The Brancaster Lifeboat Station was founded in 1874, the first life boat arriving in June of that year.  The forming of a life boat station here at Brancaster was mainly due to the efforts of the Rev. E. Kerslake, the vicar of Burnham Deepdale and a Mr. E.J. Dewing, local merchant and ship owner.  The idea of forming a life boat station was started after two ships were wrecked in   1872.  In November of that year a French schooner, the "Alexandre of Caen" bound for Leith with a cargo of wheat ran ashore on Scolt Head Island one mile west of Burnham Overy Harbour.  The Wells-Next-The-Sea lifeboat was launched but grounded in the harbour mouth and was forced to give up the attempt.  The six crew members managed to get safely ashore in the ship's boat but the "Alexandre" soon became a total wreck.  Earlier the same year a large Italian barque was wrecked on the Bridgirdle sands.  The mainly Italian crew succeeded in reaching Scolt Head in the area of Smuggler's Gap.  A number of local fishermen from Brancaster Staithe reached the scene and found the survivors had built a cross out of driftwood and were in the act of thanking God for a safe deliverance from shipwreck.   The vessel became a total wreck.

An inspector from the Royal National Life Boat Institution arrived in November 1873 and visited the Hunstanton and Wells Life Boat Stations where he was informed that a life boat was needed between the two towns.   After discussing the idea with Mr. Dewing, the Rev. Kerslake and also the Rev. W. Brock of Brancaster, the inspector held a meeting in the Brancaster school-room which was attended by the chief officer and boatman of the Coastguard, several local pilots and fishermen who thought a life boat at Brancaster would be useful and that there would be no difficulty in finding a crew to man her.  The Inspector, after visiting the harbour mouth with its numerous shoals thought the best spot for the boat-house was one mile north of the harbour (about 150 yards east of the Royal West Norfolk Golf Clubhouse.

On the Inspector's recommendation, the committee of the RNLI decided to place a life boat at Brancaster.  The boat was ordered from Wolfe & Son of Shadwell and it was to be a standard self righter of the time, 33ft. long with a beam of 8ft.  She was to be called "Joseph & Mary".  The launching carriage was built by Robertson & Napton and the boathouse by Beeton Brothers for £268.10.0d.  The cost of the life boat and the establishment of the station was met by a Mrs. Bocteur of London with a gift of £783.

In the meantime, a local committee had been formed to administer the branch.  Rev. Kerslake and E.J. Dewing became joint honorary secretaries and Simms Reeve of Brancaster Hall the chairman.  It was decided to name and dedicate the life boat on the 25th July 1874 and to have a public launch, although a practice launch for the benefit of the crew had been held on the 1st of July and the crew were very satisfied with the life boat in every respect, especially how she had handled under sail.  The lifeboat carried a crew of 13, 10 oars double-banked, with a bowman and 1st and 2nd coxswains.  The 1st coxswain was Thomas Lane, a fisherman from Brancaster Staithe.  All crew members came from this village throughout the life of the Station. 

On July 23rd the lifeboat was drawn through all the leading thoroughfares which were decorated with flags and evergreens and then back to the boathouse on the beach where she was named by Mrs. Simms Reeve and dedicated by the Rev. W. Napier of Holkham.  Afterwards the lifeboat was launched for the public, the eight horses being lent by a local farmer.  The horses were either loaned by Town Farm or Field House Farm from 1874 until the Station received its launching tractor in 1923.

page two