John Sharp was one of the Trustees of the Lord Crewe’s Charity. Concerned about the frequency of shipwrecks along the coast near Bamburgh, Dr. Sharp introduced a number of measures to help rescue and support those involved in shipwrecks. He set up a charity to support shipwreck survivors by allowing them to stay at Bamburgh Castle for no cost for up to seven days after being shipwrecked; stored wreckages at the Castle for a year and a day; paid for the burials of mariners; financed life-saving equipment; and commissioned Lionel Lukin to construct the first lifeboat.

This letter to Dr. John Sharp from Sir Henry Oxenden tells us that Sir Henry had called at Lionel Lukin’s home in London. Mr. Lukin was not at home but Sir Henry left a note for him asking for a plan or model of Lukin’s lifeboat. Sir Henry also asked whether Dr. Sharp might be allowed to build a boat to Lukin’s plan. Sir Henry was not able to see Lukin’s boat while he was in London but has asked two friends if they could look at it for him. Sir Henry suggests that the boat might be built by one of the carpenters employed by the Lord Crewe’s Charity at Bamburgh. He suggests that the boat could be modelled on a Northumberland coble. The shape of the coble, flat bottomed with a high brow, was suited to the sea conditions off the north-east coast. The date of the letter is 8th September 1788. 

In 1789, Dr Sharp commissioned Lionel Lukin to construct the Lukin Boat, the first patented lifeboat in the world, making Bamburgh the first lifeboat station.

Prior to this, Lukin had been experimenting with designing an unsinkable boat which could withstand storms. Dr Sharp requested to use Lukin’s design to create a boat to be used to assist ships in trouble off the coast of Bamburgh. The idea was to adapt a coble, a flat-bottomed fishing boat traditionally used on the shallow shores of the north east. A coble was sent to Lukin, who modified his design specifications to suit the coble. Once returned to Bamburgh, the boat played a key role in future shipwreck rescue attempts. Lukin used cork and other lightweight materials to keep the boat afloat.

1. Oxenden Esqr.

Sir 

On my arrival in London I immediately 

called on Mr Lukin the Patentee of the boat 

which I had recommended to you; & not finding him 

at home I left a note desiring that he would send  

a plan or model; & at the same time let me know 

whether we would allow you to build on his plan, if 

he was paid the contract profit arising from such 

a boat – & herein I enclose you his answer – not having 

it in my power to stay long enough enough in Town 

to get a sight of the only boat of this kind in the river 

I have written to my friend Mr. Holford, & also to a very 

ingenious gentleman, who is a very good judge of boats 

desiring them to see Mr. Lukin’s & to give me their opinion 

of it’s utility which I shall immediately communicate 

to you; & at the same time send you Mr. Lukin’s plan 

or model. My reason for proposing that the boat  

might be built by your own carpenter, was, that I thought 

it must be something of the coble kind to suit your  

flat shore, which is totally different from any thing  

that is ever constructed in the river – 

   I am  

  Sir 

Yr Obliged 

& obedt. Humble Servt. 

Henry Oxenden junr. 

Broome near Canterbury 

Septr. 8th 1788