Two centuries ago, on the 22 February 1826, a letter was sent from the London headquarters of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (later to become the RNLI) enclosing £18-4s-0d to help towards the conversion of a Lyme Regis fishing boat for use as a lifeboat.
The letter asked that: 'Air-tight boxes should be fitted into the stern of the boat, with cork being fixed along the top of the outside of the boat to act as a fender.' This letter represents the earliest known association of Lyme Regis with the RNLI.
Exactly 200 years later, at 11am on Sunday 22 February 2026 at St Michael's Parish Church in Lyme Regis, RNLI volunteers will be attending a special thanksgiving service that celebrates 200 years of RNLI presence in the town, the connection of the RNLI to the town, the people of Lyme Regis, harbour users and all those who work with, fundraise for and support the lifeboat.
The service will also remember the many hundreds of lifesaving volunteers who have served the RNLI over two centuries.
Chair of the Lyme Regis Lifeboat Management Group, Petrina Muscroft said: "We are very proud to celebrate the incredible record of the RNLI in Lyme Regis with this thanksgiving service. We will also be commemorating the dedication and commitment of the volunteers who have served this amazing charity over 200 years. We hope that many local people will be able to join us at St Michael's on this memorable occasion."
The service is the first in a number of events being planned to commemorate the RNLI's 200 years in Lyme Regis.
Readers of LymeLiving magazine can look forward to a year-long series of features, celebrating the 200th anniversary of a lifeboat in Lyme Regis. The town council are proud to be working with the local crew to mark this special anniversary, and each month sharing the stories of the men and women who have volunteered to save lives at sea since 1826.