It’s not unusual for me to research my commission topics in order to design accurately. This is particularly the case with my glass boat and yacht models and bird artwork. So when I received the commission to replicate the R.N.L.B Sir James Knott as a stained glass model lifeboat I was thrilled and set about finding images on the boat in order the make an accurate depiction. However there is so much more to just replicating this particular boat so I thought I would share some of my research with you and in recognition of the great work by the RNLI and its volunteers.
As is the case with many of my commissions there is often a lovely and heartwarming backstory. In this instance a North Shields fisherman, Peter, was commissioning the piece on behalf of the crew volunteers of the Cullercoats Lifeboat station for their friend and colleague Frank Taylor who was retiring from the service. Some 20/22 volunteers man the lifeboat in Cullercoats Bay, many of which come from Seafaring families. Frank is no exception.
Frank Taylor
Frank grew up in a fishing/ lifeboat family with his Grandfather and Father both being Coxwains of the Cullercoats Lifeboat. His uncles and step brothers also supported the lifeboats. Frank joined the crew when he was 15 years old with his first call out onboard on his 17th birthday in 1966 on the Sir James Knott which was built specifically for Cullercoats. Frank spent a few years helping out onboard Sir J K before moving abroad but on his return to the north of the UK when he pursued a career in fishing, he helped out with the lifeboats once again. Latterly Frank retires from 13 years being in charge of Cullercoats Lifeboat Station where he will be sorely missed by the rest of the crew. While Sir James Knott was only in service at Cullercoats for 6 years it was the first boat Frank worked on and means a lot to him.
R.N.L.B Sir James Knott
The RNLI commissioned the build of a lifeboat specifically for Cullercoats in 1963 which was funded by the Sir James Knott Trust. This 37 foot offshore, Oakley Class twin screw motor lifeboat was built by Groves and Gutteridge in Cowes on the Isle of Wight just a few miles from me. Seaview Studio can almost see Cowes! She served at Cullercoats from 1963 to 1969 then Anstruther and Redcar before spending much of her time as a relief lifeboat before leaving service in 1984. She now resides in Kirkleatham, Old Hall Museum at Redcar. In total she was called out 122 times and saved 81 lives with her first response on her delivery from Cowes to Cullercoats where she saved 2 people and towed a motor cruiser! During her 6 years at Cullercoats she was launched on service 15 times and saved 14 lives.
Sir James Knott 1855-1934
A local man to the North Shields area and born in 1855 as the eldest son of 10 children. At 19 he started working as a shipping clark and 4 years later he acquired his first ship. by 1883 he had 17 steam ships and a trawler. By 1895 he set up Prince Line Ltd which became the 3rd largest shipping line in the world with 45 ships, many of them built in Tyne & Wear. 21 of his ships were lost in WW1 along with his 2 sons which devastated him. In 1918, after the sale of the shipping line he bought much of Heddon village and hoped to rename St Andrews Church after his sons but was unable so instead he commissioned an elaborate stained glass window in memory of them. On Sir James Knott’s passing the Sir James Knott Trust Fund was set up to help improve the conditions of people living and working in the north east of England. Since 1990 the trust has provided over 8500 grants totalling over £27.8 million. The funding of the R.N.L.B was one such grant.
Cullercoats
Cullercoats has had a lifeboat for 170 years with the first recorded in 1852 when the RNLI took over. To date there are 545 entries of Taylor’s being crew on the lifeboats there.