Costing £220-16s–0d, a boathouse was constructed by Robinson and Smales at the tiny hamlet of Upgang, a place that has long since disappeared off the map.

A 30-foot Self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, and previously at Penzance, was delivered to Whitby, arriving on 4 July 1865.

Along with Whitby lifeboat Robert Whitworth, she went to the aid of the brig Lumley, on passage from the River Tyne to Motril, Spain, and now stranded on rocks approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) off Upgang.

In her place, Upgang would receive another 32-foot Self-righting lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, previously on service at Bamburgh Castle as the John and Betty Cuttell (ON 184).

[2] Upgang was launched for the first time on service on 18 November 1893, to the steamship Southwark, but as the lifeboatmen battled the seas to reach the wreck, all 13 crew were rescued by the Rocket Brigade.

Launched to the schooner Maria on 11 June 1899, the lifeboat would finally record its first life saved, in fact rescuing the three crewmen, and recovering the vessel to Whitby harbour.

[2] One of only two calls made on the William Riley of Birmingham and Leamington was on 30 October 1914, to the 7,400 ton hospital ship Rohilla, which ran onto rocks off Saltwick Nab to the east of Whitby in terrible conditions, with 229 people on board.

On Friday 30 October, the Upgang lifeboat was transported to Saltwick, and lowered down the cliff on ropes, but the conditions were too bad to launch.