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Thousands of lives have been saved since the founding in 1790 of the world's oldest practical life-saving body, the Glasgow Humane Society. * *
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It was established three years after Glasgow merchant James Coulter donated £200 to start a lifeboat service to rescue drowning people and recover bodies from Glasgow's rivers.
A small house was built on Glasgow Green to care for survivors and for the society's volunteers to stay while on call.
It was extended in 1867 but was replaced in 1937, by a new house opposit the suspension bridge.
For its first sixty years the society relied on volunteers to carry out its work as well as paying the ferry workers for every body recovered.
In 1859 it appointed George Geddes as its full-time officer. Geddes at the age of 11, had saved a woman from drowning in the 1840's.
On his death in 1899, his son, also George, took over. George was killed during a rescue in 1931.
His replacement,
Ben Parsonage, became the longest serving member of the society and his name will always be synominous with the Glasgow Humane Society as he and the present custodian, his son, George MBE, have served the city for more than 100 years.
Ben worked until his death in 1979 when George, in keeping with the unofficial tradition of father replacing son took over.
Based in Glasgow Green, the family are responsible for saving the lives of countless people who have become prisoners of The River Clyde.
Sadly though, there have been many times when they have been called to retrieve the bodies of victims.
