Irvine enjoyed a lifeboat service from 1861 to 1914 - with four boats during those years - the 'Pringle Kidd' of 1861, the 'Isabella Frew' of 1874, the self-righting 'Busbie' of 1887, and the 'Jane Anne' of 1898. This website contains a newspaper article on Irvine lifeboats by Mae McEwan, a page on the RNLI and Irvine in 1861, and a feature on David Sinclair, with more details of the awards to his crew and photographs of the medal. Over six incidents, 41 lives were saved, as documented by the Irvine Station noticeboards pictured at the foot of this page.
left: right: |
In 2013-14, the pupils of St Mark's Primary School adopted the Irvine lifeboat as a local heritage project, with a particular focus on the rescue, in December 1894, of the crew of the Norwegian ship 'Frey', for which the crew, under coxswain David Sinclair, were rewarded by the Norwegian government with medals. They researched lifeboats then and now, and the 'Frey' shipwreck. They were particularly pleased to see and touch one of the medals presented to the lifeboat crew - currently owned by local historian Mae McEwan, her grand-daughter Mhairi McEvoy was one of the class teachers involved.
The pupils of this school (pictured) also created personal responses to the lifeboat story. Here follows a selection of the work produced (with a link to a second page of their work), in photo and in video - reflecting the hard work and enjoyment of the pupils during the project. Congratulations to the St Mark's team for their excellent contribution to the Harbourside Heritage project.
More of the pupils' work >> (on a second page)
Boards from the Irvine Lifeboat Station
to left:
The 'Isabella Frew' was presented by William
Somerville Esq. of Bristol
1876 Oct 6th Schooner 'Lady Mary' of Irvine -
4 lives saved
1882 Dec. 20th Steam Tug 'Irvine' of Irvine -
4 lives saved
to right:
The cost of the 'Busbie' was defrayed from a
legacy bequeathed by the late H R C Wallace Esq. of Busbie and
Cloncaird, Scotland.
1893 Nov. 1st Schooner 'Guiding Star' of Runcorn
- 4 lives saved
1894 Feb. 26th Barquentine 'Caroline' of Belfast
- 6 lives saved
1894 Dec. 29th Ship 'Frey' of Tonsberg - 15 lives
saved
1897 Mar. 10th SS 'Texa' of Glasgow - 8 lives
saved.
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