The Old Lifeboat House in Lytham St. Annes

The Old Lifeboat House on Eastbank Road in Lytham St Annes, now marked by a blue plaque from the Lytham St Annes Civic Society, served as the town’s lifeboat station from 1881 to 1925. During this time, 45 lives were saved from rescues launched from the station. It is most remembered as the base of the lifeboat Laura Janet, which took part in one of the RNLI’s most tragic rescues — the “Mexico” disaster of 1886.

On the night of 9 December 1886, the Laura Janet was launched to assist the German barque Mexico, which had run aground in the Ribble Estuary during a violent storm. Three lifeboats responded — from St Annes, Lytham, and Southport. While the Lytham crew succeeded in rescuing the Mexico’s sailors, the St Annes and Southport lifeboats both capsized in the heavy seas. All 13 crew members from the St Annes lifeboat and 14 from Southport were lost, making it the worst tragedy in RNLI history.

The disaster led to national fundraising efforts for the bereaved families, with street collections held across the country to support the lifeboatmen’s dependents. The tragedy remains a defining event in the history of the town and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

The blue plaque on the building reads:

“St. Annes Lifeboat House from 1881 to 1925. 45 lives saved from here. 13 crew were lost in the Mexico Disaster in 1886, an event which resulted in street collections nationally for R.N.L.I.”

Today, the former lifeboat house is used as an undertaker’s premises, but the plaque serves as a permanent memorial to the bravery and sacrifice of the St Annes lifeboat crew.