Charles Fred Grantham Skegness Lifeboat

Written by Angela Gooch on April 19th, 2008 in Lifeboat, People, Social History.

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The New Lifeboat - How the Name was Chosen
IT might have been named “Alfred, Lord Tennyson ” or “Sir John Franklin” or “Matthew Flinders”, alternatively the “Wash Sentinel” or “Jolly Fisherman” —but Skegness’s new lifeboat bears proudly on its bows the name “Charles Fred Grantham”, perpetuating the memory of the distinguished townsman who was honorary secretary of the Skegness Lifeboat Station for forty years spanning the turn of the century.

When the R.N.L.I. asked the Skegness Lifeboat Station to suggest a name which might possibly commemorate “a well-known personality or geographical location from or around Skegness,” all of the fore-going names were considered by the Executive Committee, and it was the last mentioned, suggested by the presiding vice-chairman, which won approval all the way through until its final confirmation by the Lifeboat Committee Institution’s Committee of Management.
Charles Fred Grantham was one of the most remarkable personalities to influence Skegness in its earlier years. Born at the neighbouring township of Burgh-le-Marsh, in 1859, descendant of a well-known family of farmers, he began to farm at Skegness in his early years, living at the Hall, on the west side of Roman Bank.
In 1882, at the age of 22, he succeeded William Everington as hon. secretary of the local lifeboat station. He served ably in this capacity for just over 40 years; in 1892 he was presented with a pair of binoculars to mark ten years’ service, and in 1902 he received the Institution’s decoration given for long and distinguished services.
He was still holding office as hon. secretary at the time of his death in October, 1922, and, right up to that time, the horses which were used to launch the lifeboats had come from his farms.

Although the lifeboat service was probably his first love, he gave much service to the town in other directions.

He was elected, one vote only below the top of the first Skegness Local Board elections were held in 1885. For the first year s running, from 1890, he served as the first chairman of that authority, and he became the first chairman of the Skegness Urban District Council when that body was constituted in 1895.

He held many other offices. In 1907 he became the first Justice of the Peace to be appointed from Skegness. For many years he represented the resort on the Lindsey County Council, and also as a member of the authority responsible for drainage and sea defences in the area. Paralleling his service with the R.N.L.I. was his work as a member of the Eastern Sea Fisheries Board.

A devout churchman, he had the honour of becoming the first commanding officer of the Church Lads’ Brigade Company associated with St. Matthew’s—a company which was later converted into a cadet corps.
He served this town and the organisations within it whole-heartedly until his death.

Picture above: Mr CHARLES FRED GRANTHAM Local hon. secretary, 1882-1922

Below: 1901 census showing Charles Fred Grantham living at The Hall Roman Bank Skegness.