3-020-983 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

"Christening" of the Manchester and Salford Lifeboat in Peel Park, Salford, 1868. 'The ceremony,... in the presence of about ten thousand spectators,...was performed by Mrs. Hewlett, who broke a bottle of wine on the stern'...the new life-boat, "Manchester and Salford Sunday-school"...is to be stationed at Douglas, Isle of Man...[It] was drawn up in front of the stairs ascending to the museum and library. The Rev. E. Hewlett, after a prayer, read a list of the Sunday-schools which had contributed to the building of the boat. They numbered fifty, representing 17,150 children, and were connected with all religious denominations...The Rev. T. A. Stowell, addressing Captain Ward, R.N., inspector of life-boats, said he had great pleasure, on behalf of the Sunday-schools of Manchester and Salford, in presenting the boat to him as representative of the Royal National Life-boat Institution...Captain Ward replied on behalf of the institution, thanking them for this life-boat, which was the twelfth from Manchester. He pointed to the Southport life-boat crew, as a sample of the men who did the work for the institution, and who had been instrumental in saving lives many times...The band played "Rule Britannia" and the National Anthem...'. From "Illustrated London News", 1868.