Southwold No. 1 RNLB Alfred Corry, 1893 - 1918
This model of the Alfred Corry hangs in St. Edmund's church in Southwold, Suffolk.
The Alfred Corry was built in 1893 by Beeching Brothers of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) at a cost of £490 7s. 4d. The boat was funded by a donation left to the RNLI from the estate of Alfred James Corry of Putney, London, for whom she was named.
The Alfred Corry was the first example of an improved class of Norfolk and Suffolk lifeboat called the Carvel class. The lifeboat is equipped with two masts carrying lug sails, she originally had 16 oars, but this was later reduced to 14. The lifeboat was launched from the beach. She would be boarded before the launch, then the beach team would pull the boat over the sand and into the water by hauling on a line that was fastened around a piling on the beach. This happened until 1908 when a slipway was built in the harbour. During her 25 year working career, she was launched 41 times and she and her crew are credited with saving 47 lives. During its service the Alfred Corry had three coxswains, John Cragie, 1893 to 1898, Samuel May, 1898 to 1918 and Charles Jarvis for the last few months of the boat's service in 1918.
In 1919 the Alfred Corry was sold to Lord Albemarle and converted to a yacht, based out of Lowestoft, Suffolk. She was renamed Alba and an engine was added in 1921. In 1949 the boat was renamed Thorfinn. She was being used as a houseboat at Maldon, Essex by 1976, at which point she was bought and restored as a seaworthy yacht under her original name.
In 1994 the Alfred Corry was presented to the newly formed Alfred Corry Charitable Trust. Subsequently, the Trust acquired the former 1923 lifeboat shed from the end of Cromer pier in Norfolk and transported this by sea to Southwold. In 1998, the lifeboat was moved to these new quarters for an extensive restoration to her original state.
The Alfred Corry Museum, of which the lifeboat is the main exhibit, is on the northern side of Southwold harbour at the mouth of the River Blyth. The current Southwold Lifeboat Station is adjacent to the museum.
Name: Alfred Corry
Official RNLI number: ON 353
Station: Southwold, Suffolk
Class: Norfolk and Suffolk
Type: Non-self-righting, sailing and rowing lifeboat
Crew: 18 men
Length overall: 44 ft. 1 in. (13.44 m)
Beam: 13 ft. (3.96 m)
Depth: 4 ft. 10 in. (1.47 m)
Draught: 2 ft. 3.5 in. (0.699 m)
Displacement: 8 tons (8,128 kg)
Builder; Beeching Brothers, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Cost: £490 7s. 4d.
Decommissioned: 1918
Southwold No. 1 RNLB Alfred Corry, 1893 - 1918
This model of the Alfred Corry hangs in St. Edmund's church in Southwold, Suffolk.
The Alfred Corry was built in 1893 by Beeching Brothers of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) at a cost of £490 7s. 4d. The boat was funded by a donation left to the RNLI from the estate of Alfred James Corry of Putney, London, for whom she was named.
The Alfred Corry was the first example of an improved class of Norfolk and Suffolk lifeboat called the Carvel class. The lifeboat is equipped with two masts carrying lug sails, she originally had 16 oars, but this was later reduced to 14. The lifeboat was launched from the beach. She would be boarded before the launch, then the beach team would pull the boat over the sand and into the water by hauling on a line that was fastened around a piling on the beach. This happened until 1908 when a slipway was built in the harbour. During her 25 year working career, she was launched 41 times and she and her crew are credited with saving 47 lives. During its service the Alfred Corry had three coxswains, John Cragie, 1893 to 1898, Samuel May, 1898 to 1918 and Charles Jarvis for the last few months of the boat's service in 1918.
In 1919 the Alfred Corry was sold to Lord Albemarle and converted to a yacht, based out of Lowestoft, Suffolk. She was renamed Alba and an engine was added in 1921. In 1949 the boat was renamed Thorfinn. She was being used as a houseboat at Maldon, Essex by 1976, at which point she was bought and restored as a seaworthy yacht under her original name.
In 1994 the Alfred Corry was presented to the newly formed Alfred Corry Charitable Trust. Subsequently, the Trust acquired the former 1923 lifeboat shed from the end of Cromer pier in Norfolk and transported this by sea to Southwold. In 1998, the lifeboat was moved to these new quarters for an extensive restoration to her original state.
The Alfred Corry Museum, of which the lifeboat is the main exhibit, is on the northern side of Southwold harbour at the mouth of the River Blyth. The current Southwold Lifeboat Station is adjacent to the museum.
Name: Alfred Corry
Official RNLI number: ON 353
Station: Southwold, Suffolk
Class: Norfolk and Suffolk
Type: Non-self-righting, sailing and rowing lifeboat
Crew: 18 men
Length overall: 44 ft. 1 in. (13.44 m)
Beam: 13 ft. (3.96 m)
Depth: 4 ft. 10 in. (1.47 m)
Draught: 2 ft. 3.5 in. (0.699 m)
Displacement: 8 tons (8,128 kg)
Builder; Beeching Brothers, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Cost: £490 7s. 4d.
Decommissioned: 1918