Name William Riley of Birmingham

1.      What is the vessel’s ability to demonstrate history in her physical fabric?

Evidence for designs, functions, techniques, processes, styles, customs and habits or uses and associations in relation to events and people.  How early, intact or rare these features are may impact on significance.

WILLIAM RILEY OF BIRMINGHAM and LEAMINGTON (ON 594) (hereafter WILLIAM RILEY) was the fifteenth Rubie self-righter lifeboat to be built, the first having been introduced in 1894, and reflects changes in design from earlier craft of this type. This form of Rubie lifeboat was designed with flatter end-boxes and an automatic water ballast tank.  Her length overall was 34ft and her breadth 8ft. She was built in mahogany with double diagonal planking and two bilge keels.  Although classified as a pulling and sailing lifeboat, she carried no masts, being a rowing lifeboat only and was steered by means of a retractable rudder. In 2005, WILLIAM RILEY was returned to her 1909 configuration. Weak and damaged planking on her hull, sections of the keel, gunwales and stern posts were all replaced.  Repairs were made using 1mm mahogany laminate and epoxy resin and filler.  The keel iron was removed, de-rusted and refitted. A new deck, bulkheads, thwarts and flotation boxes were constructed and fitted, as were new grab rails, rudders, tiller, chests, oars and coxswain’s platform. The gunwales were repaired using material from MARY ANDREW, a similar craft and her fore metal rubbing strip and fairlead were also used to replace those on WILLIAM RILEY. The hull was sheathed in glass reinforced plastic sheeting and impregnated with resin. 

2.      What are the vessel’s associational links for which there is no physical evidence?

Associations with people or places.  Off-ship research.

WILLIAM RILEY was built in 1909 by Thames Ironworks on the Isle of Dogs in London and designed by Felix Rubie. She was paid for by the Riley family of Leamington (who later went on to found the Riley car company) and named accordingly.  WILLIAM RILEY was stationed at Upgang, north of Whitby, from 1909 to 1919, and then at Whitby until 1931 giving her strong local significance to the area. She is most closely associated with the ROHILLA disaster in 1914, when the WILLIAM RILEY was taken more than three miles by road and along very steep hills to try and reach the stricken ship.  This incident had a national impact, marking the end of rowing lifeboats by convincing the RNLI of the need to adopt widespread mechanical power in future.  The coxswain and second coxswain both received thanks on vellum from the RNLI in recognition of their efforts.

In her role as the Whitby No. 2 reserve lifeboat between 1919 and 1931, WILLIAM RILEY was launched thirty-one times and is credited with saving ten lives. Whitby was the last lifeboat station to retain a pulling lifeboat. WILLIAM RILEY was converted to a cabin cruiser in 1931, before being discovered by Whitby Historic Lifeboat Trust 2005.  In 2012, she participated in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames. There is a model of her on display in the Whitby Lifeboat Museum and her service log survives, along with contemporary accounts of the ROHILLA disaster. She has been recorded on the National Register of Historic Vessels since 2009. 

3.      How does the vessel’s shape or form combine and contribute to her function?

Overall aesthetic impact of the vessel, her lines, material she was built from and her setting.  Does she remain in her working environment?

As a standard Rubie class lifeboat WILLIAM RILEY was strongly constructed with double diagonal planking and a chunky keel.  She was open-decked with end buoyancy boxes to make her as safe as possible at sea.  She had a single centreboard and was crewed by a team of ten oarsmen, with oars on thole pins. Her lack of sails reflects the difficult conditions off the Whitby coast where masts were considered more of a hindrance than a help. She is an example of a lifeboat built for a particular use and adapted to the conditions she would have to face. Following conversion to private use, she has now been returned to her original form and is an aesthetically pleasing sight in her RNLI livery, particularly when being pulled through the streets in the traditional manner.  She is located at Whitby where she spent her service life and continues to operate for fundraising and educational purposes. 

Source: NHS-UK team, 02 April 2024