The proud 160-year family tradition of volunteering for Barrow's RNLI station

ITV Granada Reports correspondent Mel Barham went to meet the newest member of a long line of descendants volunteering for the RNLI.

There is quite a history behind the shuttered doors of the lifeboat station at Barrow - perhaps none more fascinating than the proud contribution of one particular family.

Since the first RNLI lifeboat was stationed at Roa Island in 1864, one family has dominated the volunteer crew lists.

In fact, for the last 160 years, there has always been a member of the Charnley family manning the lifeboats.

Shaun Charnley is the current Coxswain at Barrow's RNLI station.

He is the latest in a long line of Charnley's to volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which began with his great, great grandfather Edmonson Charnley in 1864.

Edmonson's son William K Charnley followed suit, as did countless brothers, cousins, sons and nephews through the years.

Shaun began volunteering when he was 17-years-old, back in 1984.

"It's a bit of a privilege to have maintained that family name so far in the 160 years of Barrow lifeboat," he said.

"It's nice to have a bit of history to look at. It's quite interesting because we all look quite similar."

Barrow RNLI lifeboat station was founded in 1864 and in that time its crews have launchedtheir lifeboats 1350 times and saved 367 lives.

The first Barrow lifeboat was a 12 oared self-righting vessel and she was housed in aboathouse built on Roa Island at a cost of £240.

The current boathouse at Roa Island opened in 2001 and houses the all-weather lifeboat, ‘Grace Dixon’ and the inshore lifeboat, ‘Raymond and Dorothy Billingham’.

Shaun says conditions for his predecessors back in the very early days, would have been very different to the experience of crews today.

"It must have been pretty grim for them in the open boats, primitive equipment, primitive waterproofs and they did endure a lot of heavy weather because that's when the big ships run aground," he said.

"So when they did go out, it must have been hard work, constantly covered in water."

Ever wondered what a lifeboat looks like inside? Correspondent Mel Barham got a special tour of the 'Grace Dixon' lifeboat, currently stationed at Barrow which is the largest lifeboat in the North West.

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