Name Bedford

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

BEDFORD was built by Lancelot B. Lambert of South Shields as a wooden North Country lifeboat. She is of clinker construction, with full length cork buoyancy fenders, pulled with 12 oars. A water ballast tank which, when filled, provides additional stability and four self-relieving draining tubes are located in the deck.  She was fitted with an engine and rudder in 1935, but these were subsequently removed after she went out of service and there have been no other alterations. BEDFORD retains her full set of original oars, wood and cork lifesaving apparatus, and several very early life jackets. The vessel is still mounted on her original launching carriage, purpose built by J. Gregory of Westoe, South Shields. There is little evidence of wear and tear as the vessel has never been subject to heavy use. A limited amount of conservation work has been done with some replacement of internal bulkheads and minor topside timbers to return her to as near original 1886 condition as possible.  Repairs have been made to cork fendering and to the sternpost to achieve originality after earlier removal of failed engine and propeller housings. Following analysis of paintwork, she has been restored to what are believed to be her original colours, with lettering and crests to suit.

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

BEDFORD was the last lifeboat to be built by the Tyne Lifeboat Institution, in 1886 and, along with a new boathouse and slipway, was funded by Miss Bedford of Pershore, Worcestershire in memory of her brother, an engineer, who was killed during the construction of the Tyne Piers. She has strong associations with South Shields where she was stationed throughout her service life.  She was crewed by local volunteer pilots and seamen and was launched on 55 occasions, saving 50 lives.  She performed the last service launch of a Tyne Lifeboat Society boat on 17 November 1937, during a south easterly gale, with a heavy swell running, standing by the Norwegian ship TORBORG 1.  BEDFORD had a long operational career spanning 50 years, followed by 31 years as reserve lifeboat, during which she was housed in her own boathouse near Coble Landing, South Shields, until being transferred into storage at the nearby Pilot Jetty Boathouse.  She was on display at Exeter Maritime Museum between 1968-1997, then at the World of Boats Museum at Eyemouth from 1997-2017, before being acquired by the North-East Maritime Trust and returned to South Shields for preservation and permanent display.  BEDFORD was recorded on the National Register of Historic Vessels in 2019.

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

BEDFORD’s beamy form and full-length cork fenders contribute to her buoyancy and her limited draft aids access to shallow waters. These features make her well-equipped as an inshore rescue vessel, ideally so at the Tyne entrance. The boat displays neat lines and is painted and lettered in original colours which reflect the pride of the volunteers of the owning institute.  Her original crest has been repainted, which embodies the town motto of South Shields, ‘Courage, Humanity, Commerce’ and ‘Always Ready.’  BEDFORD and her launching carriage retain their original form and shape, having been faithfully restored to their as-built configuration. Though no longer used on the water; BEDFORD is currently securely stored in a warehouse in her home town of South Shields, awaiting construction of a suitable public display building.

Sources:

“Rescues in the Surf”, Stephen Landells, Tyne Bridge Publishing, 2010.  Tyne Lifeboat Institution records and Minutes.  Trinity House Newcastle, historical records.  South Tyneside Council, and South Shields /Tyne & Wear Museum Service.

DEPN: North East Maritime Trust 9.23

Author:

Peter Weightman, North East Maritime Trust.  Updated: NHS-UK, April 24.