History

What was the Rocket House used for?

When a ship ran aground close to the shore it was difficult, if not impossible, for a lifeboat to reach her. So rockets with attached lines were developed which could be fired from the shore to the ship. Sailors on board would then haul in thicker rope and set up a breeches buoy - basically a pair of shorts attached to a life ring. This enabled the rescuers to haul each mariner safely to shore.

Rocket Houses were built to store a wagon which was loaded with all the rescue equipment. The wagon was hauled either by horses or men to the shipwreck.

Over 300 Rocket Houses were built around the UK coast, the first one at Tynemouth in 1865 and Newbiggin's in 1866.

Who fired the rockets?
The Newbiggin Volunteer Life Saving Brigade formed in 1866 with nearly 100 volunteers when the village's population was less than 1000.
The volunteers trained regularly on Newbiggin Moor so that an actual rescue went as smoothly as possible.

Rockets or Mortars?
Various devices were invented in the 1800s to fire a line to a ship that had run aground.
The Manby Mortar
Invrented by Captain George William Manby. It was first used in February 1808 when a ship ran ashore at Graet Yarmouth. All 7 crew were rescued.
Two Manby mortars were stationed at Newbiggin in 1825 but an inspection in 1851 revealed that the ropes were unserviceable.
The Trenghouse Rocket
On 29th December 1807 Henry Trenghouse witnessed the wreck of the Royal Navy frigate Anson on the Cornish coast. Although only 100 yards from the shore there was no way of rescuing the sailors and over a hundred lives were lost. This disaster led Trenghouse to invent the Rocket life-saving apparatus.
An improved rocket was invented by John Dennett in 1826 and this, in turn, was replaced by a rocket devised by Colonel Boxer in 1855.
Compared to the mortar the rocket was much lighter, easier to move, more accurate, less likely to break the line after firing and cheaper. The rocket completely superseded the mortar and, after the lifeboat, became the most important means of saving lives from shipwrecks.
By thec end of the 19th century almost 14,000 lives had been saved by the rocket apparatus. The last time the rocket apparatus was used on the North East coast was in 1963 to rescue the crew of the Adelfotis which had run aground in the mouth of the River Tyne.

Newbiggin's Unlucky Day
Two disasters on 18th March 1851 illustrate the dangers faced by local fishermen and why there was a need for a Rocket House and Lifeboat Station.
18th March 1851
10 Newbiggin fishermen from 4 fishing cobles drowned during stormy weather. As a result of this tragedy the Lifeboat House was built.
18th March 1915
Two local fishing cobles Lily and Margaret and Mary Twizell were lost with all 7 crew. From Lily and Margaret William Taylor (Skipper), George Taylor, William Taylor and Harry Taylor and from Mary Twizell  John Lisle Twizell, William Twizell and Robert Robinson perished.
So 17 fishermen drowned on 18th March which is why it has become Newbiggin's unlucky day.

Closure
Rockets and breeches buoys were used for over 100 years. The last time the rocket apparatus was used on the North East coast was in 1963 to rescue the crew of the Adelfotis which had run aground in the mouth of the River Tyne.
Newbiggin's Rocket House closed in 1970.