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Capt Manby's Life-Saving Apparatus

DateEarly 19th Century

Object NameMortar

Mediumbrass, wood and rope

ClassificationsMaritime History

DimensionsLength: 91.2 cm, Width: 28.2 cm, Height: 23.9 cm

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS003108

Keywords

About MeCaptain Manby's apparatus is a mortar, or small cannon which can fire a shot attached to a rescue-line from the shore to a vessel in distress.

Invented by George William Manby (1765-1854), Manby was trained for the artillery at the Royal Academy, Woolwich, and from 1803 he was barrack master at Great Yarmouth where in 1807 he saw a small naval vessel, the 'Snipe' , wrecked within sixty yards of the shore with huge loss of life. It occurred to him that rescue in such a case required a rapid physical link with the shore, so he borrowed a small military mortar from the Board of Ordnance and devised a means of using it to fire a rescue-line from the shore. It was first attempted in earnest, and successfully, when the brig 'Elizabeth' was wrecked at Yarmouth on 12 February 1808, just as Manby was first promoting his invention's official approval: this was rapid, bringing him widespread fame and various awards. When small rockets became reliable, they replaced line-throwing mortars, but Manby - who also devoted attention to improvement of lifeboats - was a pioneer of lifesaving by this means.

This mortar formed part of the inshore lifesaving apparatus used around Aberdeen.