Archaeological remains associated with the loss of this vessel are not confirmed as present at this location, however they may be in the vicinity. This record is for the documented loss of the lifeboat GEM, on 12 October 1910.
Event and Historical Information:
The GEM was a 37ft, 12-oared pulling and sailing lifeboat which had cost £3980 in 1885 when it was paid for a legacy of John Metcalf of York. The GEM was stationed at RNLI ST Davids at St Justinians (NPRN 34348) where a lifeboat station was established in 1869. Between 1885 and 1910 the GEM was launched nineteen times, saving sixteen lives. The crew of this form of pulling and sailing lifeboat comprised the coxswain, 2nd coxwain, bowman, and twelve oarsmen, for a total of fifteen. John Stephens became coxswain in 1904.
On 12 October 1910 the GEM was launched to assist the Barnstaple registered ketch DEMOCRAT, which was sheltering in Ramsey Sound in wind conditions NNE force 8 with two anchors out. Afraid that the wind would increase and the anchors drag, captain Thomas Welch had made signals of distress, which saw the GEM launched at night into very heavy seas. After two aborted efforts to get alongside, the lifeboat crew managed to get close to the DEMOCRAT on the third run, albeit now very close to a reef of rocks known as the Bitches, and the three man crew of the DEMOCRAT were taken off. The lifeboat turned for home but, unable to make progress against the wind and tide was being carried towards the Bitches. Coxswain Stephens decided to try to bring the GEM through one of the gaps in the reef as a means to reach safety. In doing this, the lifeboat struck a rock and threw everyone on board into the sea.
The survivors from the ketch and twelve lifeboat men managed to reach the rocks and get above the sea, but coxswain John Stephens, Henry Rowlands and James Price were all drowned. The lifeboat also drifted away and was smashed to pieces. Those on shore knew nothing of the accident until 9 am next day when the survivors set fire to their waterproof oilskins to attract attention. A young fisherman, Sydney Mortimer and two coastguard volunteers, Sam Guppy and Sam Huskin, set off from Porthclais Harbour in a 20ft launch called the WAVE QUEEN, who made two trips to rescue 10 sailors. Another shore boat manned by Eleazer James and four others rescued the remaining four, but was in immediate danger of being swamped and was towed to safety by Fishguard's CHARTERHOUSE lifeboat which had arrived on scene. The Ketch DEMOCRAT survived the storm to be involved in a second rescue in Fishguard Bay in January 1911. The GEM lifeboat was replaced by a temporary lifeboat and then a motor lifeboat, the GENERAL FARRELL in 1911.
Sources include:
Board of Trade Wreck Return 1910 Appendix C Table pg93 (223)
Goddard, T, 1983, Pembrokeshire Shipwrecks, pg27-34
Larn and Larn Shipwreck Database 2002.
Middleton, G. 2009. The Story of the St Davids Lifeboats. Haverfordwest: Cleddau Press.
The Life-Boat, Journal of the RNLI, 1911,Vol. 21, issue 239, p323-4 https://rnliarchive.blob.core.windows.net/media/1230/0239.pdf#page=13
J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, June 2024.