Chronology of Portsmouth Life-Saving Surfmen

Changes in the organization of the service, the migration of people to and from these stations, and the simple passage of time have made it difficult to construct a complete list of these heroes of the coast. This is the most accurate list we have available at this time.

If you have corrections, additions, or photographs that you would like to share with the park, please contact us.

 

This list was compiled from the National Archives in Atlanta, GA using records from January 1st of each year.

Crews were employed seasonally, from August 1st to May 31st, until 1917, when the station was used year-round. The surfmen are listed by their rank within the station, which could change from year to year and, at times, within the same year.

Information on Portsmouth Village history and on visiting Portsmouth can also be found on this website.

Skip Ahead By Year
1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930

 

1894 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Dennis Mason
2) Washington Roberts
3) Augustus D. Mason
4) James T. Salter
5) George R. Willis
6) George W. Gilgo
Substitute: Jesse Newton

1895 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Joseph W. Robinson
2) George Dixon
3) Augustus Mason
4) Joseph Styron
5) George R. Willis
6) Dennis Mason
7) Washington Roberts
Substitute: Charles Styron

1896 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Dennis Mason
2) Washington Roberts
3) Augustus D. Mason
4) James T. Salter
5) George R. Willis
6) George W. Gilgo

1897 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Dennis Mason
2) Washington Roberts
3) Augustus D. Mason
4) James T. Salter
5) George W. Gilgo
6) Jesse Newton
7) Joseph Dixon
Substitute: Charles Styron
Substitute: William Willis

1898 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Dennis Mason
2) Washington Roberts
3) George W. Gilgo
4) James T. Salter
5) Joseph Dixon
6) William T. Willis
7) Leonard W. Nelson

1899 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Dennis Mason
2) Washington Roberts
3) George W. Gilgo
4) James T. Salter
5) Joseph Dixon
6) Leonard W. Nelson
7) William T. Willis

Back to top.

 

1900 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Dennis Mason
2) Washington Roberts
3) George W. Gilgo
4) Leonard W. Nelson
5) William T. Willis
6) Daniel W. Yeomans
7) William Fulcher

1901 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Dennis Mason
2) Washington Roberts
3) George W. Gilgo
4) Daniel W. Yeomans
5) William Fulcher
6) Melville M. Pigott
7) Joseph W. Fulcher

1902 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Washington Roberts
2) William T. Willis
3) Daniel W. Yeomans
4) Melville M. Pigott
5) Joseph W. Fulcher
6) H.D. Goodwin
7) Alfred H. Chadwick

1903 Crew

Keeper: Ferdinand G. Terrell
1) Washington Roberts
2) William T. Willis
3) Melville M. Pigott
4) Joseph W. Fulcher
5) H.D. Goodwin
6) Alfred H. Chadwick
7) Herbert S. Pigott

1904 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) William T. Willis
3) Melville M. Pigott
4) Joseph W. Fulcher
5) H.D. Goodwin
6) Alfred H. Chadwick
7) Herbert S. Pigott

1905 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) H.D. Goodwin
3) Melville M. Pigott
4) E.L. Roberts
5) Herbert S. Pigott
6) Homer Harris
7) Milton Robinson

1906 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) Matthew P. Guthrie
3) Melville M. Pigott
4) L.D. Williams
5) Herbert S. Pigott
6) Homer Harris
7) Edward H. Fulcher

1907 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) Mathew P. Guthrie
3) L.D. Williams
4) Edward H. Fulcher
5) Herbert S. Pigott
6) Homer Harris
7) Theodore Salter

1908 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Matthew P. Guthrie
4) Edward H. Fulcher
5) Homer Harris
6) Monroe W. Gilgo
7) Mitchell Hamilton

1909 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Matthew P. Guthrie
4) Homer Harris
5) Monroe W. Gilgo
6) Mitchell Hamilton
7) Simon Garish Back to top.

 

1910 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Matthew P. Guthrie
4) Homer Harris
5) Mitchell Hamilton
6) Simon Garish
7) Monroe W. Gilgo

1911 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Isaac O'Neal
4) Homer Harris
5) George Dixon
6) Simon Garish
7) Monroe W. Gilgo

1912 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Isaac O'Neal
4) Homer Harris
5) Mitchell Hamilton
6) Simon Garish
7) Monroe W. Gilgo

1913 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Isaac O'Neal
4) Homer Harris
5) Simon Garish
6) Monroe W. Gilgo
7) Homer Howard
8) Garry Bragg

1914 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Simon Garish
5) Monroe W. Gilgo
6) Homer Howard
7) Gary Bragg
8) B.G O'Neal

1915 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Simon Garish
5) Monroe W. Gilgo
6) Homer Howard
7) Gary Bragg
8) Munroe Robinson

1916 Crew

Keeper: Charles S. McWilliams
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Monroe W. Gilgo
5) Homer Howard
6) Gary Bragg
7) Munroe Robinson
8) Joe Roberts

1917 Crew

Keeper: Albert L. Barco
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Monroe W. Gilgo
5) Homer Howard
6) Gary Bragg
7) Munroe Robinson
8) Joe Roberts

1918 Crew

Keeper: Mitchell Hamilton
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Monroe W. Gilgo
5) Gary Bragg
6) Munroe Robinson
7) Joe Roberts
8) Mervin A. Taylor

1919 Crew

Keeper: Mitchell Hamilton
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Monroe W. Gilgo
5) Gary Bragg
6) Munroe Robinson
7) Joe Roberts
8) Mervin A. Taylor Back to top.

 

1920 Crew

Keeper: Mitchell Hamilton
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Monroe W. Gilgo
5) Munroe Robinson
6) Glenn B. Willis
7) Rob Robinson
8) Jesse J. Babb

1921 Crew

Officer in Charge: W. Roberts
1)
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Glenn B. Willis
5) Roy Robinson
6) Jesse J. Babb
7) A.W. Price
8) Samuel Williams

1922 Crew

Officer in Charge: W.M. Yeomans
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Glenn B. Willis
5) Jesse J. Babb
6) A.W. Price
7) Samuel Williams
8) E.C. Fulcher
Cook: Harry Dixon

1923 Crew

Officer in Charge: W.M. Yeomans
1) Washington Roberts
2) L.D. Williams
3) Homer Harris
4) Jesse J. Babb
5) A.W. Price
6) Samuel Williams
7) E.C. Fulcher
8) D.H. Scarborough

1924 Crew

Officer in Charge: W.M. Yeomans
1) Washington Roberts
2) Homer Harris
3) Jesse L. Babb
4) Samuel Williams
5) E.C. Fulcher
6) D.H. Scarborough
7) T.C. Miller
8) C.W. Midget

1925 Crew

Officer in Charge: Joseph R. Emery
1) Washington Roberts
2) Homer Harris
3) Jesse J. Babb
4) Samuel Williams
5) D.H. Scarborough
6) T.C. Miller
7) C.W. Midgett
8) D.E. Meekins
9) Walker R. Styron
10) W. Gaskill

1926 Crew

Officer in Charge: Roy Robinson
1) Willie P. Willis
2) Homer Harris
3) Samuel Williams
4) D.H. Scarborough
5) T.C. Miller
6) C.W. Midgett
7) D.E. Meekins
8) Walker R. Styron
9) Jesse J. Babb

1927 Crew

Officer in Charge: Roy Robinson
1) Willie P Willis
2) Homer Harris
3) Samuel Williams
4) D.H. Scarborough
5) T.C. Miller
6) C.W. Midgett
7) Walker R. Styron
8) W.S. Goodwin
9) Jesse J. Babb

1928 Crew

Officer in Charge: Roy Robinson
1) Willie P. Willis
2) Homer Harris
3) Samuel Williams
4) D.H. Carborough
5) T.C. Miller
6) C.W. Midgett
7) Walker R. Styron
8) Wilbur S. Goodwin
9) Washington Roberts

1929 Crew

Officer in Charge: Roy Robinson
1) Willie P. Willis
2) Homer Harris
3) Samuel Williams
4) C.W. Midgett
5) Walker R. Styron
6) Wilbur S. Goodwin
7) Washington Roberts
8) Harvey Taylor
9) Charlie C. Edwards
10) H.W. Hriewall
11) H.W. Ritchie Back to top.

 

1930 Crew

Officer in Charge: Roy Robinson
1) Roland Styron
2) Willie P. Willis
3) Samuel Williams
4) Walker R. Styron
5) Wilbur S. Goodwin
6) Harvey Taylor
7) Charlie C. Edwards
8) Kenneth Smith
9) G.C. Quidley

1931 Crew

Officer in Charge: Roy Robinson
1) Roland Styron
2) Walker R. Styron
3) Samuel Williams
4) Wilbur S. Goodwin
5) Harvey Taylor
6) Walter D. Barrett
7) Whelington Robinson
8) Kenneth Smith
9) William E. Whidbee

1932 Crew

Officer in Charge: George H. Meekins
1) Paul Midgett
2) Kenneth Smith
3) Samuel Williams
4) Wilbur S. Goodwin
5) Harvey Taylor
6) Whelington Robinson
7) David B. Garrish
8) Walter Goodwin

1933 Crew

Officer in Charge: Elisha G. Tillett
1) Roland Styron
2) Kenneth Smith
3) Harvey Taylor
4) Wilbur S. Goodwin
5) Whelington Robinson
6) David B. Garrish
7) Walter Goodwin
8) Thomas H. Nelson

1934 Crew

Officer in Charge: Elisha G. Tillett
1) Troy Morris
2) Roland Styron
3) Harvey Taylor
4) Wilbur S. Goodwin
5) Whelington Robinson
6) Horatio G. Midgett
7) Walter Goodwin
8) Thomas H. Nelson

1935 Crew

Officer in Charge: Elisha G. Tillett
1) Troy Morris
2) Roland Styron
3) Harvey Taylor
4) Horatio G. Midgett
5) Whelington Robinson
6) Walter Goodwin
7) Shanklin S. Fulcher
8) Garfield Emory

1936 Crew

Officer in Charge: Julian L. Gray
1) Troy Morris
2) Roland Styron
3) Harvey Taylor
4) Whelington Robinson
5) Walter Goodwin
6) Garfield Emory
7) Kenneth Smith
8) David B. Garrish

1937 Crew

Acting Officer in Charge: Troy Morris
1) Vernon H. Tillett
2) Harvey Taylor
3) Whelington Robinson
4) David B. Garrish
5) Meardie Pittman
6) Daily Nelson
7) Walter Goodwin
8) Lathon Willis Back to top.

 

The Portsmouth Life-Saving Station was placed out of commission at sunset on June 1, 1937 in accordance with the District Commissioner's letter 601-73-701 (May 26, 1937).