{"id":545,"date":"2024-03-21T13:08:44","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T13:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/?p=545"},"modified":"2024-03-25T15:34:40","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:34:40","slug":"lifeboat-mary-stanford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/2024\/03\/21\/lifeboat-mary-stanford\/","title":{"rendered":"Lifeboat Mary Stanford"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lifeboat Mary Stanford<\/span><\/h1>\n
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A postage stamp was issued in 1974 to mark the 150th anniversary of the RNLI. This depiction of the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Lightship by the Ballycotton lifeboat RNLB\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0was chosen as the image to be represented on that postage stamp \u2013 Oil painting by B. F. Gribble<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career<\/span><\/th>\n\"RNLI<\/a><\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Name:<\/span><\/td>\nMary Stanford<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Owner:<\/span><\/td>\nRoyal National Lifeboat Institution<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder:<\/span><\/td>\nSaunders Roe Ltd,<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cost:<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a39,402-15s-11d<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Christened:<\/span><\/td>\n7 July 1931<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Completed:<\/span><\/td>\n22 July 1930<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Maiden voyage:<\/span><\/td>\n17 September 1931<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
In service:<\/span><\/td>\n1930<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Out of service:<\/span><\/td>\n1959<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Identification:<\/span><\/td>\nON733<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fate:<\/span><\/td>\nOn display on a hillside overlooking Ballycotton harbour<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Notes:<\/span><\/td>\nOnly Lifeboat to be awarded a gold medal<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Donor:<\/span><\/td>\nJohn Frederick Stanford, London.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Station<\/span><\/td>\nBallycotton<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
General characteristics<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Class and type:<\/span><\/td>\nBarnett<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tonnage:<\/span><\/td>\n2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Length:<\/span><\/td>\n51 ft<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Installed power:<\/span><\/td>\n2 x six-cylinder 60hp Weybury C.6 petrol engines running at 1,200 rpm<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sail plan:<\/span><\/td>\nauxiliary sail<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Speed:<\/span><\/td>\n8.88 knots<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Capacity:<\/span><\/td>\n100<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Crew:<\/span><\/td>\n12<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Notes:<\/span><\/td>\nsaved over 100 lives<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

RNLB\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0(ON733)<\/span><\/h1>\n

RNLB\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0was the Ballycotton Lifeboat from 1930 to 1959. Many lives were rescued and awards accumulated. She performed what many regard as the most famous rescue: the Daunt Lightship rescue on 7 February 1936. She is the only lifeboat to be awarded for gallantry (boat as distinct from the crew).<\/span><\/p>\n

Two RNLI lifeboats carried the name RNLB\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>. The first, RNLB\u00a0Mary Stanford (ON 661)<\/i>\u00a0was the most tragic. She capsized in Rye Harbour on 15 November 1928, taking the entire 17 man crew, practically the whole male fishing population of the small town of Rye, to their deaths. This lifeboat had been funded by a London businessman, in memory of his late wife. After this tragedy, their son, John Frederick Stanford offered to fund another lifeboat. This RNLB\u00a0Mary Stanford (ON 733)<\/i>\u00a0became the most renowned.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ballycotton<\/span><\/h2>\n

The RNLI established a lifeboat station in Ballycotton in 1858.\u00a0<\/span>(1)<\/sup>\u00a0There is a long history of life saving at Ballycotton. The first to be acknowledged by the\u00a0Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck<\/strong><\/i>\u00a0was when they awarded a silver medal in 1826.\u00a0(2)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0On 21 December 1825, the vessel\u00a0Britannia<\/em>\u00a0was wrecked in Ballycotton Bay. Her Master, the only survivor, lashed himself to a rock. There he remained for seven hours. In spite of the danger, a local man, Dennis Crowen rowed out and rescued him and then sheltered him in his cottage for four days.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"LifeboatThere were many early rescues by coastguards\u00a0(3)<\/sup><\/span>. For example, on 13 December 1850, in a violent storm, the\u00a0Mountaineer<\/em>\u00a0was being driven onto rocks at Dunmanus Point. The coastguards rowed out to assist, and got on board. Then their boat was smashed on the rocks. Fortunately the\u00a0Mountaineer<\/em>\u00a0was carrying a cargo of timber and although damaged, remained afloat. Using their local knowledge, the coastguards were able to steer the\u00a0Mountaineer<\/em>\u00a0to mud flats and beach her. The rescue of the 28 crew of the\u00a0Mountaineer<\/em>\u00a0resulted in the award of one gold and five silver Lifesaving Medals to Lieutenant Goss and the men of Dunmanus\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coastguard Station.\u00a0(4)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The current lifeboat\u00a0Austin Lidbury<\/em>\u00a0and the new lifeboat station. (Nicholas Leech)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

RNLI<\/span><\/h2>\n

The need for a purpose-built lifeboat was evident. The boat was delivered in time for the visit of Prince of Wales Albert Edward in 1858. The lifeboats prior to the\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0were all powered by oars and sail. As ships became larger the need for a motorized craft was realised. On 12 December 1928, the RMS\u00a0Celtic<\/em>\u00a0was wrecked at Roche\u2019s Point, Cobh. She was the largest ship in her day, one of the \u201cBig Four\u201d, the first to exceed 20,000 tons, dwarfing the Ballycotton Lifeboat, which came to the rescue. The\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0was named on 7 July 1930 by the First Lady, wife of President Cosgrave. The cost, \u00a311,000, was donated by Mr. J.F. Stanford, of London.\u00a0(5)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0There was a previous lifeboat, named \u201cMary Stanford<\/em>\u201c. Two years earlier, it had capsized with the loss of all 17 crew in Rye Harbour, England.\u00a0(6)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The new\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0would be more fortunate. She would save many lives, including the famous rescue of the Daunt Lightship. Not only would her entire crew receive gallantry awards, she would be the only boat, in lifeboat history, for a boat to be awarded.\u00a0(7)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Daunt Lightship Puffin<\/span><\/h2>\n
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the Puffin raised at Ringaskiddy 1896<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"DrawingDaunt rock has always been a hazard to shipping. The first lightship was stationed there by the Irish Lights Board in 1864 following the wreck of the\u00a0City of New York<\/em>\u00a0on the rock. Lightvessel\u00a0Puffin<\/em>\u00a0took up this duty. There was a severe gale on 8 October 1896 and the Puffin vanished.\u00a0(8)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The wreck was not found until 5 November 1896, a month later.\u00a0(9)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The remains of the crew were never located. In folklore they remain at their post, as a \u201cGhost ship\u201d, appearing to warn of impending danger.\u00a0(10)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Daunt Rescue<\/span><\/h2>\n

On 7 February 1936 a south-eastern gale, with rain and snow, developed into a hurricane. Mountainous waves were crashing over the pier and breakwater transforming the harbour into a seething cauldron, the spray was flying over the lantern of the 196ft high lighthouse\u00a0(11)<\/sup><\/span>;\u00a0\u201cstones, some a ton in weight, were being torn from the quay and flung about like sugar lumps\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(12)<\/sup><\/span>. At 8am next morning an SOS was received: the LV\u00a0Comet<\/em>, on station at Daunt rock, had broken from her moorings and was drifting dangerously. Without waiting for orders, in horrendous conditions, Coxswain Patrick (\u201cPatsy\u201d) Sliney took\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0to sea.\u00a0Comet<\/em>\u00a0was not at Daunt rock, she was riding at anchor a quarter mile away. Other ships arrived, but dare not approach the Comet in such conditions. Lightships, are not \u2018lightweight\u2019, they are heavy: built for endurance.\u00a0Comet<\/em>\u00a0was being tossed around by the waves, were it to hit another ship, that ship would suffer serious damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Oil<\/p>\n

Oil painting by Bernard Gribble<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Postage<\/p>\n

Postage stamp issued to mark 150 years of RNLI<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0made several attempts to get a steel cable aboard the\u00a0Comet<\/em>. Every time they did, a terrible wave crashed the ships further apart and the cable snapped. When darkness fell,\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0headed for Cobh to get stronger cables. The\u00a0Innisfallen<\/em>\u00a0and a Royal Navy Destroyer tender stood by. The Lifeboat crew had been, all day, without food. They ate, slept for three hours and received a change of clothing. Early next morning (Wednesday)\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0returned to Daunt rock. The sea was just as stormy. It was now enveloped by a thick fog. It was impossible to effect a rescue. The lifeboat remained in the storm all day and all night. The Commissioners of Irish Lights vessel ILV\u00a0Isolda<\/em>\u00a0had arrived and stood by while\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0went to Cobh at 7am to refuel, and promptly returned.<\/span><\/p>\n

That evening, the storm increased.\u00a0Comet<\/em>\u00a0drifted closer to Daunt rock. When she was 60 yards from the rock, as darkness approached, the Coxswain decided the only option was to try and get alongside and for the crew to jump for the lifeboat. He knew the dangers. On the first attempt, one man got on board, on the second attempt no one jumped; a third time, and five men were safe. The lifeboat went in a fourth and fifth time, and again no one was able to make it. Two men were still on board, clinging to the rails, too exhausted to jump. On the sixth attempt, as the\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0came alongside, the two were seized by the lifeboat crew and dragged aboard. (This moment was depicted on the postage stamp)\u00a0(13)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

They then went to Cobh and disembarked the rescued at 11pm and then returned to Ballycotton.\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0had been away for 79 hours.\u00a0(14)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The crew had only three hours sleep during the 63 hour rescue (from leaving Ballycotton to disembarking Comet\u2019s crew at Cobh), they were all suffering from colds, saltwater burns and hunger.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Patrick Sliney, Silver Medals to Second Coxswain John Lane Walsh and Motor Mechanic Thomas Sliney, and Bronze Medals to Crew Members Michael Coffey Walsh, John Shea Sliney, William Sliney and Thomas Walsh. Even the boat\u00a0Mary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0received an award \u2013 the only time this has happened in lifeboat history. This rescue became legend. It was depicted by marine artists\u00a0(15)<\/sup><\/span>. It featured in popular books\u00a0(16)<\/sup><\/span>. When a postage stamp was issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the RNLI, this rescue was chosen. The design of the stamp was based on the painting by Bernard Gribble,\u00a0(17)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0which depicts the last two lightshipmen being pulled on to the lifeboat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other Rescues<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Mary Stanford languishing in Hannover Dock, Grand Canal Docks<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"LifeboatMary Stanford<\/em>\u00a0had many other rescues to her credit. The years of the Emergency (as World War II was known) were difficult. There was a serious risk from drifting mines. On 27 January 1941 a mine exploded on the Baltimore shore, demolishing the curate\u2019s house and smashing the windows in the church.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Rescues which merited medals were:<\/span><\/h3>\n