Photograph of interior of the Bell Rock Lighthouse. © Ian Cowe, www.flickr/com/iancowe
What did lightkeepers do? In the NLC lightkeepers were divided into two grades: the Principal Lightkeeper and Assistant (or relief) Lightkeeper. Their primary responsibility was to keep the light and fog signal in working order. The lightkeepers would take shifts to keep watch and ensure the light was working correctly. Alongside this crucial role, daily activities included cleaning and maintaining the station, and taking weather readings which were forwarded to the Meteorological Office. Often their families, including wife and children, joined the lightkeepers at nearby cottages or specially built accommodation.
John Brown Henderson’s entry in the Lightkeepers’ Register. Henderson started his career at Fidra Lighthouse on 10 October 1889 and was promoted to Principal Lightkeeper (PLK) in January 1907. He worked as a lightkeeper between 1889 and 1921 serving at seven different lighthouses. Henderson was stationed twice at the Bell Rock, once from 8 March 1900 for six years and nine months as an Assistant Lightkeeper, and again from 26 November 1912 for four years as the Principal. Lightkeepers’ Register, 1869-1912. NRS, NLC4/1/3
Photograph depicting three lightkeepers at the top of the Bell Rock Lighthouse. John Henderson appears on the right,c.1900-1919. Courtesy of the Morrison family.
Three lightkeepers inside the Bell Rock Lighthouse, c.1900-1919. Courtesy of the Morrison family
Commonly at offshore lighthouses, three lightkeepers would be on duty at the same time. This was the case at the Bell Rock; originally lightkeepers could expect to be stationed there for six weeks, followed by two onshore. Over time this changed to two months on, one month off, and by the 1970s, one month on and one month off. At night, shifts of three or four hours would be taken to ensure that the clockwork mechanism, that turned the lamp and rang the bells, was wound up every 30 minutes.
Between their night shifts at the Bell Rock, each lightkeeper slept in one of the three bunks available, in a 13-foot circular room, with a curtain provided for privacy. The lightkeeper on the night watch previous would make breakfast for all of the men. The day would then be spent cleaning, repairing and maintaining the tower itself. This included the daily measurement of important stores, such as oil, paraffin and water. As contact with the shore and access by boat could be restricted by weather, it was important to effectively ration these supplies. This meant that there was no shower or bath for the duration of the lightkeepers’ stay on the rock. Similarly, the lighthouse did not have a toilet until 1964 when a saltwater unit was installed. It is easy to imagine the relief of those on shift when returning to shore and having access to a fully equipped bathroom!
Photograph of interior of the Bell Rock Lighthouse. © Ian Cowe, www.flickr/com/iancowe
The lightkeepers were issued with an instruction booklet upon taking up post. This outlined essential aspects of the job such as uniform, sustenance provision and rotas. Additional duties included guiding members of the public around the lighthouse during daylight hours. In the summer of 1812, 500 people arrived at the Bell Rock (not an easy journey!) to visit the tower and lightroom.
An earlier edition of the ‘Instructions to Light-Keepers’ from 1850. These pages stipulate the rules the keepers were to abide by and how to conduct themselves. One interesting passage notes an additional payment to the lightkeepers’ salary which was intended to be put towards a life insurance policy to provide for widows and children on the event of their death in service. This reiterates the dangerous nature of the occupation. NRS, NLC5/5/4
This booklet, ‘Instructions to Lightkeepers’, details the daily tasks and responsibilities of the job in the late 1930s. Communication between the shore and rock stations could be difficult and, even where available, radio and other modes of communication could have intermittent use. This page shows the signals utilised to send messages between the shore station and the Bell Rock Lighthouse. Instructions to Lightkeepers, 1937-1949. NRS, NLC5/5/8
Signal Tower, Arbroath MS1290/1/12/89. Courtesy of Angus Council Collections cared for by ANGUSAlive Museums, Galleries and Archives
Photograph of lightkeeper’s children outside the courtyard in front of the Signal Tower, Arbroath, c.1900-1908. The girl on the right (wearing the hat) is believed to be the daughter of Robert Clyne, who served as the Principal Lightkeeper for seven years from 19 April 1900. The Signal Tower communicated by flying flags, and by the raising and lowering of a large copper ball. It is said that if a keeper was stationed on the rock when his wife was pregnant, he would be informed of the safe arrival of the baby and its sex by flying clothing from the Signal Tower flagpole; a pair of trousers for a boy or a dress for a girl! Courtesy of Jane Bain
