Brighstone Lifeboat

From Wightpedia

From 1860 a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat was located in a boathouse at Brighstone Grange, Isle of Wight. From the boathouse, a track-way led down to the beach. Horses from a local farm would be used to move the lifeboat on its carriage from the boathouse to the beach.

A new lifeboat, the 'Worcester Cadet' - the gift of the cadets of the Royal Naval training ship, Worcester - was introduced in 1880.

In 1888, 2 crewmen and 2 rescued men lost their lives when the Brighstone Lifeboat 'Worcester Cadet' capsized while rescuing lives from the wreak of the 'Sirenia'.

In 1892 the 34ft, self-righting, lifeboat 'Joe Jarman' - built at Lowestoft[1] from the £500 legacy of Miss Ann Elizabeth Jarman, of Slough[2] - was stationed at Brighstone.

In 1907 the station received a new lifeboat, the 'Brothers Brickwood', which was a gift to the RNLI by Mr. E. D. Brickwood, of Boscombe, Bournemouth. She superseded the 'Joe Jarman' which had been stationed at Brighstone for 14 years. The new lifeboat was of a self-righting type with length of 35 foot and a 8 foot 6 inch width[3].

The station closed in 1915 with the introduction of a motor lifeboat at the Totland station.

Brighstone Church contains three panels in respect of the lifeboat:

Early rescues of Brighstone Lifeboat
Early rescues of Brighstone Lifeboat
  1. Lowestoft Journal - 10 September 1892
  2. Berkshire Chronicle - 20 June 1891
  3. Isle of Wight County Press - 1 June 1907