THE annual commemorative service to honour the memory of Sir William Hillary, the founder of the RNLI, takes place on Sunday (January 6).
The crew and committee of the Douglas lifeboat station are inviting all supporters of the RNLI to join them for the event.
It takes place at St George’s Church, in Douglas, at 3pm, and will be followed by light refreshments at the South Douglas Old Friends Association, in Finch Road.
Attending the service on behalf of the RNLI director of operations Michael Vlasto.
He will lay a wreath on the tomb of Sir William and Lady Hillary in St George’s Churchyard after the service.
Sir William moved to the Isle of Man in 1808.
He saw the need for a national rescue service after witnessing the destruction of dozens of ships from his home and getting involved in rescue attempts himself.
He appealed to the Navy, the government and other ‘eminent characters’ for help in forming ‘a national institution for the preservation of lives and property from shipwreck’.
The institution was founded as a charity in March 1824. Since then, it has saved more than 140,000 lives.
It was also his idea for the Tower of Refuge to be built on Conister Rock in Douglas in 1832.
Sir William died at Woodville, Douglas, in 1847.
