A lifeboat was first stationed across the River Tyne in South Shields in 1789, with a second lifeboat placed in North Shields in 1798, both operated by the Tyne Lifeboat Institution (TLI).
In the late 1700s, two lifeboats were operated at Tynemouth by the Tyne Lifeboat Institution (TLI), both built by Henry Greathead, to an amalgamated design of both Greathead and William Wouldhave. At the time, the mouth of the River Tyne was particularly treacherous in poor weather, many ships lost, but many lives saved.[2]
Safety would be radically improved in later years, with the construction of the North and South Tyne Piers, building starting in 1854, but only completed in 1910.[3]
The first lifeboat, known as Original, was wrecked in 1830. The Tyne Lifeboat Institution would not have the funds for a replacement until 1833. In 1832, a request for a lifeboat was placed by the Port of Newcastle Shipwreck Association with the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), who supplied a 26-foot Palmer-type non-self-righting lifeboat, arriving in October 1832, to be managed by the TLI. A new boathouse had been constructed at Prior's Haven. The boat was on service for 10 years, until it was badly damaged in 1842, and scrapped.[4]
Tyne lifeboat on display in South Shields
The Tyne Institution would maintain their fleet of lifeboats, providing 2 new boats and a new boathouse at South Beach, South Shields, in 1841–2. On 4 December 1849, the Tyne Institution lifeboat Providence was launched to the aid to the brigBetsy, which had run ashore at Herd sands. Whilst alongside the vessel, the Providence was capsized. Tyne was launched, and picked up three survivors still holding onto the Providence, and North Shields lifeboat Northumberland rescued the crew of the Betsy, plus one lifeboat man who had managed to get aboard. 20 of the 24 crew of the Providence were lost.[5]
In 1862, following a series of shipwrecks in and around Prior's Haven, it was suggested that the (now) RNLI should place a lifeboat at a new station at Prior's Haven. A new boathouse was constructed, and the Constance, a 33-foot self-righting 10-oared lifeboat, arrived in November 1862. The Prior, a TLI boat, was relocated from Prior's Haven to South Beach, South Shields.[5][7]
Following the wreck of the Stanley in 1864, it was decided to place a second lifeboat at Tynemouth, with the RNLI building a new station at Black Middens. Both lifeboat services would operate alongside each other until the early 1900s, often responding to the same shipwreck, one or other standing by while a rescue was performed. However, in 1905, everything changed when the RNLI placed a motor-powered lifeboat at Tynemouth, followed soon after by the completion of the Piers. A motor lifeboat was far better placed to respond, and fewer rescues were required, with the mouth of the River Tyne now protected. The TLI would be renamed the Tyne Lifeboat Society (TLS) in 1905, maintaining the last of their lifeboats until the 1940s. The RNLI No.2 station was closed.[1][2]
After some years with the motor lifeboat moored afloat, the RNLI took over a boathouse belonging to the War-office in 1921. It was located right next to the Tyne Lifeboat Society boathouse at Clifford's Fort. The lifeboat was mounted on a trolley, which could be winched up or down a trolley-way. In 1941, bombs dropped in a war-time air-raid destroyed the Tyne Lifeboat house, containing the James Young lifeboat, and the RNLI boathouse, containing the John Pymont (ON 824).[8] A replacement boathouse and slipway would be constructed at the same location in 1947.
To commemorate the centenary of the Tynemouth lifeboat station, a stained glass window, showing a picture of the Original lifeboat, was unveiled by Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Northumberland at the Seamen's Chapel of Christ Church, North Shields on 16 September 1962.[9]
1965 would see the arrival of the first Tynemouth Inshore lifeboat, one of the earliest inshore D-class (RFD PB16) boats numbered D-12. When a new All-weather Arun-class lifeboat arrived in 1980, the boat would once again be moored afloat. A replacement station building, housing the Inshore lifeboat, launched with the use of a davit, and a mooring for the All-weather boat were provided in 1997. A 25-knot Severn-class lifeboat 17-20 Spirit of Northumberland (ON 1242) would be placed on service in 1999. After serving 22 years, she would be removed from service, and sent to the RNLI Headquarters at Poole, to be the second Severn-class boat to receive what is known as a SLEP upgrade (Severn Life Extension Programme), to allow a further 25 years of service.[1][10]
The Tyne lifeboat of the Tyne Lifeboat Institution is restored and on display at South Shields.[11] The Bedford lifeboat of the Tyne Lifeboat Institution has been restored, and is in storage awaiting a suitable display location.[12]
