[3] Ever since its founding in 1824, the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), later to become the RNLI in 1854, would award medals for deeds of gallantry at sea, even if no lifeboats were involved.

However, it would be thirty years later, on 8 April 1868, that a report about lifeboat coverage at Sidmouth was presented to the RNLI committee of management by Capt.

[2] A sum of £420 had been donated to the Institution by Mrs Rimington[4] of Streatham, and this was appropriated to the Sidmouth lifeboat station.

On 31 December 1873, 11 men were rescued from the barque Emmeline of Bordeaux in Seaton Bay, some 8 miles (13 km) to the east of Sidmouth, and landed at Beer, Devon.

The 34-foot self-righting lifeboat was funded from the gift of £1000 from Miss Bass, of Dalston, East London, and at the donors request, was named William and Frances (ON 40).

[8] On the morning of 7 December 1911, in gale force conditions, the schooner Maria of Geestemunde was seen flying signals of distress, some 12 miles (19 km) off Sidmouth.