James Beeching
Encyclopedia
James Beeching was an English
boat builder
who invented a "self-righting lifeboat
" and designed a type of fishing boat which became characteristic of the port of Great Yarmouth
in the 19th century. He also built ships for the smuggling trade.
in Sussex
(now East Sussex
), in 1788, to a family who had connections with the smuggling
trade, and served an apprenticeship in nearby Hastings
as a boat builder. In 1809, he married Martha Thwaites (1789–1831), daughter of shipowner Thomas Thwaites - they went on to have nine children. Beeching and a partner ran a shipbuilding yard in Hastings for several years until it went bust in 1816 and was purchased by Thomas Thwaites. He then went over to Flushing in the Netherlands
, and built many craft, including several involved in the English smuggling trade such as the famous smuggling cutter known as "Big Jane", launched in 1819. On leaving Flushing he settled at Great Yarmouth
in Norfolk
where he introduced a design of fishing-vessel that became characteristic of that port until the advent of steam power.
In the first half of the 19th century, the overall condition of Britain's lifeboats was found, by the admiralty
, to be very unsatisfactory. In 1848, of the 100 boats available, only 55 were found to be in good repair, and many of these were compromised by being of too heavy costruction; 21 boats were found to be unfit for use. Lifeboat design was not standardised and the boats available, though an improvement on ordinary vessels, were still all too vulnerable to the inrush of water on heavy seas which could lead to capsizing and loss of life amongst crews.
Hence, in 1851, attempts were made, under the auspices of Albert the Prince Consort, to revive the activity of the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the affairs of which had fallen to such a low ebb. A competition was initiated by the Admiralty
for a new, improved lifeboat which would meet criteria of: (a) being self-righting, (b) being of lighter construction than before and easier to launch and transport, (c) able to free itself of water faster (i.e. self-draining) and (d) lower cost.
The Duke of Northumberland
, president of the Institution, offered to fund a prize of £100 for the best scale model
of a new lifeboat, and another £100 towards the cost of building it. Out of 280 models sent in from all parts of the world (a selection of which were displayed at the famous Crystal Palace exhibition
of 1851), Beeching's "self-righting" design was awarded the prize. With a few slight modifications made by James Peake, who was a master shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard
and one of the competition judges, this design became the standard model for the new fleet of lifeboats acquired by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
. It was known as the Beeching-Peake SR (self-righting) lifeboat.
So confident was Beeching of the merits of his design, that he built a boat on the same model before the prize was awarded, and this was subsequently purchased by the trustees of Ramsgate
Harbour in December 1851. "The Northumberland", as it was called, was 36 feet long and had 12 oars; she became the first self-righting lifeboat and was said to have been "one of the most frequently used and useful lifeboats in the United Kingdom", saving the lives of several hundred people on the Goodwin Sands
.
James Beeching died on 7 June 1858, aged 70. The firm, "Beeching Brothers" (founded 1795) continued to build ships in Great Yarmouth for several decades after his death well into the 20th century, eventually including steam-powered vessels.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
boat builder
Boat building
Boat building, one of the oldest branches of engineering, is concerned with constructing the hulls of boats and, for sailboats, the masts, spars and rigging.-Parts:* Bow - the front and generally sharp end of the hull...
who invented a "self-righting lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
" and designed a type of fishing boat which became characteristic of the port of Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
in the 19th century. He also built ships for the smuggling trade.
Life and work
Beeching was born at BexhillBexhill-on-Sea
Bexhill-on-Sea is a town and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England, within the District of Rother. It has a population of approximately 40,000...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
(now East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
), in 1788, to a family who had connections with the smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
trade, and served an apprenticeship in nearby Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
as a boat builder. In 1809, he married Martha Thwaites (1789–1831), daughter of shipowner Thomas Thwaites - they went on to have nine children. Beeching and a partner ran a shipbuilding yard in Hastings for several years until it went bust in 1816 and was purchased by Thomas Thwaites. He then went over to Flushing in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and built many craft, including several involved in the English smuggling trade such as the famous smuggling cutter known as "Big Jane", launched in 1819. On leaving Flushing he settled at Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
where he introduced a design of fishing-vessel that became characteristic of that port until the advent of steam power.
In the first half of the 19th century, the overall condition of Britain's lifeboats was found, by the admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, to be very unsatisfactory. In 1848, of the 100 boats available, only 55 were found to be in good repair, and many of these were compromised by being of too heavy costruction; 21 boats were found to be unfit for use. Lifeboat design was not standardised and the boats available, though an improvement on ordinary vessels, were still all too vulnerable to the inrush of water on heavy seas which could lead to capsizing and loss of life amongst crews.
Hence, in 1851, attempts were made, under the auspices of Albert the Prince Consort, to revive the activity of the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the affairs of which had fallen to such a low ebb. A competition was initiated by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
for a new, improved lifeboat which would meet criteria of: (a) being self-righting, (b) being of lighter construction than before and easier to launch and transport, (c) able to free itself of water faster (i.e. self-draining) and (d) lower cost.
The Duke of Northumberland
Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland
Admiral Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland KG, PC, FRS , styled Lord Algernon Percy until 1816 and known as The Lord Prudhoe between 1816 and 1847, was a British naval commander, explorer and Conservative politician.-Background:Northumberland was the younger son of General Hugh Percy, 2nd...
, president of the Institution, offered to fund a prize of £100 for the best scale model
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
of a new lifeboat, and another £100 towards the cost of building it. Out of 280 models sent in from all parts of the world (a selection of which were displayed at the famous Crystal Palace exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
of 1851), Beeching's "self-righting" design was awarded the prize. With a few slight modifications made by James Peake, who was a master shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard was an English naval dockyard founded by King Henry VIII in 1512 to build his flagship Henri Grâce à Dieu , the largest ship of its day....
and one of the competition judges, this design became the standard model for the new fleet of lifeboats acquired by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
. It was known as the Beeching-Peake SR (self-righting) lifeboat.
So confident was Beeching of the merits of his design, that he built a boat on the same model before the prize was awarded, and this was subsequently purchased by the trustees of Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
Harbour in December 1851. "The Northumberland", as it was called, was 36 feet long and had 12 oars; she became the first self-righting lifeboat and was said to have been "one of the most frequently used and useful lifeboats in the United Kingdom", saving the lives of several hundred people on the Goodwin Sands
Goodwin Sands
The Goodwin Sands is a 10-mile-long sand bank in the English Channel, lying six miles east off Deal in Kent, England. The Brake Bank lying shorewards is part of the same geological unit. As the shoals lie close to major shipping channels, more than 2,000 ships are believed to have been wrecked...
.
James Beeching died on 7 June 1858, aged 70. The firm, "Beeching Brothers" (founded 1795) continued to build ships in Great Yarmouth for several decades after his death well into the 20th century, eventually including steam-powered vessels.
Legacy
Beeching's self-righting lifeboat, together with other changes instituted by the RNLI, greatly improved Britain's lifeboat service in the latter half of the 19th century. The number of boats was increased from 96 in 1850 to 242 in 1874, and their improved reliability contributed to the saving of countless lives of both mariners and lifeboatmen.See also
- Cromer Lifeboat Benjamin Bond Cabbell II ON 12Cromer Lifeboat Benjamin Bond Cabbell II ON 12Benjamin Bond Cabbell II was a Cromer non self-righter type lifeboat stationed at Cromer in the English county of Norfolk from September 1884 until September 1902.-Design and construction:...
, built by James Beeching & Brothers and launched in 1884. - Henry GreatheadHenry GreatheadHenry Francis Greathead was a pioneering rescue lifeboat builder from South Shields. Although Lionel Lukin had patented a lifeboat in 1785, Greathead successfully petitioned parliament in 1802 with the claim that he had invented a lifeboat in 1790, and he was awarded £1,200 for his trouble...
(1757–1818), lifeboat builder. - Lionel LukinLionel LukinLionel Lukin Lionel Lukin Lionel Lukin (18 May 1742 (Great Dunmow, Essex, England) - 16 February 1834 (Hythe, Kent, England) is considered by some to have been the inventor of the lifeboat (although see William Wouldhave for the competing claim)....
(1742–1834), inventor of the lifeboat. - William WouldhaveWilliam WouldhaveWilliam Wouldhave is a rival of Lionel Lukin for recognition as inventor of the lifeboat. His tombstone, erected thirteen years before Lukin’s, describes William Wouldhave as;-Personal History:...
(1751–1821), produced the first self-righting design.
Further reading
- Committee appointed to examine the life-boat models submitted to compete for the premium offered by the Duke of Northumberland. Report to which is added, a list of the existing life-boat stations etc. (1851).
- Nicolson, F. E. Lifeboats, Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, Volume 6, Issues 21-24 (Mitchell, 1863) pp. 30–59.
External links
- Covent Garden II (Caister LifeboatCaister LifeboatCaister is the home to only one of three offshore lifeboats in the UK that is independent of the RNLI. A lifeboat at Caister was first documented in 1791, being used by the Caister Beach Company to salvage ships wrecked on the sand banks offshore from Caister. Between 1856 and 1969 lifeboats at...
built by Beeching in 1883). - The Boys/Godsend (Caister Lifeboat built by Beeching in 1867).