Surf Boat Memorial

The Surf Boat Memorial is a bronze statue on a granite plinth, unveiled on 4th October 1899. It was designed by Frederick Callcott and cast by Elkington and Co Ltd. The memorial commemorates nine men who died when the Margate Surf Boat, "Friend to All Nations", capsized on 2nd December 1897 while responding to a distress call. The statue depicts a life-size bronze figure of a lifeboat crew member, dressed in oilskins and a buoyancy aid, standing on a rock and looking out to sea, set upon a rectangular granite plinth with a carved Scotia base. The memorial is surrounded by paving slabs, replacing earlier landscaping, and a stone kerb representing the remains of a perimeter railing. An inscription on the front of the plinth lists the names of the nine crew members and Charles E Troughton, superintendent of the Margate Ambulance Corps, who perished in the disaster. The sculpture is signed on the reverse "Fred. Calcott Sculpt" and "Elkington and Co Ltd founders".

Following the disaster, a fund was raised by local dignitaries and councillors to support the widows and children left destitute. Donations came from across the globe, with substantial contributions from the “Daily Telegraph” (£1,000) and Queen Victoria (£35). The fund totalled almost £10,000. Initial proposals included building almshouses, but it was ultimately decided that two memorials would be more appropriate. The majority of the money was spent on these memorials and a funeral procession, with the remaining capital used to provide a weekly widow's pension of 15 shillings. A second memorial, a large white cemetery monument, was erected in Margate Cemetery where the nine men are buried. The Surf Boat Memorial is a fine example, notable for its materials and craftsmanship, commemorating a significant local historical event that resonated throughout the nation.