Rhoscolyn Lifeboat

[Hardrock]

I have been reading the posts regarding the Rhoscolyn lifeboat, I hope this information might be of some interest. My mothers maiden name was Jane Eirwen Hughes , Her fathers name was Hugh Hughes ,  her mothers name Sarah Jane Hughes. My mother had three brothers and sisters ,Winnie , Efan and Titus my mother being the youngest. They lived as children in a house very close to the beach at Rhoscolyn ,my grandfather had something to do with the lifeboat.

[Owen ap Anglesey]

Hi Hardrock and welcome to Roots Chat. Since raising the Rhoscolyn Lifeboat as as subject have received considerable response, both about the Lifeboat station and about the Hughes family. This has allowed me to construct a fairly comprehensive family tree starting from Hugh Hughes (1798 - 1882) and his first wife Margaret Evans (1787 - ?)
The Hugh Hughes you mention seems to tie in with another Roots Chat member called joolsgreen.
For my benefit could you confirm that your grandfather Hugh Hughes was born around the year 1900 ? If so I can understand the connection and would welcome any additional family information. This can be done via the private messaging system if you prefer.

[Hardrock]

Hi ,thank for the swift reply, I did realise that there was a possible mix up between the two family connections. I was in Rhoscolyn this morning at St Gwenfaens ,to get some information ,also to  check on dates . My grandfather died in 1949 aged 67 ,this would make the date of his birth to be 1882 . My grandmother died in 1961 aged 79 ,that would have made her birthdate 1882 also. The house name where I seem to remember my mother mention is Glan Gors . I hope this information is of any use.

[Viking666]

Hei Owen ap Anglesey. I have a link to the RNLI Heritage site that shows a photograph of the Rhoscolyn lifeboat crew, giving names, but I have no idea when the photograph was taken. My interest is that my father, Michael Richards, (1898) is shown on the top row, third from the left and yes, there is a Hugh Hughes, middle row, second from the left. My father moved to Holyhead on his marriage in 1926 so we have a guessed time-frame of 1915 to 1925. There was another photograph at home when I was a child that showed the crew, splendidly posed in full oilskins, wearing cork life-preservers. The photo had been taken to commemorate medal awards to some of the crew. It was said, within the family, that the excitement of being a member of the lifeboat crew never left him... he went on to father 14 children!

[Owen ap Anglesey]

Hello Viking 666

Many thanks for the information, you must be very proud of your fathers story.
If your date for the photo is correct - the Hugh Hughes you point out could be on my family tree. This particular Hugh could be the grandson of my G.G.G.Grandfather Hugh Hughes of Cymyran.
Unable to guess the age of the Hugh Hughes you point out on the photo , but if he is in his late 60's this would tie in with the 1911 census showing my Hugh Hughes to be a 63 year old Diver living in the village of Rhoscolyn.
My real interest comes from the Rhoscolyn Lifeboat records which point out that Coxwain Hugh Hughes gained two silver medals from the RNLI, the first in the late 1800's for rescuing 8 crewmembers of the Norwegian Barque Heljmoss off Cymyran Bay and the second for rescuing 5 crewmembers of the Lancaster schooner J.W.Wearing in 1901. Wish I could be certain that the Hugh Hughes on the photo it is the same person !
Also (now getting greedy) wish you could find the Lifeboat crew photo you describe as a child

[cae howell]

The  third on the left front row is Mr Thomas Glandon Rhoscolyn I use to be the postman and had many happy times talking to him during my delivery

[march-hants]

Hugh Hughes was coxswain of the Rhoscolyn lifeboat for many years, he was born in 1848 the son of Evan Hughes and Mary(WIlliams) and died 19th June 1914 aged 66yrs(see copy of will) he lived at Frondeg in the parish of Rhoscolyn. His brother Evan Hughes 1852-1925 was elected coxswain to follow him.

[Viking666]

Thank you for your comments on the photograph.
 From what March-hants says, my father must have been 15 or 16 when the photo was taken. Was there an age limit for crew members, at either end of the age range?
Cae Howell, you are correct...the man is Bob Thomas with Moses Thomas on his right side. Moses was the father of the young lad that was lost during the "Timbo" rescue. You may have delivered the post to my father's place in Rhoscolyn...Bryn Bella. He had two brothers and a sister.
Owen ap Anglesey. Here's a tip for you. Never give old photo's or documents to the younger members of the family, without making copies. That old photo was lost many years ago when my eldest sister died. As for being proud of my father: he never once mentioned his service with the lifeboat...it only came to light after he died and one of my sisters saw a photo in the Maritime Museum at Holyhead. I could have done research at the RNLI centre at Poole ... I lived and worked just five minutes from it by boat for over 10 years. Ah well; lost photos, lost chances!

[powysexile]

Hello everyone, just joined RootsChat.
Have  done quite a bit of research on the connection between the Hughes' of Cymyran and the Rhoscolyn Lifeboat.
New information I learnt from your messages was that Evan Hughes (b. 1814) had been awarded the RNLI silver medal for gallantry for his role in the rescue of the crew of the Palinrus on 3rd. January 1866.   Thanks a lot for that.

According to newspaper reports of the time the Rhoscolyn Lifeboat had made three attempts to rescue the Palinurus' crew but had to abandon the attempts because of the severe weather.   A meeting of Captain R. Jones (Lloyd's agent), Mr Rowe of the coastguard and Mr Cunah of the Customs decided to ask Evan Hughes, Cymyarn, a local fisherman, who had rescued many people from the sea around Cymyran Bay to attempt a rescue.   Evan and two of his sons, probably Thomas b.1846) and Hugh (b.1848) and 4 members of the Rhoscolyn Lifeboat went out and eventually managed to rescue most of the crew - the remainder got ashore in the ship's boat.
Story does not end there.   Two days later on Saturday 5 January while trying to salvage goods from the Palinurus when weather conditions were still poor a sudden squall capsized one of Evan Hughes' boats - six men were drowned including Evan's son Thomas (20 years old), his other son Hugh (b.1848) was rescued.
This Hugh Hughes (b. 1848) and another brother Evan (b 1853) went on to become coxswains of the Rhosoclyn Lifeboat for 25 and 12 years respectively.
One last piece of info - Evan Hughes Sr. (b. 1814) and his wife had another son b. 1868 who was named Thomas after his older brother who had drowned.
Hope this info helps.