The Penarth Lifeboat - the vessel is being manually handled onto (or off!) the purpose built trolley by the members of the crew at Penarth Dock beach (witness the peninsular off Cardiff Bute Docks). The original lifeboat station was built under Penarth Head and below the Coastguard Station and opened during 1861 at a cost of £118. (c.£11,550 in 2023) It was necessary due to the growing volume of shipping, some of which became stranded upon the shoals and muds at the entrance to the Bute Docks and the Ely Tidal Harbour. The need for a lifeboat at Penarth can be traced back to the Rear-Admiral, His Grace, Algernon, Duke of Northumberland's Report of 1851 which provided a list of life boat, rocket and mortar stations and list of wrecks of the British Isles which occurred during 1850.

In 1884 the lifeboat had been relocated to Penarth beach due to the construction of the Esplanade. With the opening of lifeboat stations at Barry Dock and Weston-Super-Mare this station was closed in 1905 and in 1907 the old lifeboat house sold for a mere £10. Many thanks to the RNLI website for this heritage record. [1253]

During 2022, the entire photographic maritime archive of Sir Harold Dudley Clayton, 10th Baronet of Clayton, Marden, [1877-1951] came up for auction and this section of a lot has dated the above photograph to 1906. [1377]

'The lots include glass plate negatives, albums and prints from the 1890s to later 1930s, and show racing, sailing and naval vessels. As a boat designer and builder Harold Clayton opened a yard on the site near the Charles Cooper boatyard on the shingle beneath Penarth Head, south of the Marine Hotel. As a keen photographer he also took numerous images of various boats and locations whilst attending regattas and other notable events.'

The images above [000] [002] appear to be of lifeboat Number ON239 'Joseph Denman,' which was stationed at Penarth from 1876 until 1897. The vessel was an all-weather boat of the Greathead class. Cork was built into the hull which provided improved floatation and a self-righting function for the safety of the crew. The vessel was double ended, hence, the rudder could be placed at either end, thus saving valuable moments in turning the vessel following a rescue.

The 'Joseph Denman' was donated by Hon. Mrs. Joseph Denman Speedwell. Capt. Pengelley, H.M.I.N., Dock Master, Penarth, was the Honorary Secretary of the National Life-Boat Institution.

Vice Admiral Joseph Denman (1810–1874) was a British naval officer, most noted for his actions against the slave trade as a commander of HMS Wanderer of the West Africa Squadron.

The Life Boat Journal of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution [1268] of the 1st May 1894 listed their lifeboats : -

1876 - Additional Stations and New Life-Boats - Penarth, South Wales — The Life-boat on this station, in compliance with the urgent and repeated requests of the crew, has been replaced by a smaller boat, for it was found that, on account of there not being a sufficient number of men on the spot to work efficiently the larger one, there was much delay before the boat could be launched when needed, and her usefulness was thereby greatly limited.

This difficulty, it is hoped, will be overcome in the case of the new Life-boat sent there last November. That boat is 30 feet long, 8 feet wide, and rows 8 oars double-banked ; it was provided with a new transporting carriage, the expense of the Life-boat's equipment being contributed by the Hon. Mrs. Denman, in memory of her late husband, Admiral the Hon. Joseph Denman, after whom the boat is named.

On the 10th November the first launch of the Life-boat at its station took place. After a religious service conducted by the Rev. C. Parsons, Rector of Penarth, the Rev. John Cawston, R.N., handed over the boat to the Institution on behalf of the donor; he paid a high tribute to the late Admiral Denman, and said he felt sure that gallant officer would have desired no better memorial for himself than an actively benevolent one like the Life-boat, for the preservation of human life when in grievous distress and danger.

Mrs. Denman then named the boat, which was thereupon launched and put through the usual evolutions, the crew expressing themselves as well pleased with it, feeling that it was better suited to the local requirements than the former one. - RNLI Lifeboat Magazine Archive [1250] August 1876. Image of Hon. Joseph Denman (1860) [577]

1848 - West India Interests - African Emigration, and Slave Trade -  . . . The Slavery of those Islands was therefore a national sin in which Great Britain is far more guilty than her unhappy Colonists The mother country encouraged the Slave Trade not so much for the advantage of the West Indians as from the delusion that her maritime greatness depended on the preservation of this nursery for Seamen and more than once Slaves from Africa have been forced upon the Colonists against their urgent remonstrance's

England then was bound to bear her full share of the losses and sacrifices occasioned by a tardy conviction of the iniquity of Slavery The grant of twenty millions was no equivalent to the Colonies for the loss inflicted on them and justice and true policy equally required Great Britain to afford the West Indies such further support and assistance as might be necessary to enable profitable cultivation to be maintained and the most solemn pledges to this effect were given on the passing of the Emancipation Act . . .  West India Interests - African Emigration, and Slave Trade written by Joseph Denman [1252] 4th June 1848.

Mrs. Grace Denman (née Watts-Russell) (1823-1902), wife of Joseph Denman and whom was responsible for the donation of the lifeboat in her late husband's name to save the lives of mariners and others in distress in the Bristol Channel and the Severn Sea.

She was photographed by Camille Silvy (1834-1910) of Bayswater, London. The albumen print is held within the National Portrait Gallery, London. [Photographic Collection Ref : NPG Ax50609] [577]

A section of a Taff Vale Railway schematic layout of the various offices and functional maritime facilities at Penarth Dock circa 1896. [247]

The first Life Boat House of 1861 remains indicated close to the entrance channel of Penarth Dock. The location was apparently a place fraught with difficulties and danger to launch the lifeboat from since it was dependant upon the state of the tide and the prevailing wind direction at the time, hence, the relocation of the station during 1884.

upper photograph : An enlargement of a photograph taken from Penarth Head looking towards the beach and showing the location of the lifeboat station from 1884 where the 'Joseph Denman' was housed ready for rescue at sea. The pier was opened during 1895, hence, this photograph was probably taken prior to the turn of the century. This lifeboat station closed in 1905 and it wasn't until June 1980 that a new RNLI lifeboat station was opened at the far end of the Esplanade. [000] [002]

upper mid-image : A view along the beach towards Penarth Head from the Esplanade showing Bute Docks, Entrance Channel and Cardiff Mud-flats during May 1894. The lifeboat slip remains in place and in use at this date. [Glamorgan Archives  Ref : DXDR-8] [599]

lower mid-image - An enlarged section from a hand-coloured postcard view of Penarth Head, date unknown, but showing the lifeboat slipway (less cross-supports) in place at the end of the extended seawall. The postcard is held within the Penarth Dock Collection. [001]

lower image - Another enlargement of 'Penarth from Pier' postcard post-marked April 1908 also indicating the second location of the Penarth Lifeboat. The postcard is also held within the Penarth Dock Collection. [001]

1905 - The Penarth Lifeboat - Penarth will no longer be able to respond to the cry of "Man the lifeboat." For a Long time it had been thought that Penarth was an unsuitable position for one, and recently an inspector of the Lifeboat Institution held an inquiry into the matter, the result of which has been the shipping of the good boat Joseph Denman off to another destination. One of the difficulties in regard to the boat was that it could not be launched after half-tide.

Barry will now have to look after the upper parts of the Channel. They have a splendid boat, which can be launched at any state of the tide. The Barry Dock and Railway Company have provided hydraulic power free of charge at the station, which is fully equipped with all necessary appliances for the saving of life at sea. Thus the Lifeboat Institution, feeling that the Barry boat would answer all purposes in regard to the upper parts of the Channel, have decided to do away with the Penarth Station, which has been in existence for the past 35 years. - Weekly Mail [067] [361] 25th November 1905.

upper image  - A photograph of the Joseph Denman of the National Lifeboat Institution with crew posing for the camera c.1881.

lower image - A photograph of Horses Hauling the Joseph Denman circa 1881.

The credit for both photographs is attributed to The Royal National Lifeboat Institution - R.N.L.I. - Penarth. [1324]