Lighthouses and their lighthouse keepers have always intrigued. There’s something romantic about them - sited in remote and solitary locations, exposed to wild weather and sea, saving ships and sailors from the perils of the sea and coastline.
Guiding Lights by Wellington writer Shona Riddell, offers a riveting insight into this most isolated of occupations, through the eyes of women.
While most of the written history of lighthouses focuses on men, Riddell has brought together accounts from around the world to illustrate that women have a rich history in lighthouse keeping. Some grew up in isolation and knew the swells of the sea as the daughters of keepers. Others married into the job and had to adjust to a new world.
They raised children in the environment, looked after traditional household duties, assisted their keeper-husbands and, in some instances, were lighthouse keepers themselves.
Riddell tells the story of New Zealand’s first – and only – female lighthouse keeper, Mary Jane Bennett, with whom she shares a family connection. When Bennett’s husband drowned, leaving her with 6 children, she took over the role of lighthouse keeper at Wellington’s Pencarrow Lighthouse and efficiently managed the light for 10 years.
The history of lighthouses is highly readable in Riddell’s capable hands. The first ‘lighthouse’ was the Pharos of Alexandria - a tower with an enclosed flame, first lit in 280BC. Interesting fact, a lighthouse expert is called a Pharologist.
Starting from rudimentary fires, the form of light moved to candles onto coal, all with their limitations and dangers. The invention of the Argand lamp in the late 1700s resulted in a much brighter light, using wicks (thick rope) fuelled by oil.
In 1822 the Fresel lamp was invented, a giant leap forward in lighthouse technology, with a beam four times brighter than what had previously been possible.
From the 1870s kerosene lamps were widely used until they were replaced by electricity in the early 20th century. Today, while many lighthouses are still active, most are now automated.
We also learn about the history of fog horns, and their tendency to break down. Riddell tells the story of one poor lass on Angel Island Light in San Francisco Bay who in 1906 had to manually bang the bell with a hammer twice every fifteen seconds for twenty straight hours until the fog lifted.
Due to their challenging locations, the design and construction of lighthouses required engineering innovation, with ‘staying upright’ winning over aesthetics. A chapter is dedicated to some of the most intrepid lighthouse engineers and pioneers including the grandfather of Treasure Island author, Robert Louis Stevenson.
Despite the difficulties of lighthouse keeping – and a chapter is dedicated to the impact of isolation of mental and physical health – clearly some women were built for it.
Kate Walker disputed the New York Times description of her life on a lighthouse as ‘the circular walls of a prison.’ ‘I am happy as any queen in her castle’ she responded to the paper in 1909. ‘Someone could offer me a millionaire mansion and I’d feel like I was in prison.’
We read about Grace Darling from the UK and Ida Lewis from the USA. Both young women lived in lighthouses, performed heroic rescues and became international public figures in the 19th century. Grace Darling became a reluctant poster girl and word of her efforts went global - her image was even used to promote a Cadbury’s chocolate bar. Gifts, medals, marriage proposals rained in and for a girl used to a solitary and quiet life it became too much. Sadly, four years after the rescue, at the age of 26, she succumbed to tuberculosis and died.
Interestingly, from 1820-1859 at least 5% of principal keepers employed by the USA federal government were women (more than 200 women were also appointed assistant keepers during the 19th century) and most of whom received equal pay to the male counterparts, and several also had male assistants. Astonishing, as Riddell points out, when this was almost 100 years before American women were allowed to vote.
With lighthouse women being most actively employed at a time in history when women’s stories were largely left untold, it is satisfying that Riddell is honouring them through this thoroughly researched and beautifully written new book.
Disclaimer: Reviewer Lorraine Steele is the director of Lighthouse PR and a self-confessed lover of lighthouses.
Exisle Publishing
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