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Article THE LIFE-BOATS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. Page 1 of 2 Article THE LIFE-BOATS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Life-Boats Of The United Kingdom.
THE LIFE-BOATS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM .
THE ancient and loyal burgh of Great Yarmouth de rives its name from tho position it occupies close to the mouth of the Yaro , one of three rivers which unite in a broad expanse of waters called ' •Braydon , " whence one channel only—the Yaro—carries them to the sea . All the authorities who have written upon the subject
seem to bo agreed that Yarmouth sprang from the sea ; that at one time , in the past ages of the world , tho waves of the German Ocean flowed over the low-lying marshes of eastern Norfolk , and that whether from the gradual rise of the soil , or from the receding of the waters , the sandy
foundation on which the town stands gradually rose above the action of the tides , cut off from the mainland by the River Tare , which at that time emptied itself by two channels into the sea—one to the north , botween Caister and Yarmouth , and tho other to the south , about four
miles distant . The northern channel was entirely blocked with sand in tho eleventh century , and the southern channel has since been used as a haven for shipping . Large sums of money were spent from time to time during the thirteenth , fourteenth , and fifteenth centuries in
maintaining an outlet , on account of the sand continually silting up from the action of wind and tides , and completely blocking the entrance ; but as the inhabitants could not exist without a haven , renewed attempts were made to obtain a passage for the fresh water of the river , until
at last success attended their efforts , and the present channel at Gorleston was formed , and protected by two stout piers projecting into the sea on either side . By these means a recurrence of former disasters has been
effectually prevented . There is no doubt the haven has contributed very materially to the prosperity of the town ; £ 20 , 000 has been recently expended by the Corporation on the present wharf , a covered market , and the quay , which is the finest in England , and perhaps in the world .
Until 1867 the borough sent two members to Parliament , but the enlightened burgesses attached so much value to their political privileges that it was disfranchised , and , although the population is nearly 50 , 000 , it remains at the
present time unrepresented . Fishermen , we are told , were probably the first settlers , and to fishermen and the produce of the sea the town very properly—taking into account its origin—is indebted for its present importance and greatness .
Everything connected with the place reminds the visitor of this fact . The first thing to attract the eye on leaving the railway station is the gilded vane at tho summit of the New Town Hall , representing a fishing smack fully rigged . The river , also , crowded with fine fishing vessels , displays
at once the enormous activity of the fishing trade in this most important of fishing marts in the world . The name of the parish church—the largest in England—is St . Nicholas , who was the patron saint of fishermen and children . For some years past it has been pro posed to
raise the tower and spire to a height of 4 G 0 feet , which would certainly be more in keeping with the large structure beneath , besides being an excellent landmark , visible to fishermen miles out at sea . A later idea , we believe , has been to add a gilded cross to the summit , as a fitting
emblem of the faith of the inhabitants , and to attract the earliest rays of the rising sun , bnt want of funds has caused both schemes to fall through . The beach of the coast of Norfolk varies considerably , but , as a rule , it is very flat , and at low water a vast
expanse of land is uncovered . An outer bank is usually to be found a few yards to seaward of the mainland , the channel between the two being two to three feet deep at low water . This formation is particularly awkward for the pleasure and other boats of large size , because , if it
were not for a swatch wo y , or opening to be found in this ridge of sand , it would be impossible to launch them from off the beach except at high water , when the bank is sufficiently covered to float them over . This is notably the case at Yarmouth .
The low-lying marshes are generally protected by high sandhills at the back of the beach , overgrown with maram grass , the long roots of which help to bind the loose
drift-Band together , and thus prevent it being blown inland in large quantities . It is supposed that these hills were thrown up by the Romans to prevent the encroachment of the sea . The sand is piled up on a clay foundation , and
The Life-Boats Of The United Kingdom.
the long maram grass , already alluded to , not only binds tl'i « sand together , but causes it to accumulate . In Lincolnshire they are of great height aud extent , and on the north coast of Norfolk , at Holkham , a large number of fir trees have been planted by Lord Leicester , thereby imparting \ o them a very effective and picturesque appearance .
The chain of outlying sands off the eastern coast of Norfolk , at varying distances from the shore , present grave dangers to navigation , and every year numbers of lives and vessels are lost . A magnificent roadstead , several miles in
length , exists off Caister and Yarmouth , formed by the close proximity of the Scroby Sands , distant only about 2 ^ miles , running parallel with the beach , which effectually protects it , and affords an excellent anchorage for vessels in distress or weather-bound .
Refore the improvements in the haven , providing for the better landing and transport of fish , were carried out , it was the custom to ferry the catches from the smacks lying in tho roads to the beach , where the sale and packing
of tho fish took place . This occupation , and the assistance so often required by vessels in the roads , or outlying banks , probably called into existence a race of men known on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts as beachmen . At Yarmouth
they were formerly divided into six companies , each one possessing a station , look-out nests , yawls , gigs , and other boats . These boats were held in shares , and any money earned by them was divided into doles or parts , the boat taking a certain number for repairs , and for dividing
among the shareholders , the remainder being distributed among the men employed on the occasion . To give all the men a fair chance of occasionally being one of the boat ' s crew , a system of " touch " was introduced , i . e ., whoever first touched the boat were the men
entitled to man her to the number required . No difficulty seems to have been experienced under this arrangement , and perfect honesty appears to have been the rule among the men , each man acting as a check to his neighbour , so that no unjust claim for a share in the profits was known , as it
was so perfectly certain to be found out . The competition at times , in consequence of the rivalry between these companies was so great , that enormous risks were incurred , and numerous accidents , involving loss of life , happened in the endeavour to be first alongside the vessel requiring assistance .
A race of men were thus reared inured to hardship and danger , and famed for acts of daring and endurance in the performance of their occupation . Unfortunately for them , but fortunately in other respects , the substitution of steamers for sailing vessels , together with the introduction
of the Plimsoll Act , put an end to many of the uuseaworth y ships then afloat , and the supervision exercised by the Board of Trade surveyors has no doubt proved a healthy check on unscrupulous shipowners , to whom the loss of their vessel was probably more often than not a profit J
but whatever the cause , it has been evident for the past five or six years that the need for beachmen at Yarmouth has gone , and that the chance of earning a living in this way is now so small that no one would think of bringing up his sons to the " business ; " but while the men have
been driven from the beach at Yarmouth until onl y three small companies survive , containing an aggregate strength , at most , of twenty men , and their boats rapidly going to
decay , Caister , a village three miles to the north , continues to maintain its company , numbering forty men , and they contrive to follow their hazardous calling under particularly thriving circumstances .
Gorleston , from its position at the mouth of the haven , 2 \ miles to the south of Yarmouth , with smooth water for the boats to launch into , and in the immediate vicinity of the tug-boats , enjoys every advantage , and consequently
we find there two companies of beachmen , each about thirty strong , composed of young and able-bodied men , ready and fit for anything , and , like those at Caister , knowing thoroughly every shoal and set of the tide .
With a coast so full of dangers to navigation , and with such a magnificent body of water-dogs , as one mi ght call these men , actually living on the beach , there was plenty of opportunity for philanthropy to come to the rescue of the sailor under the most favourable circumstances .
Accordingly , about the year 1824 , the Norfolk Association for the preservation of Life from Shipwreck was established by the combined exertions of the leading gentry of the count y , and was maintained with considerable effort , and at great expense , by its supporters . This association was the first o grapple systematically with the dangers of shipwreck ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Life-Boats Of The United Kingdom.
THE LIFE-BOATS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM .
THE ancient and loyal burgh of Great Yarmouth de rives its name from tho position it occupies close to the mouth of the Yaro , one of three rivers which unite in a broad expanse of waters called ' •Braydon , " whence one channel only—the Yaro—carries them to the sea . All the authorities who have written upon the subject
seem to bo agreed that Yarmouth sprang from the sea ; that at one time , in the past ages of the world , tho waves of the German Ocean flowed over the low-lying marshes of eastern Norfolk , and that whether from the gradual rise of the soil , or from the receding of the waters , the sandy
foundation on which the town stands gradually rose above the action of the tides , cut off from the mainland by the River Tare , which at that time emptied itself by two channels into the sea—one to the north , botween Caister and Yarmouth , and tho other to the south , about four
miles distant . The northern channel was entirely blocked with sand in tho eleventh century , and the southern channel has since been used as a haven for shipping . Large sums of money were spent from time to time during the thirteenth , fourteenth , and fifteenth centuries in
maintaining an outlet , on account of the sand continually silting up from the action of wind and tides , and completely blocking the entrance ; but as the inhabitants could not exist without a haven , renewed attempts were made to obtain a passage for the fresh water of the river , until
at last success attended their efforts , and the present channel at Gorleston was formed , and protected by two stout piers projecting into the sea on either side . By these means a recurrence of former disasters has been
effectually prevented . There is no doubt the haven has contributed very materially to the prosperity of the town ; £ 20 , 000 has been recently expended by the Corporation on the present wharf , a covered market , and the quay , which is the finest in England , and perhaps in the world .
Until 1867 the borough sent two members to Parliament , but the enlightened burgesses attached so much value to their political privileges that it was disfranchised , and , although the population is nearly 50 , 000 , it remains at the
present time unrepresented . Fishermen , we are told , were probably the first settlers , and to fishermen and the produce of the sea the town very properly—taking into account its origin—is indebted for its present importance and greatness .
Everything connected with the place reminds the visitor of this fact . The first thing to attract the eye on leaving the railway station is the gilded vane at tho summit of the New Town Hall , representing a fishing smack fully rigged . The river , also , crowded with fine fishing vessels , displays
at once the enormous activity of the fishing trade in this most important of fishing marts in the world . The name of the parish church—the largest in England—is St . Nicholas , who was the patron saint of fishermen and children . For some years past it has been pro posed to
raise the tower and spire to a height of 4 G 0 feet , which would certainly be more in keeping with the large structure beneath , besides being an excellent landmark , visible to fishermen miles out at sea . A later idea , we believe , has been to add a gilded cross to the summit , as a fitting
emblem of the faith of the inhabitants , and to attract the earliest rays of the rising sun , bnt want of funds has caused both schemes to fall through . The beach of the coast of Norfolk varies considerably , but , as a rule , it is very flat , and at low water a vast
expanse of land is uncovered . An outer bank is usually to be found a few yards to seaward of the mainland , the channel between the two being two to three feet deep at low water . This formation is particularly awkward for the pleasure and other boats of large size , because , if it
were not for a swatch wo y , or opening to be found in this ridge of sand , it would be impossible to launch them from off the beach except at high water , when the bank is sufficiently covered to float them over . This is notably the case at Yarmouth .
The low-lying marshes are generally protected by high sandhills at the back of the beach , overgrown with maram grass , the long roots of which help to bind the loose
drift-Band together , and thus prevent it being blown inland in large quantities . It is supposed that these hills were thrown up by the Romans to prevent the encroachment of the sea . The sand is piled up on a clay foundation , and
The Life-Boats Of The United Kingdom.
the long maram grass , already alluded to , not only binds tl'i « sand together , but causes it to accumulate . In Lincolnshire they are of great height aud extent , and on the north coast of Norfolk , at Holkham , a large number of fir trees have been planted by Lord Leicester , thereby imparting \ o them a very effective and picturesque appearance .
The chain of outlying sands off the eastern coast of Norfolk , at varying distances from the shore , present grave dangers to navigation , and every year numbers of lives and vessels are lost . A magnificent roadstead , several miles in
length , exists off Caister and Yarmouth , formed by the close proximity of the Scroby Sands , distant only about 2 ^ miles , running parallel with the beach , which effectually protects it , and affords an excellent anchorage for vessels in distress or weather-bound .
Refore the improvements in the haven , providing for the better landing and transport of fish , were carried out , it was the custom to ferry the catches from the smacks lying in tho roads to the beach , where the sale and packing
of tho fish took place . This occupation , and the assistance so often required by vessels in the roads , or outlying banks , probably called into existence a race of men known on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts as beachmen . At Yarmouth
they were formerly divided into six companies , each one possessing a station , look-out nests , yawls , gigs , and other boats . These boats were held in shares , and any money earned by them was divided into doles or parts , the boat taking a certain number for repairs , and for dividing
among the shareholders , the remainder being distributed among the men employed on the occasion . To give all the men a fair chance of occasionally being one of the boat ' s crew , a system of " touch " was introduced , i . e ., whoever first touched the boat were the men
entitled to man her to the number required . No difficulty seems to have been experienced under this arrangement , and perfect honesty appears to have been the rule among the men , each man acting as a check to his neighbour , so that no unjust claim for a share in the profits was known , as it
was so perfectly certain to be found out . The competition at times , in consequence of the rivalry between these companies was so great , that enormous risks were incurred , and numerous accidents , involving loss of life , happened in the endeavour to be first alongside the vessel requiring assistance .
A race of men were thus reared inured to hardship and danger , and famed for acts of daring and endurance in the performance of their occupation . Unfortunately for them , but fortunately in other respects , the substitution of steamers for sailing vessels , together with the introduction
of the Plimsoll Act , put an end to many of the uuseaworth y ships then afloat , and the supervision exercised by the Board of Trade surveyors has no doubt proved a healthy check on unscrupulous shipowners , to whom the loss of their vessel was probably more often than not a profit J
but whatever the cause , it has been evident for the past five or six years that the need for beachmen at Yarmouth has gone , and that the chance of earning a living in this way is now so small that no one would think of bringing up his sons to the " business ; " but while the men have
been driven from the beach at Yarmouth until onl y three small companies survive , containing an aggregate strength , at most , of twenty men , and their boats rapidly going to
decay , Caister , a village three miles to the north , continues to maintain its company , numbering forty men , and they contrive to follow their hazardous calling under particularly thriving circumstances .
Gorleston , from its position at the mouth of the haven , 2 \ miles to the south of Yarmouth , with smooth water for the boats to launch into , and in the immediate vicinity of the tug-boats , enjoys every advantage , and consequently
we find there two companies of beachmen , each about thirty strong , composed of young and able-bodied men , ready and fit for anything , and , like those at Caister , knowing thoroughly every shoal and set of the tide .
With a coast so full of dangers to navigation , and with such a magnificent body of water-dogs , as one mi ght call these men , actually living on the beach , there was plenty of opportunity for philanthropy to come to the rescue of the sailor under the most favourable circumstances .
Accordingly , about the year 1824 , the Norfolk Association for the preservation of Life from Shipwreck was established by the combined exertions of the leading gentry of the count y , and was maintained with considerable effort , and at great expense , by its supporters . This association was the first o grapple systematically with the dangers of shipwreck ,