Third lifeboat carries Hillards name

A NEW lifeboat in Scarborough has been named after a man who set up his first shop in Cleckheaton and went on to own a successful chain of supermarkets in the north of England.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Oct 2010, 17:26 BST
Updated 25th Oct 2010, 17:27 BST

The 31,000 D class lifeboat – which has already saved the lives of six people – was named John Wesley Hillard III at a ceremony yesterday afternoon.

Mr Hillard opened his first grocery shop in 1885 and had more than 60 stores when he died in 1935. The company, trading as Hillards, was run by the family until it was taken over in 1987.

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This is the third vessel to be named after him. It was paid for by his grandson Peter Hartley and his wife Gay Hartley's charitable trust.

Great-grandson Simon Hartley said: "We are all delighted to see the third Scarborough lifeboat named in honour of my great-grandfather. We are only too aware of the risks of the sea and the danger RNLI crews put themselves in on every occasion that the lifeboat is launched. May John Wesley Hillard III have a long and successful career."

Scarborough RNLI operations manager Colin Lawson said: "The RNLI can only exist because of the generosity of people like the Hartley family and their trusts."

Related topics:ScarboroughCleckheatonEnglandRNLI