TODAY [Monday, November 18] marks the 160th anniversary of Newquay Lifeboat’s first ever shout.

The six-oared RNLI lifeboat ‘Joshua’ and her carriage arrived at Newquay railway station in September 1860, when it is said that half the population of the town, thought to be approximately one thousand, turned out to greet her. 

A procession quickly formed, and the Joshua was towed on her carriage by six horses to the lifeboat house in Fore Street, premises which are now occupied by the Pavilion Bakery.

The Joshua was presented to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution by an anonymous lady who also presented lifeboats to St Ives and Tyrella. 

Costing £157, the Joshua was 30-foot long with a seven-foot beam and built by T & W Forrest boat-building company of Limehouse, Liverpool.

In June 1861, the lifeboat crew assembled in readiness to launch to the Aberystwyth schooner, Echo, but were stood down as their services were not required on that particular occasion.

The Joshua's first service launch came on November 18, 1864, when the schooner Heroine, of Milford, bound for Devoran with a cargo of coal, was driven ashore near the harbour during a terrific gale having suffered split sails and the loss of her topsail yard.  The Joshua was launched and the lifeboat volunteers assisted the crew of five off stricken vessel.

Records show that the lifeboat was under command of Coxswain William Corkhill, with the rest of the crew consisting of J Clemens, W Bush, W Cook, W Symonds, J Trebilcock, R Minors, W Minors and W Tregidgo.

Further research offers a little background as to who these men may have been.

William Corkhill was a coastguard and later won the RNLI's Silver Medal in 1872 and a Silver Medal Second Service Clasp in 1875, both in the Padstow lifeboat.

The lifeboat volunteer crew that day are believed to have been: James Clemens - fisherman; W Bush, William Cook - sailor or shipwright; William Symonds - coastguard; James Trebilcock - mate of the schooner Treffry and great, great grandfather of the present lifeboat operations manager; Richard Minors/Miners - mariner; and William Minors/Miners - ship's carpenter.

William Tregidgo, aboard the lifeboat that day, held the position of Honorary Secretary, a role now superseded by that of lifeboat operations manager. 

Lifeboat operations manager, Gareth Horner, said: “He was a coastguard and won the RNLI's Silver Medal in 1853 as coxswain of the Bude lifeboat.  William was awarded a Second Silver Medal Service Clasp in 1858 and a Third Silver Medal Service Clasp in 1859, both for rescues performed at Newquay in the coastguard boat.  He was awarded the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum for his efforts during the service to the Heroine.

“There's a lot of activity on our beaches and around our coast and Newquay Lifeboat has been involved in several high profile rescues over the years. Our volunteer crew are always available to help save lives at sea, whenever we're needed, and there are many people in our community who have connections to Newquay Lifeboat, past and present.”