A lifeboat was first placed at Mumbles in 1835, provided by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), managed by Swansea Harbour Trustees.

The station, now located in Swansea, was taken over by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1863, and moved back to Mumbles in 1866.

Silvanus Padley, son of the Harbour Trust Clerk, having been initially refused the loan of the Customs Officers' boat, smashed its securing lock, and put out with 5 pilots to aid the vessel.

[3] This was just one of dozens of incidents that prompted discussion and demands for a lifeboat, but despite meetings and action plans by the Swansea Harbour Trust, and the formation of a committee including Silvanus Padley, nothing was done.

[3] In October 1833, John Bevan, Master of the schooner Gower, swam out to the brig Andrew and Margaret of Maryport, on passage from Devon to Cardiff when it ran aground at Margam, Rescuing one man in the water, he also got a line to the vessel, and the remaining crew of 4 were also saved.

[4] Finally, in 1835, a petition from locals for the provision of a lifeboat, to be stationed at Mumbles in the charge of the Inspecting Officer of Coastguard, was sent via the Swansea MP John Henry Vivian, to the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), who agreed to provide a lifeboat.

He was firmly of the opinion that the lifeboat should be stationed at Mumbles Head, and it was agreed that the RNLI would undertake this.

A site for the boathouse was provided by Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort, and a tender of £174 from James Randall of Kidwelly was accepted, for its construction.

Deciding to take shelter in the mouth of the River Afan, the lifeboat was hit by huge waves, and capsized twice.

Six of the ten men thrown into the water were lost, including Coxswain Thomas Rogers, and David Morgan, a survivor of the 1883 capsize.

The tow line was lost, and the vessel ran aground on Port Talbot bar.

Due to the position of the vessel, and in extremely difficult conditions, the lifeboat had to make 12 visits to the ship, rescuing three or four men at a time.

One man broke a leg, one jumped and landed on the Coxswain, who was badly bruised, and a third fell between the boats, fortunate not to be crushed, but all were rescued.

On 23 April 1947, the Mumbles lifeboat Edward, Prince of Wales was launched to the aid of the Liberty ship Samtampa, which was bound for Newport, but had developed engine trouble in a violent gale, and was reported drifting towards Nash Shoal.

All eight lifeboatmen were also lost, including RNLI Gold medal holder Coxswain William John Gannon.