Lifeboat ‘Child of Hale’ (2) (1887-1893)
Vessels Labora and New Brunswick wrecked November 7th, 1890
Soon after midday on Thursday 6th November, 1890, an unusually severe gale struck Fleetwood. During Thursday evening the wind increased to hurricane force 12. The wind was still at hurricane force at about quarter past five on Friday morning when signals of distress were noticed from the area of Bernard Wharf in the form of rockets and the burning of tar barrels. Only those men who lived in the direction in which the wind was blowing receiving the warning. The Child of Hale was launched due to the rough sea causing exceptional difficulty in getting out to the second lifeboat Edith that was on a mooring in the river. The steam tug Wardleys towed the lifeboat out of the channel until they were clear of Wyre Light.
On 31st March, 1887 the first Child of Hale lifeboat was replaced by a 37 foot long, 8 foot beam self-righting lifeboat. This lifeboat was the second vessel to be named ‘Child of Hale’. This boat had been built in 1887 by Woolfe and put in the reserve fleet. She had not been launched on active service before being assigned to the Fleetwood station. When placed at Fleetwood she was appropriated to the gift of Colonel Blackburne and named ‘Child of Hale’. She was on station for 6 years.
In the closing months of 1890 a severe storm hit Fleetwood on 6th November. Overnight the wind increased to hurricane force 12. This made a total of 24 lives rescued by the Fleetwood lifeboats on Friday 7th November. Distress rockets were seen in the vicinity of Bernard Wharf and the lifeboat was summoned. The steam tug Wardleys took the Child of Hale in tow to assist the Norwegian barque Labora that was stranded on the wharf. All thirteen crew of Labora were brought safely to Fleetwood. Later that day and when the gale had subsided but there were still heavy seas, the lifeboat service was again called upon to assist the barque New Brunswick that was 3 miles NorthEast of Wyre Light. Eleven crew were rescued and returned to the port.
This made a total of 24 people rescued on that day.
Record of Service Rendered by lifeboat Child of Hale (2) (1887-1893)
August 22nd 1889. – S.S. Britannia. No effective service. At sea ten and a half hours in violent seas and full NW gale.
November 7th 1890. Barque Labora of Egursund.. Distress signals were spotted on Bernard Wharf. At 06.05 hrs the Child of Hale launched – Cox. Robert Wright. They set up a breeches buoy and rescued the crew of 13 persons.
November 7th 1890. Shortly after the crew were landed from the Labora incident, the Number 2 lifeboat Edith slipped her mooring around 15.00 hrs to assist the vessel New Brunswick with a crew of 11 on board. She had lost all her masts. Huge seas were sweeping clean over her. Coxswain Wright rescued the whole crew of eleven.
November 7th 1890. On the same day as the Labora and New Brunswick rescues the Osprey – Jean Campbell incident took place that is commemorated by a monument in Euston Park.
December 14th, 1891. Fishing Smack ‘Superb’ reported in difficulty, but help of lifeboat was ultimately not required.
In 1893 the Railway Company needed the lifeboat-house site that had been in position since 1879 for harbour extensions. A new lifeboat-house was built that was large enough to accommodate the larger Number 2 lifeboat, just West of the Lower Lighthouse.
Later that year the second ‘Child of Hale’ (2) lifeboat was withdrawn and the station reverted to one lifeboat.
Fleetwood Lifeboats Past 