You Never Know

You never know what you will spot when you are out and about, this gravestone was facing us as we exited St Michaels Church yesterday.

Henry Trengrouse – inventor of the rocket powered ‘Bosun’s Chair’ rescue system which has saved 1000s of lives to this day, inventor of the self righting lifeboat, recognised in Cornwall and Russia but not by the British Government.

Henry Trengrouse was born in Helston on 18 March 1772. On 24 December 1807 he witnessed the wreck of HMS Anson off the Loe Bar, Cornwall, when over a hundred lives were lost and this disaster led him to devote his life to the discovery of some means for saving lives at shipwrecks.
Trengrouse invented the rocket powered rescue system for ships in distress, which he named the Bosun’s Chair. It is estimated that his invention has ultimately saved over 20,000 lives and was what came to be known as the breeches buoy, he also devised the life jacket.
Trengrouse died at Helston on 14 February 1854, a poor man financially.