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James Holbourns was born in 1838, the son of John whose elder brother was to be the father of the Deal Boatmen often mentioned by Treanor as active on the Charles Dibden. James died in 1913.
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| Jarvist Arnold Coxswain of the Kingsdown Lifeboat |
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‘Floatys’ mother may have been related to Susannah Wellard, whose father William was a mariner and agricultural labourer. Susannah had married George William Sutton, a Police Sergeant, who had rowed stroke whilst he served on the ‘Sabrina’ Lifeboat and participated in several calls including that most daring and extraordinary occasion of the rescue of the crew of the Belgian ‘Cap Lopez’ in 1907. He was born in 1849 at Kingsdown, but later on in life moved to Dover where he died, aged 63 in 1912. His father and grandfather before him being fishermen. Susannah had died in 1909 aged 57 at Dover Fever Hospital. Roger Sutton, a contemporary ancestor of the same has advised me that it was in fact another relative of his, by the name of William Sutton who also served as the last Coxswain of the Kingsdown lifeboat, the ‘Charles Hargrave’, until the closure of the Kingsdown Station in 1927, when it was superseded by the Walmer Station.
Kingsdown did in fact have a fifth Lifeboat, the ‘Barbara Fleming’, but although on station, having been transferred from Carnarvonshire, in 1926 with the closure of the Portdinllaen service, she was never launched in any rescue. When in the following year the Kingsdown station was closed William had the honour of sailing the lifeboat on its two mile journey to her new launch at Walmer. Also amongst the crew were often to be found John Sutton 65 of Kingsgate, who served at the age of 64, the father of George and John’s brother Stephen Sutton, who was a Lifeboatman at the age of 53. “They all served with that legendary lifeboat Coxswain Jarvist Arnold who led the 13 strong crew for 23 years, retiring in 1889. Remarkably the RNLI failed to recognise his lifesaving efforts with a medal.”66
The ‘Lizzie May’ 1908.
One of the earliest recorded account in that most authoritative book on the subject of rescues at sea in and around the Downs, which bares the tittle of this chapter, included in its telling, Robert Holbourn above mentioned, and occurred on the 24th of October 1908. Described as ‘a smart seaman~like service rendered to the three masted Schooner ‘Lizzie May’ of Chester, but one of many such occasions the Lifeboat ‘Charles Dibden’ and its crew found their services much appreciated. On this day the wind was blowing hard from N’N’West and the sea was very rough. Thus it was at 3 AM. distress signals were fired off from the East Goodwin and the Gull Lightships. The ‘Charles Dibden’ launched and proceeded toward the Sands. When underway, further flares were observed by the boatmen who observed the vessel on the South East Goodwin’s, to which they steered.
The sea was described as so heavy and difficult, striking as it was upon the Sands with a tremendous force, so much so that they had to let the anchor down a considerable distance further out from the distressed vessel that they would have preferred, and at a position from which it was very difficult to approach. Thus every possible precaution was necessary. No less than 100 fathoms of cable were veered away with the first attempt failing, the second effort brought them to, and William Marsh, 2nd Coxswain, managed at great personal risk to board the vessel.
After consulting with the Captain it was agreed that the boatmen would stand by till daylight in the hope that the weather might moderate, not withstanding which the crew would come ashore with the Lifeboat. Come daybreak the weather begun to deteriorate further, now the outlook had become that much more threatening, and so the crew boarded the Lifeboat. The ‘Charles Dibden’ was pulled back to a safer distance and remained at her anchor for an additional two hours.
With the water flowing and the tide having made considerably, with the assistance of a violent wind and fierce waves the trapped vessel was knocked over the Sands into deep water and freed. The Lifeboat swiftly slipped her anchor to come alongside again at the Schooners new position to put the crew back on board again. She was found to be leaking badly and making a good deal of water and the struggle against adverse conditions was not yet at an end. Coxswain Adams placed eight of his crew aboard to assist with the pumping, and their efforts eventually extricated the vessel from her very dangerous position whereafter the ‘Charles Dibden’ took her into Dover Harbour, all safe. The Lifeboat arrived back at Deal at 11.A.M., having sustained some damage, which was not altogether that serious. The Charles Dibden’s crew on this occasion were :~
William Adams (Coxswain), William Marsh (2nd Cox’n.), A. Redsull, W. Redsull, J.Webb, F.Adams, J. Bingham, R. Betts, Will. Stanton, J. Budd, W.Wells, J. Jenkins W. Sizer, and Robert Holbourn.
The ‘Mahratta’ 1909
On the 9th of April 1909 the full crew of the Deal Lifeboat the ‘Charles Dibden’ that went to the assistance of the 5,690 gross ton steamship the ‘Mahratta’ was as follows :~
William Adams (Coxswain), William Marsh (2nd Cox’n.), F. Budd, Wm. Pitcher, R. Betts, P. Betts, M.Hoile, Rbt. Holbourn, H. May, Wm. Sizer, E. Dean, T. Cribben, F. Brown, E. Bingham and Will. Stanton.
It was on its way from Calcutta to London that the steamer ran aground on the Goodwin Sands becoming a total wreck somewhere between the Fork and the West Goodwin buoys. The incident that compelled this disaster seems to have been a matter of navigational error, as although a stiff breeze was blowing it can hardly have been described as a day of bad weather. It was just half past three in the morning when the familiar sight and sound of guns and rockets from the ‘Gull’ Lightship alerted the Lifeboatmen that they were needed. A ship could find itself in distress at any hour, and most often did, during the hours of darkness when most ‘honest folk’ were tucked up in bed. The Lifeboatman had thus to be a light sleeper and expect to be ready to do battle with the sea at a moments notice. Thus it was that those hardy souls named above were on the beach and within fifteen minutes had launched into the surf.
Proceeding toward the ‘Gull’ for information, they soon observed the large steamer stranded as mentioned. With a fair N’W’ sailing breeze they were able to reach the ‘Mahratta’ in one hour, and at 4.45., 2nd Coxswain Will. Marsh boarded her to ascertain just what assistance was required. It was agreed that the ‘Charles Dibden’ would stand by until high water to see if the vessel might be able to free itself and re float, but it transpired that this was not going to happen and so some of the passengers, with their luggage were transferred to the Lifeboat and they were landed at Deal around Six O’clock that evening.
These events were hardly going to make the front pages, and no great deeds of exceptional heroism was demanded of the boatmen, in view of the fact that they had been out all day, although no mention of the days routine was mentioned of the boatmen in the original account, they all knew they might be called upon at any moment to risk their lives in their cause and needed to be at their best should events suddenly turn nasty, which they often did. No sooner had they hoved the ten ton Lifeboat up to her Station a message was received asking for the Lifeboat to return to stand by the steamer once again. This time it took four hours to get into position and they were alongside the ‘Mahratta’ again about 10.PM., and remained there all night and all the next day until, about six in the evening, when the Coxswain was requested to take in some more passengers!
It was at about Nine that evening, when the steam ship started to go to pieces, and those remaining aboard her finally realised their dire predicament and some of the officers and crew were also taken on to the Lifeboat. Still others were reluctant to depart the doomed ship and wished to stay on board until the next morning, when she broke in halves. The Captain and the rest of the Officers and crew were then taken into the boat, which was towed in by the Dover Harbour tug getting ashore once again at her station at 6.45A.M. In total, the number of persons saved over the course of those fifty hours was thirty eight, the ship remained a hazard on the sands for about two decades before she was forgotten beneath the waves.
The ‘Henrich’ 1910.
It was on the 29th of August 1910 that the little barque ‘Henrich’ of 373 tons and a crew of ten ran aground on the South East Goodwin, between the South and the South East buoys. A howling wind from S’S’West was whipping up a heavy sea which was always worse on the Goodwins than the surrounding area, on account of the very low water.
On shore, Coxswain Adams spotted the vessel at 10.15A.M., and recognised her position straight away, it being precarious, he immediately summoned a crew together, and had the ‘Charles Dibden’ afloat within fifteen minutes, to reach the barque at 11.15A.M. which was an extraordinary feat of seamanship. Whilst they were at sea the Lightships begun to fire their guns for assistance. The task of getting alongside was made all the more difficult by the poor weather prevailing, but this accomplished, 2nd Coxswain William Marsh succeeded in getting on board, and the Lifeboat was at once employed in getting the vessel off the Sands to extricate her from a perilous position. This required Cox’n. Adams to place a further six of his crew on the barque, but he then had to haul off to his anchor for a short time, as the heavy sea made it too dangerous for the Lifeboat to remain alongside during this part of the operation. His men aboard the ‘Henrich’ set to work straight away getting one of the vessels anchors with a stout wire hawser ready and only then did the Lifeboat return to get as near as was judicious. The remaining boatmen on board the ‘Charles Dibden’ took the anchor on board and laid it out in a suitable position, for the purpose in view.
As the water flowed, by putting a steady strain on the hawser and setting some of the barque’s sails they were able to refloat her, bringing her into the Downs unscathed, and fit to resume her voyage to Manchester. The ‘Charles Dibden’ returned to her station by about 4.30.P.M. Her crew on this occasion having been :~
William Adams (Coxswain), William Marsh (2nd Cox’n.), J. Budd, R. Roberts, Tom Brown, J. Simms, H. Hook, Richard Betts, Robert Holbourn, (. . Marsh,~ prob. Henry ?) F. Brown, J. Hoile, Wm. Cribben, H. May and Thomas Adams.
The ‘Rivulet’ 1914.
The London steamship of 2,200 tons, ‘Rivulet’ bound from Pensacola for Grimsby with a cargo of timber, found itself in difficulty against a pretty hard westerly on the 3rd of October 1914, in response to which, at about One O’clock in the morning the ‘Gull’ Lightship fired a single gun. As usual the Deal boatmen immediately dispatched the ‘Charles Dibden’ to assist. The steamer was found to be stranded on the South Goodwins, with a very heavy sea running on the Sands, and breaking all over and around the ship. It was with some difficulty and risk that they got alongside, putting two boatmen aboard to see what could be done. Despite the precarious weather, a good chance prevailed that they might be able to re float the ‘Rivulet’ and with the Captain consenting to them to set about saving his endangered vessel, they set to work. The boatmen managed to lay out two of the steamer’s anchors, with the heavy wire hawsers attached, and took another hawser to the tug ‘Conqueror’ which by then had arrived on the scene. The boatmen’s steady heave on the two anchors, assisted the tug, which pulling hard, with the additional benefit of a rising tide ensured that they succeeded, just before high water in getting the ‘Rivulet’ afloat and into deep water so that she was soon able to proceed on her voyage. Their were twenty six hands on the steamer who were all very pleased to be on their way once again, the endeavor lasting some twelve hours.
The Deal Lifeboatmen on this mission who formed the crew of the Charles Dibden were :~ William Adams (Coxswain), William Marsh, Thomas Brown junior, Henry Grigg, William Hoile junior, William Wells, James Bingham, John Budd, William Foster, Frank Adams, Walter Redsull, Robert Holbourn, Richard Riley, Thomas Adams junior and John Webb.
In such a selection of boatman’s tales as these, it is easy to gain the impression that each and every time a Lifeboat set out on a mission, a successful and happy conclusion was attained, this was far from the case and to illustrate these trying times, the events of the 18th of December 1914 present a classic example of good intention wasted. The wind was blowing very hard from the South West and accompanied by terrific intermittent squalls and heavy blinding rain. Then at around midnight a message came across from Ramsgate that an armed yacht, part of the Dover Patrol ~ prominent volunteers in the defense of our coast during the Great War ~ was in distress somewhere near the ‘Wreck’ light ship, that had been put in place to define the position of the wreck of H.M.S. ‘Niger’. Sufficient members of the regular crew were soon assembled so as to make it possible to launch the ‘Charles Dibden’, which proceeded to the reported location. After a considerable but fruitless search they showed two white lights to signal the fact, so that soon, a naval patrol boat was able to confirm that in fact news had arrived, meanwhile, that the endangered vessel had gotten clear of its danger.
This in itself being good news the real problem occurred on the way back into shore, when the Lifeboat was struck by a tremendous squall that carried away the upper shroud block of the foremast and then the mast itself, the sail and attached gear were dragged into the sea with it, creating for the intrepid boatmen a real and very dangerous situation. They found them selves in a position of having hardly any control over the movement of the boat which drifted on the current and wind to the Break Sand, but during this time they had managed with the greatest difficulty to retrieve their wreckage from the sea. Although directly over the Sand the Lifeboat had sufficient water beneath it to drop anchor, and the crew proceeded to repair the damaged ‘Charles Dibden’ as best they could under the prevailing conditions. They dismantled the mizzen mast and rigged it as a ‘jury~foremast’ to replace the broken spar which itself took considerable time. They were then compelled to wait hours for the ebb~tide to come to their assistance and did not get back to their station until Ten in the morning. A trying experience barren of results, and one of a number of very many ‘lost journeys’ the boatman might expect to face even after the best of efforts of search and rescue had been made. On this endeavor the ‘Charles Dibden’ was manned by :~
William Adams (Coxswain), William Marsh (2nd Cox’n.), William Betts, Robert Betts, William Hoile (junior), Frank Budd, William Wells, Robert Holbourn, Water Redsull, Ernest May, John Webb, Thomas Cribben, Richard Riley and Thomas Adams.
The ‘Montrose’ 1914.
Today, we hear so little of the many storms and hurricane force winds that swept the English Channel during and around the time of The Great War. Doubtless, the events of that war took a sobre priority in the minds of those living through the times, over the prevailing weather, that was less of a concern than the fighting in the trenches. It is remarkable however that these storms did occur with such frequency and a record of their destructive power has been preserved to posterity in the many accounts of the Lifeboat missions undertaken along the East Kent coast at that time.
Such a storm happened on the 28th of December 1914, described at the time as the worst in living memory. The rain was said to cut like a whip making it impossible to face natures blinding onslaught. It was also very cold, and a terrific sea was running in the Downs, and on the Goodwin Sands. The only dispensation nature was to bless any who would dare to go out on such a occasion, was in that the moon was full, allowing a little light on an otherwise impenetrable night. Darkness at sea is always a hazard to shipping and at the outset of war the blackout constrained use of the usual navigation lights that accustomed the mariners timeless wanderings.
So it was that between 9~10.P.M., when the hurricane was at about its worst that rockets were sent up from the ‘South Goodwin’ light vessel, indicating that assistance was urgently required. Such flares were dispatched usually on an occasion where a ship had been spotted in distress, but on this black night quite another, somewhat unexpected and dramatic turn of events was behind the distress signal. A crew was then mustered at the North Deal Lifeboat station and the ‘Charles Dibden’ was launched with the greatest of difficulty, their being a very heavy sea breaking onto the beach. With the aid of an Haul~off warp, and four ‘Skid men’ up to their shoulders in the water and plenty of willing help, the launch was made.
The Lifeboat made direct for the South Sand Head, but discovered the Lightship itself was dragging her exceptionally heavy ground gear, and was being blown bodily onto the Goodwins, that most infamous of sand banks, it was placed there to warn other shipping of. Despite the efforts of the boatmen to reach her in time, they had to watch the vessel, considered virtually immovable, being blown clean away from her moorings to disappear into the blackness of the night, so far, in fact that the ‘Charles Dibden’ could not find her again. It was not known at the time, but later reported, that so serious had been the storm, the crew on the Lightship had already exhausted their full supply of rockets. The westerly direction of the winds took the Lightship away from the Sands and out to the open seas where it being a time of war, not only were their our own anchored mines to contend with but also others laid by the enemy. The Lifeboat Institution had properly given firm instruction to the Coxswains to enter these waters on no account. In such weather it was sufficiently perilous to even be in the neighborhood of these waters, and mines would occasion to break free of their moorings to be dragged from their intended positions. Coxswain Adams wisely, and fortuitously, as it transpired elected to hold his position where he was and attempt to ride out the storm. He was later to comment that “ the terrific force of the wind seemed enough to blow the boat out of the water.”
As part of the defenses to Dover Harbours against intrusion and subsequent danger from enemy submarines to the large numbers of warships sheltered there, the large Steamship ‘Montrose’ had been dismantled and made ready to be and sunk laden with concrete with the intention of blocking the Western entrance. The unexpected and extreme violence of the hurricane had blown her clear away from her moorings in the Harbour and out to the open sea. It would seem that at the time the ship was unmanned, but for the four hands from a tug on the spot that had managed to get aboard, hoping to get the vessel under tow and prevent it from being blown away and into the path of regular shipping. Although a commendable attempt was made and a hawser was attached, the tug proved not sufficiently powerful enough alone to complete the task, in holding this large and heavy ship against the fury of that exceptional gale. The hawser parted and the ship with the four tugmen still on board was blown away rapidly towards the Sands, some sixteen miles across the intervening seas where the ‘Charles Dibden’ had taken over the night watch from the lost Lightship.
With the giant ‘Montrose’ looming out of the darkness toward the little Lifeboat it was clear to Cox’n. William Adams that she was out of control and it did not take long for the vessel to crash upon the Sands with a terrific force, at once sending up distress flares. Adams immediately, although with great difficulty raised his anchor to let it down again in a more favorable spot for veering down upon the ship. In that fearful turmoil of raging sea the task before them was made additionally perilous by virtue of the shallow waters accompanying the high peaks and low troughs of the tide, creating an exceedingly risky operation attempting to get along side to retrieve the four tugmen.
Following well tested procedure, the masts had been left in position during the approach, and so the boatmen made tight the fore~halyards and seizing the most favorable moment with an eye for the oncoming broken water, skillfully manoeuvred their boat near enough to the ship to bring the distance of the men as the boat rose and fell rolling fore~halyards within jumping toward or away after the other made the hazardous jump to the from the wreck. With great daring two of the men, one halyards, caught them and lowered themselves into the boat. The two men remaining could not be reached in this manner and so the bow~heaving line was brought into use with the men being successfully brought on board through the hurricane stirred water, crashing all around the ship and having been soaked through to the skin for ten long cold and into the Lifeboat. Thus perilous hours grim determination prevailing the boatmen set about, and and still exposed to the full fury of that tempest, struggled to shore, when they returned it was 7.30. the following morning.
Years after Will Adams was to remember when asked about this event, that ‘I had never noticed it before, nor ever since, I remember on that occasion, when I was at the wheel and putting her in the thick of it, I could feel her tremble as if realising what she was for . . . almost like a living feeling thing’. The crew of the ‘Charles Dibden’ on this occasion was composed of the following :~
William Adams (Coxswain), William Marsh (2nd Cox’n.), William Stanton, William Hoile junior, Thomas Brown junior, Richard Riley, Earnest May, Thomas Cribben, Frank Budd, Walter Redsull, Robert Holbourn, Thomas Adams and Frederick Brown.
Incredibly the South Goodwin Lightship was found and towed back to her station a day or two later~ remarkably having passed through the extensive mine fields unscathed!
The ‘Potosi’ 1915.
The ‘Potosi’ of Liverpool, a large steamer of 3,155 tons fully laden with a valuable general cargo from Valparaiso was bound for London when she ran aground on the Goodwin Fork, on the 19th of January in 1915. Which is situated on the North Western side of the Sands not far from Trinity Bay. The wind was blowing hard from the South West with a very heavy sea running, and it was cold with rain falling in torrents. At two in the afternoon it was noticed that the vessel had run aground and consequently, but with some difficulty, the ‘Charles Dibden’ was launched. With a quarterly wind, and plenty of it to display her splendid sailing abilities, it did not take the men of Deal very long to come by. However they encountered a very nasty sea on the Fork and were continually filled with water. Coxswain Adams let go the anchor well to windward of the distressed ship and they veered into position alongside.
To consider the possibilities of salvage and to ascertain the general situation it was a matter of procedure to asses the condition of the ship and so three of the boatmen were put aboard, being hauled up over the side by ropes passed down by the crew of the vessel. The Captain immediately employed them to salve his ship. Although the wind was still blowing hard their was no immediate danger to the crew of fifty on board. At this point it was nearing low water and so they were obliged to stand by until 2 O’clock the following morning during which time the Ramsgate Lifeboat had arrived. Coxswain Adams thought it advisable to accept her services in view of the heavy work required in attempting to re float so large a ship. They proceeded to carry out one of the steamers anchors, and at about 9.A.M. further secured the assistance of four tugs, which eventually aided by the rising tide, and a fortuitous improvement in the weather were able to tow her off the Sands and to safety in the Downs. The ‘Potosi’ was then able to proceed, undamaged, at once to London after an ordeal lasting a full twenty four hours.
Assistance was given on this occasion, by the crew of the ‘Charles Dibden’ comprising :~ William Adams (Coxswain), William Marsh, Thomas Adams, John Budd, Frank Budd, Thomas Budd, William Foster, Thomas Brown, Thomas Cribben, William Wells, Richard Riley, Walter Redsull, John Jenkin, Robert Holbourn and William Cribben.
The ‘Proba’ 1915
The 17th of February 1915 began with what was described as a very dirty morning and had followed a night during which the wind had been blowing hard and continually. This developed into a ‘whole gale’ of great force and brought with it heavy rain and a drop in temperature making conditions very cold. It was then at 9.45.A.M. when a message from Ramsgate came through to Deal that a vessel had gone aground on the west side of the Break Sand and was requiring immediate assistance.
The launch of the Lifeboat was achieved with extra difficulty on account of the state of the tides and the heavy volume of broken water rolling up and in upon the beach. Nevertheless the launch was effected within twenty minutes and under difficult circumstance this was itself a noteworthy achievement. With a full and fair wind in their sail it did not take very long for the boatman to get near the stranded vessel, which was the Schooner ‘Proba’ of Bideford, and small at only 91 tons. It was just 10.25.A.M. that the Lifeboat’s anchor was dropped, her crew having manoeuvred into position.
The ‘Charles Dibden’ veered down to get close enough to take off the crew of five, three men and two boys. The sea was making a clean breach over the little vessel and continually filling the Lifeboat, conditions were far from ideal and it was clear that this was not going to be a simple operation, involving much more than the ordinary amount of risk. After a number of attempts they got a hold on the Schooner with the bow heaving~line, and as they sheered to and came close by one of the boys made a flying jump and landed into the Lifeboat. At the same time two of the men got hold of the mizzen halyards and lowered themselves into the boat. The loose end of the veering line was then thrown to the Captain, who caught hold of it and tied it around the remaining boy, the Lifeboatmen then hauled him on board, through the water. Only the Captain remained then to be taken of the wreck, and awaiting a favorable moment, at the next ‘sheer to’ he successfully jumped on board. It was then with the greatest of difficulty that they managed to retrieve their anchor, and having gotten clear of the Schooner they found the tide and winds so against them they had to make for Ramsgate Harbour, where they arrived at about 12.30.
The following morning the winds were sufficiently favorable to allow them to proceed home where they arrived after a very strenuous and frustrating, but successful service resulting in the saving of five lives. The following formed the crew of the Lifeboat on that voyage :~
William Adams (Coxswain), William Marsh (Second Coxswain), Frank Budd, Frank Adams, Thomas Adams (junior), Thomas Brown (junior), Frederick Brown, Richard Riley, Walter Redsull, Thomas Cribben, Robert Betts, Ernest May, Charles May, Robert Holbourn and Ernest Dean.
The ‘Elsian’ 1915.
It was only about then that the steamer had begun to send out its own distress signals, and no reason for the delay in this action is given in the initial civilian report, suffice it to say that the delay under worse circumstances could have been very detrimental to the ships company, and consequently that arduous diversion of the Lifeboat to the ‘Gull’. Getting along side was always a difficult and risky business in bad weather but the task was performed with the minimum of fuss and the crew of eleven taken off the trawler.
The Sailors had tried at first to save themselves, perhaps indicating why they had not sent up flares earlier on, by the effort of lowering their own on board life raft. As in the incident of the ‘De La Pole’ the ships Lifeboat was lowered ineffectively, and in this incident, before it had reached the water it had been smashed to pieces by a towering wave that impacted upon it. This may have been a blessing in disguise for such a small craft could not have survived long in the prevailing conditions on the sea that morning. All hands were brought ashore at Deal by eleven. A.M. The following formed the crew of the Charles Dibden on this occasion :~
William Adams (Cox’n.), William Marsh, Thomas Adams junior, William Hoile junior, Thomas Brown, Thomas Cribben, George Foster, John Webb, William Foster, Frank Budd, Walter Redsull, Robert Holbourn, Frank Adams, Earnest May, and Richard Riley.
57 : ‘Seamen of the Downs’, : (1929 : Blackman). :~ This being the title of the rare and remarkable book, by the boatman, George B. Bayley ; ~which contains a full account of the rescues here in outlined, and an extensive history and defence of the maritime rights and traditions of Deal.
59 : Tony Arnold.: ‘The Fishing Village of Kingsdown. (Kingsdown and Ringswould' |A history and guide.) D Harding 1999.
60 : ‘Beach Boats of Britain’ : Robert Simper. 1984, Boydell Press, Suffolk.
61 : “Kingsdown Lifeboat Station” : the late Mr Anthony Arnold (Descendent of Jarvist Arnold) As published in 'Kingsdown and Ringswould' A history and guide, Ed. by D. Harding 1999.
62 : James is recorded in the ‘Register of Customs Establishments List’ of ‘Out Door Officers (1867/9) as an ordinary 5th class Officer: The main categories of rank in the department for this period (outside the London Headquarters) is described in the ‘customs Manual’ for 1869 as follows; Collector, Assistant Collector, Clerks/Chief Clerk (sometimes a deputy plus subordinates 1st, 2nd & 3rd Class), Surveyor (sometimes an assistant), Examining Officer (1st~6th Class) Outdoor Officers (1st~6th Class), Boatmen, (1st & 2nd Class).
‘The role of Collectors and Surveyors amounted to the management of the service in the Port to which they had been appointed. Clerks, Examining Officers and Boatmen’s functions being self explanatory, the task of the Outdoor Officers seems a little unclear. Of the long standing titles of such as Riding Officer, King’s Waiter, Landwaiter, Coastwaiter and Tidewaiter their is no mention in the aforementioned private publication, neither is the Preventative Waterguard which was established in 1809.’ An explanation can however be found in Grahame Smith’s ‘Something to Declare’ as summarised below : ‘ Of the above titles many disappeared as a result of the reorganisation of 1861 ~ which was made necessary by the Government’s adoption of a ‘free trade’ policy whereby many of the Duties on imported goods were abolished whilst the remainder were slashed to a minimum; consequently the work of the Department was greatly simplified. Under pressure from the Treasury, the Board of Customs carried out a review which brought about the restructuring of the service and the amalgamation of grades, resulting in a considerable savings on operational costs. The ancient title of Waiter disappeared altogether. King’s Waiters and Landwaiters became Outdoor Officers. Each of these grades consisted of a number of classes, presumably based on experience and/ or length of service.
The actual functions of the King’s & Landing Waiters changed little with the new titles, but the Tide Waiters job ~ boarding ships on arrival at the entrance to the port and remaining thereon until all cargo was discharged ~ largely disappeared. Ships discharging within the enclosed docks no longer required a Tide Waiter aboard during discharges although outside the docks the requirement still existed. The Tide Waiter within the dock was reduced to patrolling duties, but from that and their duties outside the dock grew the modern preventative and anti smuggling service.. JJ Holbourn was thus probably a Tidewaiter in 1861, but what his subsequent duties were still remains something of a mystery. : Ivor J. Davis.
63 : 1851/61 Kent Census Returns. With assistance from the Sutton / Wellard Families ~ (Kent Family History Society.)
64 : A William Wellard was drowned, along with a George Hopper in 1869 when the galley punt they were on sank, without rescue.
65 : In 1867 a John Sutton died from exertion after he and the crew of the lugger ‘Victoria’ had experienced dfficulty in reaching the shore during rough weather with an enormous catch of fish. (Arnold)
66 : Kingsdown Lifeboat Station : Tony Arnold.: Kingsdown and Ringswould, A history and guide. 1999 Ed. Harding / Express column ‘Memories’ (4/5/00), R Hollingsbee.
Jarvist Arnold was to retire in 1889 after 23 years serving as 1st Cox’n of the Kingsdown lifeboat ; His successor was James Laming, whom held the position for 21 years, he was officially succeeded by James Pay in 1910. Pay was to serve until 1921 when he was succeeded by the last of the Kingsdown Coxswains, William Sutton.