The first mention of Holyhead in the records  of the institution appears in 1825 (the year after the institution itself was founded) when it was decided that a lifeboat should be built for Holyhead.

In 1828 a local committee was formed and shortly afterwards the boat arrived.

From 1890 to 1930 two lifeboats were stationed at Holyhead and for a short time (1892 to 1893) there  were three lifeboats.

It  has always been a very important station and is one of the three oldest lifeboat stations on the welsh coast.

The  first of the six steam lifeboats, which served in the institutions fleet for  nearly 40years (1890 to 1928)

Was  stationed first at Harwich and two years later went to Holyhead, were she  remained until she was sold out of service in 1922.

She was then replaced by  another steam lifeboat, which remained there until 1928.

She  was the last of the steam lifeboats so that Holyhead had steam lifeboats for all  but two of their 38 years in the service.

Medal Record

49 of the  Institutions medals for gallantry have been awarded, 4 gold, 32 silver and 13  bronze the last being voted in 1978.

Details of the Gold Medal Services are given below:

1835-Gold Medal awarded to  Rev James Williams in recognition of the very important service rendered  by him  when he helped to save the crew of "Active". He rode his horse into the surf and threw a line to the ship.

1835-Gold medal awarded to Captain William Owen and Silver Medal to Coxswain Richard Morris, for rescuing  the crew of the ship "Plutarch" on 10 September.

1908-On 22 February the  steam lifeboat Duke of Northumberland went out in a whole gale blowing  upwards of 80 miles per hour and tremendous seas. She found a Liverpool steamer,  SS 'Harold' anchored not far from the shore close to the rocks between the  headlands known as the North and South Stacks. A terrible sea was running and it  was only after two hours of the most skillful and hazardous maneuvering by  Coxswain William Owen that the lifeboat able to get close enough to the steamer  for ropes to be thrown and the steamer's crew of nine to be hauled on board. The  Lifeboat herself was in the greatest danger of being flung against the steamer  and destroyed. Coxswain Owen was awarded the gold medal and each of the other  ten members of his crew the silver medal.

1966-On 2nd December the lifeboat St Cybi (Civil Service No. 9) rescued five of the crew of a  Greek motor vessel 'Nafsiporos' which was in distress four hundred yards wast of  the West Mouse Rock in a north-westerly hurricane with a very rough sea. For this service Lieutenant Commander H H Harvey VRD RNR, Inspector of lifeboats for the North West Area, was awarded the Gold Medal, and coxswain Thomas Alcock and  Motor Mechanic E S Jones were awarded the Silver Medal. Bronze Medals were  awarded as follows:

Awards for this service were also made to the Moelfre  Lifeboat.