My great, great Uncle, Captain Claude Sutton served the longest of all lighthouse keepers - 40 years on the Page Rock Lighthouse off Coke in Gloucester, Virginia. Captain Sutton liked for people to stop by the lighthouse. He told someone he had just returned from his home on Cedar Bush Creek and that his wife said to him "go down to the pig pen and see the two pretty pigs that I bought yesterday." So he did, but he saw no pigs. He went back to the house and told his wife that the pigs were gone. She said "you must be mistaken because that is a new strong pen that I just had built. His wife then said "come go back with me", which he did. She took a small stick and turned over a cottonwood leaf, he said, and uncovered both pigs. I said to him they must have been small. "Small", he said, "they could stand with all four feet on a grain of corn and eat out the heart of it.
Lighthouse structures are placed on dangerous coasts and shoals located in exposed environments. Individuals who inhabited these locations were the Light keepers. The keepers took their jobs very seriously. Each of them swore an oath to keep their light burning and each of them knew they bore this awesome responsibility for the safety of the countless ships' crew and passengers.
The mariners counted on the light or the sound of a fog signal to warn them away from underwater obstacles and to guide them into a safe harbor. From the late 1700s until the last tower was fully automated and unmanned in the 1960s, hundreds of dedicated men, women, and their children manned the light twenty four hours a day. Their duties were a rigorous daily routine, not to mention the nightly watch to assure the light was burning and signal timing was accurate. Those who served at wood and coal beacons endured the hardest labor. Early lights did not have roofs until early 1800s.
High maintenance was required for lights with mirror or lens. Lenses and mirror were cleaned, wicks trimmed, clockworks oiled etc. Fog Signal building and other equipment may also be under the light keepers responsibilities. Light towers tend to have spiral stairs up to the top; they were required to carry oil and any other tools, cleaning supplies up with them. The lamps had to be cleaned and lenses polished everyday. The light tower and other structures had to be cleaned and painted. Lighthouses help ships stay away from dangerous shorelines or rocky cliffs. Lighthouse keepers often lived in the most dangerous spots in a body of water. In very early days of lighthouses, some of them did not even have a roof. It must have been very difficult for them to do their job during a storm in those days! Often, the lighthouse keepers family and animals lived with him.
A keeper's life was unique. It was very different from that experienced by most Americans in the late twentieth century. If there is a big snowstorm or hurricane, you usually get the day off from work or school but if you had a job as a lighthouse keeper, there were no days off. You had to work all the time. In bad weather, you usually had to work even harder and most ofthe time their work could be boring.
To occupy themselves keepers turned to a variety of recreational activities. Reading was a common pastime. Fishing was popular, both for recreational reasons and to supplement the station's food. Many keepers used their spare hours to take correspondence courses and improve themselves and their skills.
When storms blew in, high winds, pounding waves and driving rain brought danger. Of course, ships leave waters when storms are coming but the lighthouse keepers had to stay and be sure the lights were kept burning. Because the lights were at the top of the lighthouse, winding stairs had to be climbed in terrible weather so the lights would continue to warn anyone still out in the storm.
A lighthouse keepers day revolved around the lamp and daily logbooks kept in detail. The government required detailed record keeping, and unannounced inspections were routine. It had to be kept meticulously clean and was tended from dusk until dawn every day. Additional duties included the transportation of fuel to the lighthouse, the regular maintenance of the buildings, cleaning the lens, and filling the oil lamps. The lamp's wicks had to be trimmed so that the lightwas clearwith a minimum of smoke. They were also responsible for the fog signal, the weather station and played a major role in search and rescue at sea.
Some tasks brought danger. Painting the lighthouse tower was a difficult task. Keepers had to climb high with brushes and paint buckets to keep the lighthouse sparkling. Keepers wives often proved to be extraordinarily resourceful and resilient and often stood watch in the keepers absence. For the lighthouse keepers and their families who formed their own small communities at the stations it was a dangerous and lonely existence. The women took care of domestic matters and the children, who either attended a school at the lighthouse or were sent to boarding schools on the mainland. Sometimes family members could take a trip to a store for supplies.
Sometimes a boat would arrive with food or mail. When a family or keeper could talk with other people, this was exciting! It helped break upthe lonely days and nights. Lake navigation ceased during the winter and therefore during the winter there was no need for many lights. Thus the keepers of the most isolated stations were allowed to extinguish their light at the close of the navigation season and spend the winter in nearby towns or villages. Leaving the lighthouse at the end of the season often proved difficult and dangerous.
Deaths were common when keepers, leaving a lighthouse in a small, open vessel, ran into sudden storms. In 1900, for example, five keepers died on their way home for the season. The passage of time in some ways made the annual ritual of leaving the lights more complex, as crews from ever more remote points needed to be brought home.
Why anyone would want to be a lighthouse keeper? Many people love the water and being a part of life on the sea is exciting. Some liked being away from other people and enjoyed the loneliness. Being a lighthouse keeper meant you had a place to live and you were paid for staying at your house.
Today, electricity means that most lighthouses do not need keepers. The lights arerun automatically. Workers check the lightsevery so often but they are not required to be at the lighthouse twenty-four hours a day. Improved navigation instruments on ships means fewer lighthouses are needed. But some people still long for the days of lighthouse keepers. If you are one of those people, you can take a vacation at a lighthouse! You can polish lamps, dust the lens, or even paint stairs. It was very difficult for them to do their job during a storm in those days! Often, the lighthouse keepers family and animals lived with him.
A keeper's life was unique. It was very different from that experienced by most Americans in the late twentieth century. If there is a big snowstorm or hurricane, you usually get the day off from work or school but if you had a job as a lighthouse keeper, there were no days off. You had to work all the time. In bad weather, you usually had to work even harder and most of the time their work could be boring.
To occupy themselves keepers turned to a variety of recreational activities. Reading was a common pastime. Fishing was popular, both for recreational reasons and to supplement the station's food. Many keepers used their spare hours to take correspondence courses and improve themselves and their skills.
When storms blew in, high winds, pounding waves and driving rain brought danger. Of course, ships leave waters when storms are coming but the lighthouse keepers had to stay and be sure the lights were kept burning. Because the lights were at the top of the lighthouse, winding stairs had to be climbed in terrible weather so the lights would continue to warn anyone still out in the storm.
The lighthouse keepers day revolved around the lamp and daily logbooks kept in detail. The government required detailed record keeping, and unannounced inspections were routine. It had to be kept meticulously clean and was tended from dusk until dawn every day. Additional duties included the transportation of fuel to the lighthouse, the regular maintenance of the buildings, cleaning the lens, and filling the oil lamps. The lamp's wicks had to be trimmed so that the light was clear with a minimum of smoke. They were also responsible for the fog signal, the weather station and played a major role in search and rescue at sea. Some tasks brought danger. Painting the lighthouse tower was a difficult task. Keepers had to climb high with brushes and paint buckets to keep the lighthouse sparkling.
Keepers wives often proved to be extraordinarily resourceful and resilient and often stood watch in the keepers absence. For the lighthouse keepers and their families who formed their own small communities at the stations it was a dangerous and lonely existence. The women took care of domestic matters and the children, who either attended a school at the lighthouse or were sent to boarding schools on the mainland. Sometimes family members could take a trip to a store for supplies. Sometimes a boat would arrive with food or mail. When a family or keeper could talk with other people, this was exciting! It helped break up the lonely days and nights.
Lake navigation ceased during the winter and therefore during the winter there was no need for many lights. Thus the keepers of the most isolated stations were allowed to extinguish their light at the close of the navigation season and spend the winter in nearby towns or villages.
Leaving the lighthouse at the end of the season often proved difficult and dangerous. Deaths were common when keepers, leaving a lighthouse in a small, open vessel, ran into sudden storms. In 1900, for example, five keepers died on their way home for the season. The passage of time in some ways made the annual ritual of leaving the lights more complex, as crews from ever more remote points needed to be brought home.
Why anyone would want to be a lighthouse keeper? Many people love the water and being a part of life on the sea is exciting. Some liked being away from other people and enjoyed the loneliness. Being a lighthouse keeper meant you had a place to live and you were paid for staying at your house.
Today, electricity means that most lighthouses do not need keepers. The lights are run automatically. Workers check the lights every so often but they are not required to be at the lighthouse twenty-four hours a day. Improved navigation instruments on ships means fewer lighthouses are needed. But some people still long for the days of lighthouse keepers. If you are one of those people, you can take a vacation at a lighthouse! You can polish lamps, dust the lens, or even paint stairs.
About the Author
I am retired from the Information Technology corporate world. I enjoy reading, traveling and writing articles. I maintain my two Blogs http://www.lighthouse43.wordpress.com and http://www.giftsforeveryone.wordpress.com and my website http://www.lighthousesandtravel.com
I can be contacted at corbettslighthouse@yahoo.com
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