Coxswain William Wright

Coxswain William Wright (1923-1933)

William Wright was appointed coxswain in 1923 when John Robert Leadbetter retired.  William (‘Bill’) served as coxswain for ten years and retired in 1933.  He was part of the fishing family who had moved from Marshside, Southport to Fleetwood in the nineteenth century. He was coxswain of the Maude Pickup lifeboat when on Christmas night 1929 the lifeboat was called upon to rescue six people from the former liner Tchad.   His son Richard Wright who became coxswain in the 1960’s was a crew member for this service call.  Following an accident in the Fleetwood lifeboat-house in which he broke his arm he died from complications arising from this injury on 4^th June, 1945.

William Wright was coxswain of Fleetwood Lifeboat when this picture was taken on Lifeboat Saturday July 1929.  William is standing on the promenade outside the former lifeboathouse.  The picture shows a young girl Grace Crossthwaite with a collecting box and lifeboat pin-badges.  On her left is lifeboat-house attendant Mr Harry ‘Onward’ Leadbetter.  Throughout her adult life she was a dedicated supporter of the R.N.L.I, serving as Chair of the Fleetwood branch of the Ladies Lifeboat Guild.  Her husband Bert Crossthwaite was Winchman for many years.  Son Victor was a volunteer crew member and became a full-time Relief Mechanic and eventually joined the Coastguard Service.