‎LIFE-BOATS. -‎
‎Report of the Committee appointed to examine the Life-Boat Models submitted to compete for the premium offered by His Grace the Duke of Northumberland: to which is added, a list of the existing life-boat, rocket, and mortar stations, and an abstract of the wrecks which occurred on the shores of the British Isles in 1850. With Appendix, maps, and plans.‎

‎London: Printed by W. Clowes & Sons., 1851, in-folio, 3 leaves (first white with hw. dedication - title - contents) + frontisp. hand-coloured map: ‘The cost of Northumberland’ (1851) + 77 p. (+ 1 Imprint: London printed by W. Clowes & Sons) + 13 folded plates + 1 map ‘Wreck Chart of the British Isles for 1850’ (small corner torn off no loss of image or text), With the printed dedication ‘Presented by the Duke of Northumberland’ then handwritten ‘to Oliver Lang Esq / Master Shipwright / Her Maj’s. Dock Yard / Woolwich 20 th August 1851’, original blue cloth, upper cover lettered gilt and with coat-of-arms with devise ‘espérance en Dieu’, a very good copy‎

Reference : 125539aaf

‎First Edition, spine partly remounted with original material. 'Presented by the Duke of Northumberland.' The report is signed by John Washington, Captain R.N., and others. (24). The report was in response to the loss of life caused by shipwrecks. The report concludes near the end : 'The path then is clear and distinct. The first step is to ensure a safe and powerful life-boat, and this the Committee feel confident has been accomplished; the next is to build a sufficient number of such boats, place them where required, organize and train the crews, and provide for their supervision and maintenance; - in fact, to do for the rest of the United Kingdom what your Grace has liberally undertaken to do for the coast of Northumberland, namely, to place a well-built life-boat at each of the most exposed points of the coast, and rockets or mortars at all the intermediate stations. There need be no misgiving for want of funds; no work of real benevolence in this country, when undertaken in the right spirit, was ever allowed to languish for lack of means.' Image disp.‎