Lifeboat Timeline

Barmouth has a history rich with connections to the shipping industry. In the early 1800s, schooners, brigantines, steamers and other ships headed for Barmouth. As they sailed along the coast, often in raging storms, many were shipwrecked.

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1825 A Silver Medal was awarded to Edmond Lewis for rescuing seven men when the vessel Neptune ran aground. Using ropes, he helped to haul the men up the cliffs to safety.
1828 An RNLI lifeboat station was established and a stone boathouse was built at a cost of £95. It measured 30ft long by 9ft wide. The lifeboat was a 26ft Palmer type, non-self-righting, rowed six oars and weighed 18 cwts and cost £56. This lifeboat served until the early 1850's.
1852 A new lifeboat was built after a Committee of local residents raised the money to buy a new boat. The new boat was built by Forrestt of Limehouse and was a 27ft by 7ft 6ins self-righter, clench built of elm to a design by Mr Peake. The new boat weighed 32cwts and rowed eight oars. Any water taken on board quickly drained away through 6in diameter tubes. The boat cost £135 most of which was subscribed locally. The boat was not given a name as naming did not become common place until some years later. In October 1853 the new boat was conveyed, free of charge, from London to Caernarvon by the North Western and the Chester and Holyhead railway companies.

1854 John Jones was a previously unknown / unnamed Coxswain of Barmouth Lifeboat. He does not appear in any of the records found elsewhere and the only mention of his role is in Lewis Lloyd’s book “Where Freights May Offer”.  In 1854, the Stornaway of Boston was stranded near Aber Dysyny after being wrecked on Sarn y Bwch. The crew had all been saved however five men died while using one of the ship’s boats to take off rigging and other materials.  While returning to shore the boat was upset in the breakers and all fourteen men ended up in the water. Another boat working with them rescued the other nine men. John Jones was one of the five that didn’t make it. He was described as being so deservedly and so highly respected and regarded. He was twenty two years old.

The narrative explains “Poor Jones was appointed last year, captain of the new lifeboat at this port, though before then never was a vessel seen in  distress off the coast but he was among the foremost to render assistance."

Another Barmouth man to perish with him was an Abraham Griffiths, who had returned from Australia two weeks earlier and was engaged to one of John Jones sisters. A subscription was set up and over £28 was raised to support the families of the men who drowned. W.W.E.Wynne, Esq, M.P. who was the M.P. for Merioneth, donated £5. It was said he took a genuine interest in the local lifeboats stationed at Barmouth and Aberdyfi.

1859 During the year the Barmouth lifeboat was taken away for several months to be lengthened by 6ft, the revised boat now being 33ft long and rowed 12 oars. A new boathouse was also built on the banks of the Mawddach estuary at a cost of £142.
1867 A new lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell was sent to Barmouth. The new boat was a 34ft by 8ft 4ins self righter rowing 10 oars double banked.. She cost £300 10s 6d which was provided to the RNLI as a gift by an anonymous lady. At her request the boat was named "Ellen". In all she was launched a total of 25 times saving 29 lives.
1885 In July the Lifeboat "Jones-Gibb" was stationed at Barmouth until 1905. This was a 37ft self-righting lifeboat, rowing 12 oars double banked. The cost of the boat was £390 being the gift of Mrs Jones-Gibb of Tunbridge Wells. At the same time a new slipway was built to ease launching.