Criccieth History

1845 Silver Medals were awarded to WE Morris, R Parry, B Griffiths and Evan Jones for a service to an American ship Glendower.

1853 A lifeboat was stationed at Portmadoc by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society.

1854 The lifeboat station was taken over by the RNLI and transferred to Criccieth, although was still known as Portmadoc station.

1856 A Silver Medal was awarded to John Roberts for rescuing four crew from the brigantine Charlotte aground near Harlech on 24 December 1855.

1881 Two lifeboat crew were injured when the John Ashbury lifeboat was damaged assisting the barque Matilda Hilyard.

1892 The lifeboat station was renamed Criccieth and the boathouse was re-built, costing £600.

1894 The first sound signals were used for summoning the crew to launch; they had previously been called out by messenger.

1910 In October, four lifeboat crew were washed overboard during two launches to a shipwreck. All were safely recovered.

1931 The station at Criccieth closed in June when a motor lifeboat was placed at Pwllheli.

1953 The station re-opened in July as experience showed that a lifeboat was needed to give immediate cover in the north east area of Cardigan Bay.

1959 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.

1967 An inshore lifeboat station was established and a D class lifeboat was sent to the station in April.

1968 The all weather lifeboat was withdrawn on 31 March.

1977 Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Helmsman James Owen and Crew Members Kenneth Roberts and Robert Williams for rescuing four people from the yacht Zircon.

1983 The D class lifeboat was replaced by a C class lifeboat in September.

1993 The boathouse was adapted for a B class lifeboat and launching tractor. An extension was also built, providing improved crew facilities, training room, souvenir sales outlet and a workshop. This was funded from the legacy of the late Mrs Boucher of Bristol. This is one of eight boathouses funded by this legacy, all of which are known as ‘Penza’ lifeboat houses named after her home village in Russia.

The C class lifeboat was withdrawn in December and replaced by a B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat.

1994 On 20 April HRH The Duchess of Kent presented a Framed Letter of Thanks to Helmsman William Walker-Jones for rescuing two people from the yacht Lady Amanda aground on North Bank on 7 October 1993. This was his first service as an inshore lifeboat helmsman.

The Atlantic 21 lifeboat was withdrawn and replaced by an Atlantic 75 lifeboat, B-707 Mercurius, on 30 June.

2000 A letter of appreciation from the RNLI’s Director was sent to Helmsman Kevin Owen for rescuing an injured 12-year-old girl from the foot of a cliff. He had to cross the Porthmadog Bar twice in gale force winds and against an ebb tide.

Station honours

At Criccieth lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks 1

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 3

Silver Medal 5