New Hartlepool RNLI lifeboat officially named
Hartlepool RNLI's new £2.45m Shannon class lifeboat was officially named John Sharp by John Sharp's brother Anthony during a ceremony at Hartlepool Marina on Saturday 5th July in front of RNLI officials, invited guests and members of the public.
On behalf of everyone at Hartlepool RNLI I would like to thank John Sharp for this incredible gesture and I am sure his brother Anthony who named the boat today is just as proud as we are.'
Hartlepool RNLI coxswain Matt Adams said 'Today has been a very special day in the history of Hartlepool RNLI as we celebrate the naming of our new Shannon class lifeboat.
This amazing vessel, which has been funded from the legacy of the late Mr John Sharp, will ensure that we continue in our mission to save lives at sea for many years to come.
It was a pleasure to welcome John’s brother Anthony and his wife Sarah to Hartlepool. I know they have been keenly following our training progress and when we have been out on a shout.
Judging by all the lifeboat supporters who turned up to watch the naming ceremony today, I am sure the Sharp family can be justifiably delighted knowing that the John Sharp and its crew will help the community of the North East for many years to come'.
Anthony Sharp who is from London said 'It has been a proud day for the Sharp family at Hartlepool today.
We have been delighted to meet the volunteer lifeboat crew and officials and we know that John would have been thrilled in the knowledge that the boat he generously provided will take part in saving lives at sea for many years to come.
It has been a pleasure meeting the crew today and learning about their training, and we have been overwhelmed by their dedication and commitment to the charity. We will certainly be following the call outs and stories with the same passion and pride that the volunteers have.
The RNLI is an extraordinary charity.'
Shannon Class Lifeboat - the Latest All Weather Lifeboat (rnli.org)Briefing on the new Hartlepool Lifeboat “John Sharp” and on Dr John Sharp 1722 - 1792
John Sharp was born in 1722, the eldest of 14 children. He was the grandson of another John Sharp, Archbishop of York.
Graduated from Trinity College Cambridge in 1747. Ordained priest 1749. Appointed Archdeacon of Northumberland in 1752.
In 1758 on the death of his father John was appointed a trustee of Lord Crewe’s Charity. This charity had been established in 1721 on the death of Nataniel Crewe the Bishop of Durham.
The Bishop’s Estate included Bamburgh Castle which was in a poor state of repair but which John Sharp then restored.
His many initiatives at Bamburgh over the following years included the establishment of both a boys school and a girls schools, a free surgery for the poor and a dispensary. He also set up a system for subsidising local corn prices and standardising the method of weighing it.
Under John Sharp’s direction Lord Crewe's Charity built Seahouses harbour at a cost of £25,000 to enable the transport of lime and grain. This opened in 1789.
At Bamburgh Castle, John Sharp created what was probably the first lifeboat and coastguard station, some 40 years before the RNLI was established. He installed a cannon on the castle to be fired in fog and organised beach horseback patrols after a storm. He bought chains, pumps and grapples to help recover shipwrecks. He had cork jackets for survivors and a room in the castle for them to recover.
Most importantly in 1788 he commissioned an Essex coachbuilder, Lionel Lukin, to convert a local fishing boat into an “unimergible” boat (i.e. one which would not sink). This was the first time a boat had been maintained purely for saving lives at sea.
The new Hartlepool Shannon Class lifeboat has been funded from the estate of the late John Sharp who died in 2019 and is named John Sharp to recognise the work of Dr John Sharp at Bamburgh Castle. The Wheelhouse plate reads
THIS SHANNON CLASS LIFEBOAT
WAS FUNDED BY THE VERY GENEROUS LEGACY OF
JOHN SHARP
IN RECOGNITION OF DR JOHN SHARP (1722 – 1792)
RNLI Media Contacts
Hartlepool RNLI volunteer press officer Tom Collins email: [email protected]
Clare Hopps (RNLI Regional Communications Manager, North East and East): [email protected] Tel:07824 518641
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.