Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum

The Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum

The William Terris Memorial Boathouse

The Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum is housed in the RNLI boathouse, King Edwards Parade. Built in 1898 to commemorate the assassination of the well known actor William Terris outside the Adelphi Theatre in 1897. A display of newspaper cuttings of the the time are in the museum. The building housed an active lifeboat until 1924, when an exhibition lifeboat was put on display.

In 1937 it became the first permanent lifeboat museum in the country. As you enter you will see a description and photos of the two current lifeboats "The Royal Thames" a Mersey class all weather lifeboat, and the "Joan & Ted Wiseman" a D Class in shore lifeboat) a record of their rescent services is also on display and is updated each time the lifeboat is launched. Also on display are a number of models.

Read about

the first Eastbourne Lifeboat, donated in 1822 by that well known local eccentric John "Mad Jack" Fuller.

Next the magnificent service to the "New Brunswick" by the lifeboat " William Mary" in 1883.

Storm bound in Eastbourne the lifeboat had to be towed by relays of horses to Birling Gap, some eight miles away where a gap had to be made in the cliffs so the lifeboat could be launched.

Moving along you can read of the lifeboat "James Stevens", 1899 - 1924,

which after distinguished service in the R.N.L.I. Had a second career lasting until 1945.

In more recent times the stories of the "Jane Holland" and the "Barnhill" bombed in 1939.

The drama of the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.

The rescue of the lighthouse keeper in 1966 by the "Beryl Tollemache".

Read of medal service to the yacht "Paperchase" in 2002.

When Mark Sawyer the present Coxswain was awarded a silver medal, and Dan Guy the present

full time mechanic received a Bronze medal for the dramatic rescue of the crew of the "Paperchase".

These are just some of the inspiring stories of the Eastbourne Lifeboats that can be seen in the museum

MEDAL RECORD Ten medals - one Gold, four Silver and five Bronze,

the last was voted in 2003.