She was built in 1886, and is oak timbered and planked, and fastened with copper.

The buoyancy cushion surrounding her is made of cork and she is entirely self-draining. This is achieved by having her floorboards above sea level when she is fully loaded, thus enabling six drain-holes to pass right through the hull, from the floor and out of the bottom.

An engine was added about a year after she was taken out of commission in 1930, but she is now restored to a pulling craft because it was as such that she performed the majority of her rescues.

It is known that 'The Bedford' was launched fourty-five times on rescue operations, but it has not so far been possible to discover how many souls she saved during her fourty-five years of service.

'The Bedford' was presented to the Museum by the Tyne Lifeboat Society - the forerunners of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

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The Bedford

Rescue

Pulling Lifeboat

1886

United Kingdom

South Shields, Tyneside

Length
32 ft 9 in

Width
11 ft 0 in