop HMS Buttercup and the British patrol boat No.56.  All 44 of the U-boat's crew perished)

In 1931 'The John' was replaced by the self-righting motor lifeboat 'William Maynard' (ON 746)   The William Maynard had previously been stationed at The Skerries Lifeboat Station.   She had been built a few years earlier at a cost of £3,804 from the legacy of the Rev. William Maynard of Gresingham, Lancashire.  

At this time George Young became the station's first motor mechanic (part-time) and in later years (1949 to 1954) he was to serve as coxswain.

On 1 January 1936, Robert Young was appointed as coxswain, the fifth coxswain to bare the surname Young.   At that time it was often said, "Cloughey Lifeboat coxswains are always Young".

In 1937, Cloughey Lifeboat Station was expecting a new motor lifeboat to replace the William Maynard but it was destroyed during a fire at the building yard of Groves & Guttridge.  

It was not until 1939 that a new motor lifeboat, the Herbert John, ON825, was put on station at Cloughey.

On 9 May 1939, just a few days prior to the arrival of the Herbert John, the Arantzazu Mendi of Bilboa, of 6,600 gross tons, ran aground in thick fog onto the Butter Pladdy off Kearney Point.  The vessel was in no immediate danger but after several unsuccessful attempts to refloat her the crew were taken off and replaced with a salvage team of eleven men.  On the 8 June 1939 a storm blew up and heavy waves began to break up the vessel.   The William Maynard was launched to rescue the salvage crew.

The RNLI record reads;

On 9th May 1939 the s.s. Arantzazu-Mendi of Bilbao went aground on Butter Pladdy Shoals outside Kearney Point.  Efforts were made to salve her and on 17th June there was a salvage party on board when the weather changed.  Seas 15' high were breaking over the steamer and were sweeping clean over her after part from which everything moveable had been swept away.  The 11 men on board were on the fore deck knee deep in water.  For this rescue of the 11 men Coxswain Robert Young was awarded the Silver Medal and Motor Mechanic George Young the Bronze Medal.  Both medals were presented by Lady Abercorn.

A few weeks later the William Maynard was withdrawn from service and replaced by the new motor lifeboat, Herbert John, ON825.   The Herbert John was provided through the legacies of Miss B A Athill of St John's Wood and Mrs S M Poland of Brockham Green, Betchworth.

During her 8 years of service at Cloughey (1931-1939) the William Maynard was responsible for the saving of 36 lives.

Whilst the surname Young had been, and still was very prominent in the crew of the Cloughey Lifeboat, other surnames began to emerge, such as; Adair, Donnan, Drysdale, Ferris, McNamarra, Palmer, Polly, Semple, etc.

A publication by Elizabeth J C Lyttle and Amy Anderson celebrating the 1988 centenary of the founding of Kirkistown Primary School records that in 1934 the committee and senior crew of the Cloughey Lifeboat were;

Chairman - Sir Roland Nugent

Honorary Secretary - Rev. D Palmer

Hon. Treasurer - H W Maclaine (Bank Manager, Portaferry)

Coxswain - Robert Young  (5th member of family in this position)

Assistant Coxswain - Sam Adair

Motor Man - George Young

Assistant Motor Man - Samuel Donnan

Bowman - Andrew Young (jnr)

Tractor Engineer - George Drysdale

Assistant Tractor Engineer - John Drysdale

Crew members and supporters in the 1940's with the 'Herbert John'

On 28 January 1941 the s.s. Alhena of 4,930 tons grounded on the North Rock.  She was bound for Port Said, Egypt, with supplies for the Eighth Army.   The Cloughey Lifeboat, the Herbert John, stood by the vessel several times over a period of five days and eventually had to take off the crew and army technicians, in total forty-five men.  One crewman from a Royal Navy destroyer that were standing-by was also taken ashore.

One of the most unusual events in the history of the Cloughey lifeboat occurred late on the evening of 21 January 1942.    A south-easterly gale was blowing when the motor vessel Cairngorm went aground at Ballyquinton in squalls of hail and sleet.    Flares were spotted ashore and the 'Herbert John' was launched just after 1:00 am.   On their way to the Cairngorm the lifeboat crew observed that there were several large ships in the vicinity.  As dawn broke it became apparent that these vessels had all gone aground, between Kearney Point and Ballyquinton Point.

It later transpired that the corvette, HMS Montbretia, had been escorting a convoy of merchant vessels northwards when her crew had seen the distress flares from the Caingorm.   The warship had gone to assist the Cairngorm but unfortunately had grounded in doing so off Tara Point.   She had been followed in succession by four merchant vessels in the convoy that she was escorting, the Asiatic, Bronxville, Browning and Orminster.   In addition, a small coaster, the Dorian, had also gone aground making a total of seven vessels stranded that morning.

The Newcastle Lifeboat, the L.P. & St. Helen, was launched at 5:00am to assist and was tasked to the position of the ss Browning that was aground further south, off Kearney.   The tide was rising and Coastguards who had rescued 17 of the crew had been forced to retreat.   The service was a very difficult one with very little room for manouver.  With great skill Coxswain Paddy Murphy was able to bring the Newcastle lifeboat along-side the lee side of the Browning and took all 39 the Browning's remaining crew aboard.  With the lifeboat overloaded and the only escape route across a shallow reef towards the ship's stern, the coxswain waited for a suitable wave and was just able to clear the reef and land all on board to safety at the fishing port of Portavogie. 

Paddy Murphy, Coxswain of the Newcastle Lifeboat, was awarded the British Empire Medal and the RNLI's highest award, a Gold Medal, for his valour.  Silver medals were awarded to the Second-Coxswain and engineer and Bronze Medals to four crew members.

Following the groundings a large salvage operation swung into action and all the vessels were eventually refloated, the Asiatic and Bronxvville having to be taken for major repairs.

The SS Browning, referred to above, had previously survived an encounter with a German U-Boat in 1938;

On 5 September 1939 the ss Browning was some 200 miles south-west off Lands End.  

The German U-Boat U48 had earlier engaged with the 4,835 ton merchant vessel Royal Sceptre that was on route to Belfast from Rosario, Argentina, with a cargo of wheat.  A shot from the U-boat's cannon failed to make the vessel stop and the Royal Sceptre veered off course, made smoke and continued radioing SOS signals.  In an attempt to stop the vessel the U-boat's commander decided to fire at the bridge.  Shortly afterwards the vessel stopped and the officers and crew took to the ship's lifeboats, except for the Radio Officer who continued to send distress messages whereapon some U-boat crew boarded the Royal Sceptre and took him prisoner.   U48 then sunk the Royal Sceptre with one torpedo.  

Later in the day the U-boat's commander, Herbert Schultze, manouvered his U-Boat towards one of the ship's lifeboats and then released the radio officer, saluting him for his courage. At that time food provisions were also provided to those in the lifeboats.

Having seen some smoke from a vessel on the horizon, Commander Schultze made way and discovered it was from the ss Browning.  On sighting the U-boat the crew of the Browning took to the lifeboats fearing that their vessel was about to be sunk.   They were however pursuaded by Commander Schultze to return to their vessel during which time he advised them of the sinking of the Royal Sceptre and the position and plight of its officers and crew.

The SS Browning

(built 1919 by Lamport & Holt Ltd , Liverpool)

The Browning was allowed to proceed unhindered and subsequently picked up the officers and crew of the ill-fated Royal Sceptre.  All officers and crew, except for one crewman, survived the sinking.

The Browning had survived the encounter with the U-boat in 1939 and her grounding off the Ards Peninsula in 1941.  

However, she did not survive an encounter with U-boat U.593 on 12 November 1942.   She was approaching the port of Oran, Algeria, with a military cargo including munitions and gelignite when she was torpedoed by U-boat U.593.  The crew abandonded her just before she blew up and sank. Fortunately only one life was lost.

Cloughey Lifeboat crew in the late 1940's and the 'Herbert John'

Note - Lame Andy with his walking stick on the ground - 6th right

During the following years many life-saving services continued to be carried out by the Herbert John.

On 30 April 1946 a US victory class troopship of 7,046 tons, the Georgetown Victory, was on passage to Glasgow from Freemantle, Australia, with over 1,200 demobbed members of the Royal Navy and marines on board.   She grounded hard on Killard Point having somehow mistaken the entrance to Strangford Lough for that of the Clyde.  Within a few hours of the grounding she had broken her back.  The Cloughey and Newcastle lifeboats were launched on service on the afternoon of 1 May and all aboard the Georgetown Victory were saved with the assistance of other vessels.  The Newcastle Lifeboat also rescued 9 men who had left the Georgetown Victory on a life-raft and were drifting out to sea.  The Georgetown Victory was designed as a troopship and had been built the previous year in Bethlehem, USA by the Fortfield Shipyard.   She became a total loss and has now become a popular dive scene.

At 10:30 on the 30 January 1950 the riding chain of the South Rock Lightship, the Shearwater, parted during a severe south-easterly gale.  Her reserve anchor was deployed by the crew about fifteen minutes later which fortuately held fast, leaving her in a position about 1 mile downwind from her charted position.  Distress rockets were fired on the order of the acting Master, William McGrath, after which the Cloughey Lifeboat, the Herbert John, was launched and on arrival stood by the lightship in high seas that were to last for several days.  

Just before dawn the following morning the Irish Lights tenders Alexandra and Granuaile arrived off the lightship but being unable to pass lines or take off the crew they were forced to seek shelter in Belfast Lough leaving the Cloughey Lifeboat the only vessel standing by the lightship.

The gales continued on and off for four days.

At about 15:00 on 3 February the master of the lightship decided it was time to begin abandoning ship.

In a severe south-easterly gale and in high seas, the crew were taken off one by one by the Cloughey Lifeboat.  During the rescue the lifeboat sustained some damage after being dashed against the side of the lightship several times.   

Having successfully transferred all of the lightship's seven crew members, the Cloughey Lifeboat proceeded homewards taking all on board to safety ashore.   The rescued lightship men were then taken to the home in Cloughey of the lifeboat's mechanic, William (Billy) Bell, where his wife had food and warm beverages ready for the rescued and the rescuers.

The Irish Lights vessel, Alexandra, had been instructed to take up the charted position of the lightship but was unable to do so for several days due to the continuing bad weather and not until around noon on 6 February.

The coxswain of the Cloughey Lifeboat, George Young, received the 'RNLI Thanks on Vellum' for the rescue.  On one occasion the 'Herbert John' had stood by the South Rock lightship for a continious period of 38 hours.   Many in the area felt that the Coxswain and his crew should have received more recognition for their bravery.

The crew of the Cloughey Lifeboat, the Herbert John, following the rescue of the crew of the South Rock Lightship

From left - David Thompson (Hon Secretary), Alex McNamara, Hugh Palmer, Johnny Gibson, Billy Bell (Mechanic), George M Young (Coxswain) George Coffey and Sam Adair

David Thompson was Honorary Secretary of the Cloughey Lifeboat Station during the 1950's.   He had a brother, William, who had a great love for writing poetry.   William often raised money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution with poems about the lifesaving work of the Cloughey and Donaghadee lifeboat stations.  These were often published in local newspapers or in small booklets of poems that William sold for six-pence as he travelled from door to door to raise monies for the RNLI.  

William worked tirelessly to raise funds for a new lifeboat for the station.   His proudest achievement came in August 1953 when he saw the naming and launch of the Constance Calverly.

One hundred and seven of William's poems were published in 2007 by 'The Thompson Family' under the title: William Thompson (Big Bill Tamson) - Low Country Poet.  (ISBN 978-1-900935-79-1)    Many of the poems are about the bravery of the lifeboat crews of the Cloughey and Donaghadee lifeboat stations.

Any profits from the book of poems are donated to the RNLI.  

One of William Thompson's poems about the saving of the crew of the South Rock Lightship in 1950 by the Cloughey Lifeboat, the Herbert John, is published below with the permission of the Thompson Family.

Gallant Coxswain Honoured

by William Thompson

You have heard of George Young and the lifeboat men,
Who work on the ocean wave;
And the sacrifices they often make
In order to seek and save.

As soon as the rockets go skyward,
The lifeboat is heading to sea;
They knew in attempring this rescue
What a difficult job it would be.

The storm still raged its fury,
But the lifeboat was there standing by;
Its gallant crew had their minds made up - 
It was a case of do or die.

We are proud to say that they did it,
These men from the Cloughey shore,
And the lightship's crew were rescued,
And their time of trial was o'er.

When the news was flashed to headquarters,
Their faces were wreathed in smiles;
"The greatest feat by a lifeboat crew
In the whole of the British Isles."

They gave him a scroll of merit,
And in it they told the tale;
How he rescued the crew of the South Rock
In the teeth of a southeast gale.

They deserved the greatest of credit,
These men of the lifeboat crew,
Who stood by the drifting lightship
In the fiercest gales that blew.

And the Lifeboat Institution
Awarded the lifeboat crew,
For its days and nights on the briney,
With a scroll for the coxswain too.

Then think when the storms are howling,
And the sea is a mass of foam;
That the men of the Cloughey lifeboat
May have left the comforts of home.

To go out and effect a rescue,
When others are fast asleep:
These men should not be forgotten,
For their work on the mighty deep.

© The Thompson Family 2007


 

Y

  Born 1 May 1871 - Drowned 25 May 1950

Andrew Young was born lame in one leg.  He was nicknamed by locals as 'Lame Andy'.   Despite his disability he worked as a fisherman and became highly respected not only as a person but also for his seamanship and selfless service to the RNLI and the Cloughey Lifeboat.  He was appointed as Coxswain of the Cloughey Lifeboat on 25th November 1927 and retired as such on 31st December 1935.  He continued to help as a member of the crew until the late 1940's.  He was drowned when his fishing coble ''Ricia' was lost on 25th May 1950.  Drowned in the same incident was his younger brother, John, (who had preceeded him as Coxswain from 1919 to 1927) and John's son, Andrew, aged twenty-five. They were all laid to rest in the graveyard of the Cloughey Old Presbyterian Church, only a few yards away from their beloved Lifeboat Station.

The restored Herbert John at Donaghadee Marina - 13 April 2012

The 'Herbert John' has now been restored to her former glory by Quinton Nelson from Donaghadee.  Quiton, a former long-serving crew member of Donaghadee Lifeboat, spent three years restoring this old historic Cloughey Lifeboat

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown

During her 13 years at Cloughey (1939 to 1952) the Herbert John was launched on service on 46 occasions and saved 67 lives.

(Further information - thanks to Peter Alcock, LPO, Donaghadee Lifeboat Station) The new owner of the 'Herbert John' is Graham Mountford, a founding member of the Historic Lifeboats Owners Association and a serving member of Newquay Lifeboat Station, Cornwall.   Following successful sea trials at Donaghadee in April 2012 the 'Herbert John' was transported by road to her new home, afloat at Falmouth, Devon.

The 'Constance Calverley'

In August 1952 the Herbert John was replaced by a new motor lifeboat, the Constance Calverley, ON 902, provided through the legacy of Miss Constance Calverley of Huddersfield at a cost of £14,337.

Early in the morning of 9 August 1952, shortly before the Constance Calverley's naming ceremony, the new lifeboat was called out to assist the cargo vessel Lassell of 7,256 tons that had gone aground on the North Rock.

The Constance Calverley naming ceremony

The launch of the Constance Calverley

Note - In the background is the merchant vessel Lassell hard aground on the North Rock

31 January 1953 - THE PRINCESS VICTORIA

On 31 January 1953, severe gales were buffeting the British Isles and many coastal areas of Europe.

Northerly storm force winds, combined with spring tides created a significantly high storm surge down the North Sea causing severe coastal flooding along the east coast of England and that of the Netherlands and Belgium.   

By the following day over 2,000 people had lost their lives in what was called the 'Great Storm' or 'The North Sea Flood'.   Several vessels in the North Sea had been or were still in distress.

On the morning of 31 January, gale force winds and higher were being recorded at Portpatrick, on the west coast of Scotland.

The Larne - Stranraer ferry, the Princess Victoria, was due to sail for Larne at her scheduled time of 7:00am.  A heavy swell prevented the loading of vehicles and some cargo including mail had to loaded by hand as a loading crane could not be used.  Many, including local dockers, thought that the sailing might be cancelled but at 7:45am the Princess Victoria left her berth, bound for Larne, County Antrim in Northern Ireland, under the command of Captain James Ferguson.   She made slow progress up Loch Ryan in the face of the north-westerly gale.   The vessel had made crossings in the past in strong to gale force winds.

Having left the shelter of Loch Ryan, the weather unexpectedly deteriorated further and very high and confused seas were experienced.   It is assumed that Captain Ferguson then decided to return to the relative shelter of Loch Ryan.  

Having turned towards the safety of Loch Ryan, the following seas burst open and damaged the stern doors resulting in significant amounts of water entering the car deck.   Attempts to close the doors by the crew were unsuccessful.  During these events some of the cargo shifted and debris was washed into the vessel's scuppers, thus restricting the drainage of water from the car deck.   The vessel developed a small but noticable list to starboard.

In an attempt to prevent further intake of water the Princess Victoria was turned again to windward with the intention of returning astern to the shelter of Loch Ryan by utilizing the vessel's bow rudder.  Such were the breaking seas over the bow that brave attempts by several crew members to deploy the bow rudder had to be abandoned and it is assumed that the captain then decided that he had no alternative but to proceed slowly in a northerly direction so as to keep the vessel's head to windward.

The first indication ashore that the Princess Victoria was in difficulties was an urgency message (XXX) transmitted at 0946 in morse code on 500 kHz by the ship's Radio Officer, David Broadfoot.  The urgency message advised that the vessel was hove to off the mouth of Loch Ryan and requested the urgent assistance of a tug.  The message also stated 'vessel not under command'. 

At 1032 a distress message (SOS) was transmitted requesting immediate assistance and advising that the Princess Victoria's position was 4 miles north-west of Corswall Point, the car deck was flooded, there was a heavy list to starboard and the vessel was not under command.  

The Portpatrick Lifeboat, the Jennie Spears, was launched 15 minutes later and the destroyer, HMS Contest, left Rothesay, on the Clyde, at 1109, under the command of Lt Commander Fleming.   Both vessels proceeded towards the distress postion, all co-ordinated through the Portpatrick Radio Station, call-signed GPK. 

Radio direction finding equipment located at Portpatrick Radio (GPK), Malin Head Radio (EJM) on the north coast of the Republic of Ireland and at Seaforth Radio (GLV) in Lanchashire, estimated the Princess Victoria's position to be several miles south-west of her reported position but as the signals from the Princess Victoria had been received across land by Malin Head and Seaforth radio stations they were theoretically subject to coastal refraction and the DF position was therefore considered to be suspect.   In addition, from the positions being given in messages transmitted from the Princess Victoria it had been assumed that she was still drifting along the scottish coast without engine power, as all the urgency and distress messages had indicated that the ship was 'not under command'.

In reality, the Princess Victoria had been gradually steaming slowly towards the Northern Ireland coast at a few knots and it later transpired that the position determined by the radio direction finding equipment of the coast radio stations had been relatively accurate.  

Direction finding equipment aboard the destroyer HMS Contest was giving readings that could not be relied upon due to the yawing of the vessel in the following high seas.  

Searches by the Portpatrick Lifeboat towards the reported position off Corswall Point proved to be negative.  Communications between the lifeboat and the Princess Victoria were hampered as the Portpatrick Lifeboat was equipped with a medium wave marine radio telephone whilst the Princess Victoria was equipped with marine radio morse (CW) communications equipment, such that there was no direct communications between either vessel and messages had to be relayed via the Portpatrick Radio station.   

At 1252 radio officer Broadfoot reported that that the starboard engine room had been flooded followed by a message at 1308 that the vessel was stopped and was on her beam end.   At 1315 Broadfoot keyed the message, 'We are preparing to abandon ship'.  

Having heard about the plight of the Princess Victoria on a local radio station the coxswain of the Donaghadee Lifeboat, Hugh Nelson, decided to go immediately to the lifeboat station to prepare for a possible launch.  At 1321 the station's Honorary Secretary, David McKibbin, gave the order to launch and the Donaghadee Lifeboat proceeded out of the harbour shortly afterwards with a crew of eight.

At 1335 Radio Officer Broadfoot reported that the bridge could see the Irish coast and at 1347 that the lighthouse on the Copelands was in sight.  The last message from the 'Victoria' was sent by Broadfoot at 1358, just before the ship keeled over:

'SOS DE GZMN   ESTIMATED POSITION NOW 5 MILES EAST OF COPELANDS ENTRANCE TO BELFAST LOUGH

The upturned Princess Victoria lingered for several minutes before sinking beneath the waves. Captain Ferguson was seen standing at salute on the bridge just before the ship keeled over.

Three merchant vessels and a trawler that had been sheltering in Belfast Lough joined the search on hearing that the Princess Victoria could now be somewhere off Belfast Lough or close to the Copeland Islands.  

At 1449, one of the four, the cargo vessel Orchy, came upon 2 lifeboats and a liferaft with survivors.  Mountainous seas made it impossible to go alongside the lifeboats or for the Orchy to launch her own.  The master of the Orchy radioed, "There are a lot of people here but they cannot get hold of the line"   "The position is hopeless.......".   

Attempts at a rescue by the other two merchant vessels, the Lairdsmoor & the Pass of Drumochter, having arrived shortly afterwards, were fustrated by the terrible sea conditions but the Lairdsmoor was eventually able to get a line aboard one of the Victoria's lifeboats.  The trawler Eastcote had less freeboard and its crew, using boat hooks, were able to pick up 7 persons.  Sadly, only one was alive.

At 1531 a Hastings aircraft from Coastal Command dropped survival equipment in the area.

The Donaghadee Lifeboat, the Sir Samuel Kelly, arrived at 1551 and with outstanding seamanship the coxswain, Hugh Nelson, was able to rescue the 29 persons on board the lifeboat held on a line from the stern of the Lairdsmoor.   One person was picked up from a second lifeboat and another was found clinging to a liferaft.   

The destroyer, HMS Contest, arrived shortly afterwards when Lieutenant McArdle and Chief Petty Officer Warren, having attached themselves to safety lines, dived into the icy waters and over a lengthy period were able to rescue 7 persons.   

Just before 1600 the Portpatrick Lifeboat arrived and rescued 2 persons from a life raft.

The Cloughey and Newcastle lifeboats were also launched to search the sea area south of the Copelands but after many hours of extensive searches, in terrible seas and a blizzard, no further survivors were found.

Of the 176 persons aboard the Princess Victoria, only 41 were saved.  No women or children survived.

Radio Officer, David Broadfoot, who remained at his post in the radio room sending messages as the ship went down, was posthumously awarded the United Kingdom's highest civilian medal, the George Cross.  Broadfoot's valour followed in the footsteps of many other Radio Officers, such as that of the Marconi Radio Operators, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, during the sinking of the Titanic, when they would remain at their post in the radio room sending distress messages if there were still any lives in danger, and if necessary, until the vessel went down. 

Captain David Ferguson, who remained on the bridge as the Princess Victoria went down, was posthumously awarded the George Medal.   No one on the bridge of the Princess Victoria survived.

Hugh Nelson, coxswain of the Donaghadee Lifeboat, was awarded the British Empire Medal and the RNLI Bronze Medal for his courage and skill in rescuing 31 persons.  Hugh Nelson was also awarded the Maud Smith Award for the bravest act of life-saving during 1953. The mechanic of the Donaghadee Lifeboat, Jim Armstrong, was awarded The Thanks of the Institution on Vellum.

Portpatrick Lifeboat coxswain, William McConnell, was awarded the British Empire Medal and the Thanks of the RNLI on Vellum

Lieutenant Stanley Lawrence McArdle and Chief Petty Officer Wilfred Warren of HMS Contest were awarded George Medals for their bravery in jumping into the icy sea and rescuing seven persons.

The masters of the four vessels that left Belfast Lough to join the rescue attempts were awarded British Empire Medals; David Brewster of the trawler Eastcotes; James Alexander Bell of the cattle ship Lairdsmoor; Hugh Angus of the cargo vessel Orchy; and James Kelly of the coastal oil tanker Pass of Drumochter.

Memorials to those who were lost in the sinking of the Princess Victoria are located in Agnew Park, Stranraer, Scotland and Chaine Road, Larne, Northern Ireland.   A plaque commemorating those whose lives were lost was unveiled at the harbour of Donaghadee, Northern Ireland on 31 January in 2003, the 50th anniversaty of the sinking of the Princess Victoria.  

Many memorabilia of the disaster are now on permanent display in the Portpatrick Museum.

A Court of Inquiry, that began its work in Belfast in March 1953, produced a 30,000 word report that laid the blame for the disaster mainly on the lack of robustness of the stern doors and the arrangements for clearing water from the car deck.  (Problems with the stern doors and scuppers had occured in the past) 

The report concluded;

"If the Princess Victoria had been as staunch as those who manned her, then all would have been well and the disaster averted."

The Sir Samuel Kelly ashore at Donaghadee - April 2012

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown

William Thompson, in a poem about the sinking of the Princess Victoria, aptly described the valour of Coxswain Hugh Nelson of the Donaghadee Lifeboat and that of the many others involved in the rescue attempts;

Coxswain Hugh Nelson of Donaghadee

by William Thompson

There's a sweet little town in dear County Down
And in it there lives a man of renown
His name is now famous, he's a man of the sea

He is Coxswain Hugh Nelson of Donaghadee

I used to go there on our Sunday School trips
And walk down the harbour and gaze at the ships
To view its fine lighthouse in days so carefree
When the trains were then running to Donaghadee

The fair Copeland Isles, the station and Moat
The 'William & Laura', in the harbour afloat
In these far off days I think you'll agree
The Nelsons were famous in Donaghadee

'Tis years since I've been to that little town
That has the least rainfall in all County Down
But the memories of it are pleasant to me
Especially the lifeboat in Donaghadee

The old lifeboat has gone and a new crew is there 
The 'Sir Samuel Kelly' is under the care
Of Coxswain Hugh Nelson and sons, as you'll see
Who made lifeboat history in Donaghadee

Now he has been honoured with a medal of gold
For the service he rendered that day in the cold
On the 31st January in the year '53
When the Princess Victoria sank off Donaghadee

The Nelson touch was seen on that day
When the 'Sir Samuel Kelly' went ploughing her way
Through the tempest and blizzard on a wild stormy sea
To bring souls to safety to Donaghadee

The Portpatrick boat and the Cloughey one too
Sought to do all that brave men could do
We admire their courage and in this they agree
On the honour conferred on this man from the 'Dee

'Tis not for the first time I've lifted my pen
To praise the work of brave lifeboat men
May I congratulate this man of the sea
Coxswain Hugh Nelson of Donaghadee

©   Copyright 'The Thompson Family'

The last Cloughey coxswain

George M Young retired as the Coxswain of the Cloughey Lifeboat on 30 June 1954 and was appointed as the station's motor mechanic.   

Walter Semple then became coxswain; only the second coxswain of the Cloughey Lifeboat to have a surname other than Young.

It was not long before Walter Semple was to receive an award from the RNLI after he rescued 11 persons on 21 January 1955 from the Norwegian merchant vessel Roskva that had ran aground in storm force winds onto Burial Island, near Ballyhalbert.  

During 1958 a relief lifeboat was put on service at Cloughey for a few months whilst some work was carried out to the Constance Calverley.

On 7th March 1962 the Cloughey Lifeboat went to the aid of the Dutch coaster, Frida Blokzijl, that was in danger of being driven ashore off the Strangford Bar in a south-easterly gale.  After taking off the crew of four the lifeboat returned to the coaster and took off the captain in terrible sea conditions.   The Coxswain, Walter Semple, was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal, the motor mechanic, George Young, The Thanks of the Institution on Vellum and the lifeboat crew, Walter Beggs, George Calvert, John Donnan, James Master and Archie Watts, the Institution's Medal Service Certificate.

The Constance Calverley returning to rescue the captain of the Frida Blokzijl

In 1964 the RNLI decided to close the Cloughey Lifeboat Station and move it to the harbour of the fishing port of Portavogie, located about 2 miles further north.   The move occurred on 26 November 1965.

Cloughey lifeboat's last life-saving service was on 23 June 1963 when she saved one person from a harbour tug.

The last service was on 6 October 1965 when the Constance Calverley stood by the motor vessel 'Normanby Hall'.

During 81 years of service the lifeboats of the Cloughey Lifeboat Station were launched 152 times saving the lives of 311 people.

RNLI Medal Record

Bronze - to Acting Coxswain Andrew Young for a rescue on 11 January 1924

Silver - Coxswain Robert Young for a rescue on 9 May 1939

Bronze - Lifeboat Motor Mechanic George Young for a rescue on 9 May 1939

Bronze - Coxswain Walter Semple for a rescue on 7 March 1962

Foreign Medal Awards

Gold medals - from the Government of France - awarded to Coxswain Robert C Young and Chief Coastguard Officer Edwin Cupman for a rescue on 14 November 1908

Silver medals of the first class for a rescue on the same date to crew members John Young (assistant coxswain), Andrew Young, David Young, Beggs, Drysdale, James Donnan, William Donnan, Palmer, McNamara.  Silver medals were also awarded to Coastguard crew members surnamed Rose, Solway and Taylor.

The Service record boards of the Cloughey Lifeboat Station are on display in the Portaferry Lifeboat Station

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The Cloughey-Portavogie Lifeboat Station

The Cloughey-Portavogie Lifeboat Station was established on 26 November 1965 when the Glencoe Glasgow, ON857, was put on station in the harbour at Portavogie, County Down.  She was built at a cost of £11,885 defrayed by the legacy of Mrs Lawerence Glen.

John Donnan was appointed as the part-time Coxswain/Mechanic of the Cloughey-Portavogie lifeboat on 1 April 1966, having been the second coxswain for a few months previous, 4 December 1965 to 31 March 1966.   Previously, he had been a crew member of the Cloughey Lifeboat since 1952.

William Keenan, who joined the Cloughey-Portavogie lifeboat crew in 1965, was appointed as 2nd coxswain on 31 March 1972.

Other crew members in the records of the Cloughey-Portavogie Lifeboat Station were;

Assistant Mechanics - Samuel Thompson (1 July 1973 to 30 Sept 1981)

Emergency Mechanics - W H Keenan (24 May 1972 to 30 Sept 1981) & A R Carson (3 Oct 1972 to 30 Sept 81)  

During late 1978 significant redevelopment of Portavogie Harbour commenced and on 26 October 1978 the lifeboat station was temporarily closed with the intention of re-opening the station when the harbour work was completed.  The Glencoe Glasgow was put into storage at the Robertson's Yard at Sandbank.

In 1980, with harbour improvements still taking place, it was decided that the Gencoe Glasgow would not be put back in service.   

The Cloughey/Portavogie lifeboat station was permanently closed on 30 September 1981.

The last life-saving service of the Cloughey-Portavogie Lifeboat was to the yacht 'Seawitch' on 2 November 1975 when 3 lives and the vessel were saved.

The last service of the Cloughey/Portavogie Lifeboat was on 27 November 1977 when the she was launched to search for a man reported overboard from the ferry, Ulster Prince.

Between 26 November 1965 and 26 October 1978 the Cloughey-Portavogie Lifeboat was launched on service 49 times and saved 31 lives.

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The Portaferry Lifeboat Station

During the 1970's concerns were expressed about the lack of a lifeboat service for Strangford Lough and its approaches.  The all-weather lifeboats at Cloughey and Newcastle had hull speeds of about 10 knots such that, if called to an incident within Stranford Lough on an ebb tide, they could take several hours to reach a casualty.  

Concerns were heightened when the Cloughey-Portavogie lifeboat was temporarily withdrawn from service on 26th October 1978 due to the major improvements being started at Portavogie Harbour.

Portaferry Sailing Club, local boatmen and others lobbied hard to establish a lifeboat station in Strangford Lough and following an inquiry by Capt. A G Course, Inspector of Lifeboats for Ireland, the RNLI decided to trial a single-engined D class lifeboat at Portaferry in 1979.

Following successful trials, the RNLI decided to establish a lifeboat station in Portaferry on 1 May 1980 when a twin-engined D Class lifeboat was put on service.

Thus the Portaferry Lifeboat Station was born and the pages within this website hopefully bear testimony to the bravery and dedication of all those who have served, and those who continue to serve, in;

'saving lives at sea'.

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Last update - 16/04/2012