"Hollon"

At a meeting of the RNLI's Committee of management on Thursday July 20th 1862 a request was received from the committee of the Filey lifeboat station, asking for their 38 year old boat to be replaced by a new boat.  the committee agreed to this and it was decided to allocate a gift of £250-0-0d form the Lord mayor and Lady mayoress of York, Mr. and Mrs. R.W Hollon of Spellow Park to this new lifeboat.

She was 33ft by 8ft 10 oared self righter built by Forrests of Limehouse London and was conveyed free of charge to Filey by the "Great Northern and "North eastern" railway companies.  Her public inauguration took place at Filey on November 26th 1863 and a t midday a procession formed up outside the railway station consisting of members of the 2nd East York Artillery Volunteers, members of the ancient order of shepherds and the odd fellows, the local clergy and many of the local gentry.  In a speech to mark the occasion he told of how he and his wife had survived a storm at sea and his wife suggested a fitting way to mark this would be to provide a lifeboat hence the name of the lifeboat "Hollon".

Only 5 days later the lifeboat was called out for the first time on December 1st 1863 several of the local cobles were at sea when a SSE gale blew up.  The lifeboat launched under the command of newly appointed coxswain Thomas Jenkinson.  All the cobles reached the beach safely with the exception of one the "Mary Jane" which was thrown over in the heavy seas one man being lost the other two were rescued by the lifeboat.

On March 26th 1865, the schooner "Kate " was seen about 2 miles off shore being driven towards the beach by a strong easterly gale and the lifeboat was quickly launched,  She came alongside the disabled vessel and took the crew of 4 off safely,  the schooner later became a total wreck on Filey beach.

On October 16th 1870,  during a severe easterly gale the local lugger "Refuge" broke away from her moorings in the bay and began drifting towards the brigg.  The boat was worth about £900 although there was no one onboard permission was given for the fisherman to use the lifeboat to save the vessel.

During one of the worst storms ever experienced on this coast, during which 40 men lost their lives off Bridlington, 6 of which came from the private lifeboat "Harbinger"  that had capsized.  At about midday on February 10th 1871, the schooner "Mary" of North Shields was seen to be inshore of the Filey Brigg buoy apparently in a completely disabled state, having been dismasted off Flamborough Head.  In the tremendous seas that were running it was obvious the schooner would not last for much longer, the "Hollon" was taken from her boathouse and hauled by 6 horses along the beach to the north were she was successfully launched.  The lifeboat men had to pull hard to overtake the schooner but just before the ship hit the rocks the lifeboat caught up with them, got alongside and despite the very heavy seas that were breaking over both boats managed to rescue the crew of 4,  minutes later the "Mary " hit the rocks and sank.

On February 5th  1872 several vessels were sheltering under Speeton cliffs  a SSE gale blew up and one vessel the schooner "Starling" of Yarmouth broke away from her moorings and was being driven towards Filey the crew hoisted a distress signal the "Hollon" was quickly launched and saved the crew of 5.

Although the lifeboat was launched as quickly as possible when the coble "Unit" was struck by a large wave and swamped as she returned from the fishing grounds on January 16th 1874 the crew of 3 were lost before the lifeboat could reach them. The reward of £16 which the lifeboat men received from the RNLI for this launch was given by the men to the families of the fishermen who had died.

At daybreak on November 12th 1874 the schooner "Corinna" of Whitby was seen to be flying a distress signal, there was a strong onshore wind blowing with very heavy seas breaking on the beach with considerable difficulty the lifeboat launched and made its way to the vessel when it arrived the vessel had run aground.  In very heavy seas the lifeboat got alongside the vessel and saved the crew of 5

It was 8 years before the "Hollon" recorded her next effective service.  On March 6th 1883 a terrific North Easterly gale blew up and at 2pm the local yawl "William Clowes" was anchored in the bay hoisted a distress signal. It was high tide and with the gale pushing the waves right up to the cliff it was not possible to launch until 3.30 when the lifeboat launched from its carriage it grounded in the heavy surf.  A huge wage then smashed into her turning her broadside to the waves the following waves sweeping her up to the face of the cliffs.  Seeing the danger the lifeboat men were in,  a large number of men waded into the mass of white water and succeeded in turning the boat head to sea again,  after a long and desperate struggle during which the crew were repeatedly soaked by the icy waves the lifeboat got away and rescued the yawls crew of 6.

On September 2nd the use of the lifeboat was granted to the fishermen to go out to their boats anchored in the bay to lower their masts so the boats would ride out the SSE gale that had blown up more easily, this proved to be the last service by this boat.