Latest news : July 2002
The Princess Royal officially opened our museum on the 28th. May 2002.
After meeting past and present crews, all the people who gave their time to this project and many local folk who came to greet her the Princess Royal made a thorough tour of our museum and the Thomas McCunn.
She then bravely accepted the chance to be launched down the slip for a one hour cruise back to Longhope in a force 5 to 6 S.E. wind.
Please report any errors or corrections in these pages to the webmaster
Below is a brief history of the Thomas McCunn and how she came back to Longhope after 38 years
RNLI Lifeboat Thomas McCunn ON 759 Longhope 1933-62
Watson class Length: 45’ 6" Beam: 12’ 6" Draft: 4’ 6" Speed: 9 knots
Launched 101 times 308 lives saved
Built 1932-33 by Groves-Guttridge in Cowes, I.O.W.
Originally 2 Weyburn petrol engines - Re-engined in 1973 with 2 Mermaid diesels
The last of the petrol engine LBs designed by Watson himself
Coxswains: John Swanson 1900-34 William Dass 1934-46
Alfred Johnston 1946-54 Dan Kirkpatrick 1954-69
Awards:
1936 - William Dass - RNLI bronze medal for the service to the ‘Neptunia’. 41 lives were saved. The French Government also awarded him a silver medal and the crew bronze medals.
1951 - Alfred Johnston - RNLI bronze medal for the service to the ‘Oljaren’ saving 40 lives, plus an award from the Swedish Government.
1959 - Dan Kirkpatrick - RNLI silver medal for the service to the ‘Strathcoe’ during which 14 lives were saved.
1960 - Dan Kirkpatrick received the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum for the valiant attempt to rescue the crew of the ‘George Robb’.
The ‘Thomas McCunn’ was replaced by the ‘T.G.B.’ in 1962. She then served as relief LB at several stations and was finally decommissioned and sold in 1972 to retired Diplomat Bill Speares OBE. He renamed her ‘Pentland Speir’ (Watch on the Pentland) and she was cruised extensively on both sides of the English Channel until 1992 when he sold her to his cousin Peter Roberts, the generous donor.
The Trust purchased her for £1 Scots from Peter Roberts on 29th July 2000 and she was sailed to Longhope by lifeboat stalwarts Freddie Johnston, Billy Budge, Billy Mowat, Angus Budge, Jimmy Groat and George Taylor. On passage they visited lifeboat stations at Ramsgate, Lowestoft, Wells-next-the-sea, Bridlington, Sunderland, Eyemouth, Aberdeen and Wick, arriving home in Longhope on 7th August.
She is now housed in the Lifeboat shed in Brims where she forms the centrepiece of our museum.
If you would like to help us in this project donations will be greatly appreciated by
Registered Charity SC 032029
President: Capt. Fred Johnston
Chairman: Dr Tony Trickett MBE DL
Secretary: Ian Davidson
Treasurer: Kevin Kirkpatrick
Publicity Manager: Alex Norquoy