| History of the Plymouth Lifeboats | |
|  | | The crew the lifeboat "Escape" in 1887 |
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A History of the Plymouth Lifeboats
By Alan Salsbury
Publishers: Halsgrove (of Tiverton)
Price: £19.95
297x210mm hardback with 160 pages
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| | | SEE ALSO | | Queen names lifeboat 200 years of lifeboats
History of Torbay Lifeboat
Mayday Mayday Exhibition Great Outdoors | | | WEB LINKS | | RNLI
Halsgrove
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. | | | FACTS | | Although the first lifeboats were launched in 1803, the RNLI was not established until 1824.
Since the birth of the RNLI in 1824, lifeboats have saved nearly 135,000 lives.
Plymouth lifeboats have put to sea 1,489 times and have saved the lives of 599 people - and the figure is going up all the time.
The RNLI has an active fleet of 321 lifeboats operating from 230 stations around the UK and Ireland.
The coast of Devon is home to eight lifeboat stations; Exmouth, Teignmouth, Torbay, Salcombe, Plymouth, Clovelly, Appledore and Ilfracombe.
The RNLI is a charity which relies on donations and bequests.
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| | It's only fitting that this book should be published in July 2003 - 200 years to the month that the very first lifeboat was launched in Plymouth.
Plymouth was one of the first lifeboat stations in the country. A number were opened around the coast in 1803 in response to maritime tragedies, and this year sees the 200th anniversary of lifeboats in England.
In the 200 years since the inaugural Plymouth Lifeboat was launched - on 20th July 1803 - the Plymouth lifeboats have put to sea 1,489 times and have saved the lives of 599 people. And the figure is rising all the time.
 | | Walter D Crowther, coxswain 1939-61 |
Now, the story of the 15 lifeboats which have served the Plymouth area is told by Devon author Alan Salsbury.
With the help of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Plymouth Museum and the city's library, he has unearthed details of the lifeboats used during the 200 years, as well as some fantastic old photos.
Of course, technology has changed greatly since the days of the first boat (name unknown), when the crews put their lives at risk every time they embarked on a rescue.
The current crew of the £2m Sybil Mullen Glover - named after a benefactor - benefit from state of the art technology, but they still do a highly dangerous. And they're all volunteers.
 | | The Thomas Forehead & Mary Rowse - the lifeboat in 1952-74 |
It's this dedication whch prompted Alan Salsbury - who's descended from a long line of Brixham master mariners - to record their efforts.
It's the second lifeboat book he's written. In 2002, he published the History of the Torbay Lifeboats.
He explained: "I did it out of the pure respect and admiration I have for the lifeboat crews, past and present.
"The quiet and unassuming way in which they carry out their duties - often risking their own lives to save others - should be ackowledged and recorded.
"There doesn't appear to be a stereotypical lifeboat member. He or she may be your local milkman, nurse, banker - or any other person you might meet in the street.
"Within the community they are truly ordinary people doing an extraordinary job."
*You can find out more about the bicentenary of the Plymouth Lifeboats, by visiting a special exhibition all this year at Plymouth Museum, which is the subject of a special "Mayday Mayday" feature.
And we've also written a tribute to Devon's lifeboats, as part of the anniversary.
A History of the Plymouth Lifeboats
By Alan Salsbury
Publishers: Halsgrove (of Tiverton)
Price: £19.95
297x210mm hardback with 160 pages
Photos published with permission of the publishers
Article first published: 16th July 2003
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