RNLB Robert & Ellen Robson  

ON.669

On Station 30 May 1947 – 14 Nov 1957

Robert & Ellen Robson was built at a cost of £1615 10s 11d and supplied by as a Legacy of Mr Robert Robson, she is a 32’ Rubie Class, Self-righting, equipped with ten (10) and required a crew of thirteen (13).

Robert & Ellen Robson was originally stationed at Tramore Lifeboat Station in Ireland from 1918 until the station was closed in1923. She was then Aberdeen’s No 2 Lifeboat from 1924 to 1939 and again 1943 to1947. In May 1947, the Robson became Whitby’s No 2 Lifeboat. During her time at on service at Whitby, RNLB Robert & Ellen Robson was launched on a routine basis to escort Fishing vessels in to the harbour in bad weather, however one of the more unusual services she was involved in was on 5thOctober 1949when she was used to rescue seventeen geology students from Aberdeen University who were cut off on the infamous Black Nab.  

The boat’s last service took place on 24Nov 1955 when the she was launched to escort the fishing vessel ‘Pilot Me’ into Whitby in poor weather.The use of Whitby’s No 2 boat arose because the No 1 boat RNLB Mary Ann Hepworth was in Scarborough having escorted other Whitby Fishing vessels there the previous day. This proved to be a historic event for the RNLI as this was time a Rowing Lifeboat was used on an operational service.    

The Robert & Ellen Robson takes pride of place in our Museum; the boat was carefully renovated over the autumn/winter of 2021 by the Museum’s small team of volunteers and was returned to the RNLI fleet livery that she would been in 1947 on her arrival in Whitby.

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