Surf Boat Memorial
Surf Boat Memorial, Marine Terrace
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1391528
- Date first listed:
- 11-Jul-2005
- List Entry Name:
- Surf Boat Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Surf Boat Memorial, Marine Terrace
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1391528
- Date first listed:
- 11-Jul-2005
- List Entry Name:
- Surf Boat Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Surf Boat Memorial, Marine Terrace
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Surf Boat Memorial, Marine Terrace
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Thanet (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TR 34741 70706
Details
878/0/10050
MARINE TERRACE
Surf Boat Memorial
11-JUL-05
II
Memorial statue. Unveiled on 4th October 1899, designed by Frederick Callcott RBS and cast by Elkington and Co Ltd foundry. It commemorates nine men who lost their lives when the Margate Surf Boat capsized whilst answering a distress call on 2nd December 1897. Bronze statue on granite plinth.
DESCRIPTION: it comprises a life size bronze statue of a member of a life boat crew, dressed in oilskins and buoyancy aid, standing on a rock looking out to sea on a rectangular granite plinth with carved Scotia base. Paving slabs, which replace earlier soft landscaping, and a stone kerb ( the remains of perimeter railing) surround the memorial. The inscription to the front face of the plinth in incised and painted script reads "To the memory of William Philpott Cook, Sen Coxswain, Henry Richard Brockman, Wm. Philpott Cook Jun., John Benjamin Dike, Robert Ernest Cook, Edward R Crunden, Wm. Richard Gill, George William Robert Ladd, Crew and Charles E Troughton, superintendant of the Margate Ambulance Corps, who lost their lives through the capsizing of the Margate Surf Boat, "Friend to All Nations" on Thursday 2nd December 1897". The sculpture is signed on the reverse "Fred. Calcott Sculpt" and "Elkington and Co Ltd founders".
HISTORY: after the disaster a fund was raised by local dignitaries and councillors to support the five widows and seventeen children left destitute. Funds came from all over the world, the "Daily Telegraph" raised over £1,000 and a donation of £35 was received from Queen Victoria. The final total was almost £10,000. The first proposal was that the money could be used to build almshouses for the families but in the end it was considered that two memorials were "more appropriate". The majority of the fund was spent on two memorials and the funeral procession and the residual capital used to provide a small widow's pension of 15 shillings a week, deemed a "reasonable sum". The second memorial was a large white cemetery monument erected in Margate Cemetery where the nine who perished were buried.
A fine monument both in materials and execution commemorating a prominent local historical event which touched the whole nation.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 493128
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 01-Jul-2026 at 20:14:36.
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All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.