RNLB Mary Stanford (ON 733)

A postage stamp was issued in 1974 to mark the 150th anniversary of the RNLI. This depiction of the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Lightship by the Ballycotton lifeboat RNLB Mary Stanford was chosen as the image to be represented on that postage stamp – Oil painting by B. F. Gribble
History
Name:	Mary Stanford
Owner:	RNLI
Builder:	Saunders Roe Ltd, Cowes.
Cost:	£9,402-15s–11d
Christened:	7 July 1931
Completed:	22 July 1930
Maiden voyage:	17 September 1931
In service:	1930
Out of service:	1959
Identification:	ON733
Fate:	Under restoration by The Mary Stanford Project
Donor:	John Frederick Stanford, London.
Station	Ballycotton
General characteristics
Class and type:	Barnett
Tonnage:	2
Length:	51 ft
Installed power:	2 x six-cylinder 60hp Weybury C.6 petrol engines running at 1,200 rpm
Sail plan:	auxiliary sail
Speed:	8.88 knots
Capacity:	100
Crew:	12
Notes:	saved over 100 lives

RNLB Mary Stanford (ON 733) was the Ballycotton Lifeboat from 1930 to 1959. Ballycotton is on Ireland's southern coast, a trade route to the Americas. There are many dangerous rocks and shallows with on-shore prevailing winds. Ballycotton has a long tradition of life-saving. Mary Stanford had 41 "shouts" and saved 122 lives. She performed the notable Daunt Lightship rescue on 11 February 1936. After her withdrawal from service she lay for some years in a backwater of Dublin's Grand Canal Dock, but has now been returned to Ballycotton for restoration.

The RNLI established a lifeboat station in Ballycotton in 1858. There is a long history of life saving at Ballycotton. The first to be acknowledged by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was when they awarded a silver medal in 1826. On 21 December 1825, the vessel Britannia was wrecked in Ballycotton Bay. Her Master, the only survivor, lashed himself to a rock. There he remained for seven hours. In spite of the danger, a local man, Dennis Cronen rowed out and rescued him and then sheltered him in his cottage for four days.

There were many early rescues by coastguards. For example, on 13 December 1850, in a violent storm, the Mountaineer was being driven onto rocks at Dunmanus Point. The coastguards rowed out to assist, and got on board. Then their boat was smashed on the rocks. Fortunately the Mountaineer was carrying a cargo of timber and although damaged, remained afloat. Using their local knowledge, the coastguards were able to steer the Mountaineer to mud flats and beach her. The rescue of the 28 crew of the Mountaineer resulted in the award of one gold and five silver Lifesaving Medals to Lieutenant Goss and the men of Dunmanus Coastguard Station.

The need for a purpose-built lifeboat was evident. The boat was delivered in time for the visit of the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward in 1858. The lifeboats prior to the Mary Stanford were all powered by oars and sail. As ships became larger the need for a motorised craft was realised. On 12 December 1928, the RMS Celtic was wrecked at Roche's Point, Cobh. At the time of her launch in 1901, she was the largest ship in her day, one of the "Big Four", the first to exceed 20,000 tons, dwarfing the Ballycotton Lifeboat, which came to the rescue.