Non-US Timeline

Since there was a bit of interest in the Non-US lighthouses, I thought we could start a Non-US timeline.
The rules are the same, but the lighthouses mentioned should NOT be in the US. I guess we could say they can be anywhere else!

We'll start with 1900 and work towards today and then - if there is any interest, we could go backwards too. I'll start things off with:

In December 1900, three lighthouse keepers of the Flannan Islands Lighthouse, to the west of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, disappeared in mysterious circumstances
Virtual Vault - Lighthouse Records

Great minds think alike! I also had this idea today while sitting in Algebra (where some of my greatest ideas come from...few of which have to do with math). Great idea!

I'll go to 1901 with the building of the fourth Dungeness Light in England. It stands today, as the "Old Lighthouse", while a newer one has taken over its duties.

http://www.dungenesslighthouse.btinternet.co.uk/page4.html

Greg you should really not think of lighthouses in the Algebra lesson But never mind ...
Do you think the others will join in? Anyway, my next contribution is about a lighthouse which used to stand only a few miles from here:

The old Avonmouth Lighthouse, England was demolished in 1902 to make room for the new docks.
Lighthouse E-Clips

1903 - Sable Island East End Light was built.

http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=2220

In 1904 utilising the network of communications that existed here already, Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Co. Ltd. entered into a contract with the Commissioners of Irish Lights to put telegraphic equipment and aerials on the Fastnet.

Fastnet being the most loved lighthouse in Ireland. It was the last sign of the "Old Country" the Irish emigrants saw, before leaving Irish shores on their way to a better life ...

MARCONI IN CROOKHAVEN

Gantheaume Point Lighthouse

The first tower was a 47ft open braced steel tower built in 1905 ...

Gantheaume Point, Western Australia

Saugeen River Range Rear Light - Southampton , Ontario, Canada - relocated

This lighthouse is virtually identical to the front range light, and is located on a hill about 2,371 feet behind the front range light. This light was originally 1,650 feet from its present site; it was relocated in 1906.

http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=2443

The navigation light at TARBAT NESS LIGHTHOUSE (Moray Firth, Scotland) originally was an Argand Paraffin Lamp with four burners until 1907 when it was changed to an incandescent pressurised lamp with 55mm mantles

TARBAT NESS LIGHTHOUSE

More than 50 shipwrecks have occurred around Kangaroo Island since first settlement in 1836, leading to the establishment of Lighthouses at nearby Cape Willoughby in 1852, Cape Borda in 1858, Cape St Albans in 1908....

Cape St Albans Lighthouse

In 1909 an acetylene gaslight system was installed at the Walney Lighthouse, which flashed at one minute intervals.
The lighthouse stands on Walney Island, one of England's largest islands. Lying in the south-west corner of Cumbria and sandwiched between Morecambe Bay and the Duddon Estuary this sand and shingle ribbon of in island is exceptionally rich in natural history

The Walney Lighthouse

At the Skellig lighthouse in Ireland the pitched roof of the lower house was flattened circa 1910.

http://www.skelligsrock.com/lighthouse.htm

And I am being greedy today ... breaking the rules, but hopefully nobody will mind ...

In 1911 Stan's Great-Uncle became Principal Keeper at the Portland Bill Lighthouse on the South Coast of England.

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Lighthouses/LighthousesKeepers.html
Look for Ball, Edmund Kernen ## Son

Or take our word for it:
http://www.lighthouse-duo.net/Ball/FLK.htm

Hooray! This post has nothing to do with your timeline, but I'm glad you interjected a family story, Margret. That's what I love to hear, of course, and hope that you will continue the international lighthouses thread with more pictures and more of these personal details.

1912 altered the light to a flashing red at Trevose Head Lighthouse, Cornwall


Sorry, Grace, 1912 saw no family action .... and another "double" today would really be greedy!
But there are a few other family occasions in the next few years and if ever we get to go back from 1900 there are a couple then too. Let's see....

In 1913, it was converted to a revolving light to give it a more distinctive character.

Gabo Island Lighthouse, Victoria

... well all right... just for the family history fans ... here is the 1913 event in our family:

Charles William Edward Ball, Stan's much loved grandfather was promoted on the 25th of March 1913 and became Principle Keeper at the Lynmouth Foreland Lighthouse in North Devon, UK
You can see this on his service record on our website... CWE Ball service record

Granddad Charles is the only lighthouse keeper in our family we have Trinity House service history for. We are still trying to find the other's actual records.

EAST QUODDY (HEAD HARBOR) LIGHTHOUSE, CANADA is one of the oldest wooden towers in Canada and a major key to navigating the Bay of Fundy and Passamaquoddy Bay. The station now includes 5 structures: the light tower (1829), the adjoining building (construction date unknown), a fog alarm building (1914-15), a work shed (1914-15), and a boathouse (1947). The boathouse was considered surplus to Canadian Coast Guard needs and they intend to remove it.

The Bell Rock, that 2,000 foot sunken ledge of sandstone lying off the Firth of Forth, Scotland, was the source of many legends throughout history. Also known as the Inchcape Rock, it was a veritable graveyard for ships and a place of terror for seamen. An appalling number of ships were wrecked there until the Bell Rock lighthouse was built in 1811 by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of 'RLS'.


But in spite of the lighthouse being manned during the First World War, one of the Royal Navy's largest battle cruisers at that time, HMS ARGYLL, succeeded in wrecking herself on the Inchcape Rock in 1915.

http://www.bellrock.org.uk/misc/misc_argyll.htm

The lens apparatus was modernised in 1916 with a more up-to-date Chance Bros. revolving lens using an incandescent kerosene mantle lantern.

Low Head Lighthouse, Tasmania

In 1917, Stan's Uncle Edmond Kernan Ball, Ted, was posted to his last lighthouse Portland Breakwater
http://www.lighthouse-duo.net/Ball/FLK.htm

Ted lived to beyond his 100th birthday - which just goes to prove: "lighthouses are good for you!"

A little more information about the lighthouse:
About the Portland Lighthouses, UK

1918 - Akranes Light, Iceland was built.

Date Established: 1918

http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=2908

Again, I am interrupting this timeline but wanted to let you know that, although I have not been posting in it, I am thoroughly enjoying the research that you all are doing. I particularly liked the Skelligs, Low Head, and Portland Bill links. Fastnet is mentioned somewhere; that is such a beautiful lighthouse. Margret, I hope you are successful finding more records; I loved reading about the granddad being reprimanded for being asleep on the job. I'm sure he didn't enjoy it but it does personalize the history.

Slangkop Lighthouse. Kommetjie.
Cape Town has been operational since 4 March 1919, lit with a three mantle 55 mm petroleum vapour burner that produced 500 000 C.D.

This is the tallest cast iron tower on the South African Coast, 100 feet from base to its balcony. The lighthouse is equipped with a revolving electric light that emits four flashes very 30 seconds. Not all the flashes is visible with each revolution from any one point. It is one of 4 strongest lighthouses in Southern Africa with a range of 33 sea miles. The light has an approximate candlepower of 5 000 000 C.D. The lighthouse is a 33 meter circular cast iron tower, painted white. The focal plane of the light is 41 meters above high water which means it often remains visible below dense mist.

The lighthouse was established as the result of a commission appointed in 1906 by the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, His Excellency, the Honorable Sir Francis Hely-Hutchinson, to enquire into proposals for the improvement of and additions to the safeguards against shipwrecks along the Southern Coast of the Colony.

The original light was replaced by a 4 kW electric incandescent lamp in 1936 which increased its power to 16 000 000 C.D. In 1974 the 4 kW light was replaced by a 1.5 kW lamp which reduced the light to approximately 5 000 000 C.D.

The Lighthouse became fully automated in 1979. From an original three-man station it has been manned by a Senior Light keeper only since this date.

The Slangkop lighthouse draws its power from the Cape Municipality and has a standby diesel alternator that takes over in the event of a break in the mains supply.

1920 Charles Aubrey Ball, Stan's Uncle, becomes Principle Keeper at the Outer Fern (or Farne) Lighthouse off the coast of Northumberland, UK. This is the "Grace Darling Lighthouse"
Lighthouse Duo, Family\'s Service Records

To find out about the lighthouse: Longstone, UK

The Old lighthouse Harlingen, Netherlands, was first lit in 1921 our frinds Jens and Anke have a great picture.

http://www.leuchtturmseiten.de/home.htm?5452

And if you want to spend the night at this lighthouse ... Look here

1921 - Cabo de Santa Maria Light (Portugal)- Raised in height

In 1921 this lighthouse was raised in height, and in 1929 in was encased in a framework of reinforced concrete.

http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=1694

The first light, a square wooden tower, painted white, standing on a red wooden trestle, was built in 1922.

Cape d\'Or Lighthouse

Second view of entire light station..

1923 was the year Stan's father joined Trinity House ... the Lighthouse Service for England and Wales.

He had to attend the training depot in Blackwell in London first, before he could serve on any lighthouses. Not sure how long he had to train there. Blackwell had a lighthouse built on the bank of the river Thames. This was used for all kinds of experiments as well as the training of the new lighthouse keepers.
http://www.lighthouse-duo.net/Ball/FLK.htm

1924 - Highfield Point Lighthouse (old) - Sydney Australia was established.

There's still an active light at Highfield Point, described as a 20-foot white column. This small lighthouse established on the point in 1924 was later moved to the waterfront in Stanley, where it serves as a sailors memorial.

http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=3848

Godrevy Lighthouse History - Cornwall UK
During December 1925 keepers Williams and Lewis were on station at Godrevy. Keeper Roberts became seriously ill on Christmas eve, the telephone link had broken during the violent storm so on Christmas morning Keeper Lewis flew the distress flag from the tower and let off several rockets, luckily a lady in Gwithian had seen this and called the St.Ives lifeboat.

At the Pendeen Lighthouse in Cornwall, UK the light source changed from the concentric oil fired wicks to mains electricity in 1926.

http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/interactive/gallery/pendeen.html

http://www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/lighthouses/Pendeen.htm

We know Stan's father was at the Casquets Lighthouse in the Channel Islands in 1927.

http://www.lighthouse-duo.net/Ball/FLK.htm

Even though what we have of his service records, is a bit scetchy, because Trinity House lost a lot of their documentation in bombing raids in 1940.
But we know about Dad being at Casquets, because we have a pair of paintings one of his fellow keepers painted and gave him as a present. The paintings are dedicated, signed and dated on the back.
Dad was involved in trials of radio communication from this lighthouse and he was always very proud of having done that.

Margret, maybe you can take pictures of the paintings and post them in the European lighthouses thread? I'm sure many of us would love to see them. Great story!

Grace the pictures are not of lighthouses... But I will post them anyway if you like.

Many of us are interested in the history that surrounds the lighthouses, so, in my personal opinion, they would be very appropriate.

1928 - Lamb Island Light - Red Rock, Ontario, Canada - Fog signal established.

The original lighthouse here was replaced by a steel tower in 1961. A fog signal established in 1928 has been discontinued.

http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=2913

In 1929 Stan's father, after a breif stint at the Skerries Lighthouse, was appointed storekeeper at the Trinity House Service Depot in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk on the East Coast of the UK. http://www.lighthouse-duo.net/Ball/FLK.htm

Stan was born here a year later. The family lived in a house on the site of the depot.
Sadly the depot is closed now. But the house still stands and we took this picture when we visited the area last year.

1930 - Michael Point Light - Michael's Bay, Ontario, Canada - COLLAPSES!

This light was discontinued in 1899-1901 and again (permanently) in 1909. It collapsed around 1930.

http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=2924

1931 - Calais Tour du Guet Light in France declared Historical Monument.

The Tour du Guet (watchtower) dates back to at least 1302. It served as the main Calais lighthouse from 1818 to 1848, and was declared a historical monument in 1931. The appearance of the medieval tower has changed considerably since World War II.
http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=5323

By 1932 the fog signal building of teh St. Catherine's Lighthouse on the Isle of Wight,UK was so threatened by errosion that is had to be removed.
Little bit of information on our website:
http://www.lighthouse-duo.net/lh1/St%20Cath/StCath.html

And some more on the Trinity House pages:
http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/interactive/gallery/st_catherines.html

1933 - Witch Shoal Light, Magog, Quebec, Canada - destroyed by Ice Pressure.

The wooden lighthouse here was destroyed in April 1933 as a result of pressure from the ice caused by the rising level of the lake. The aid was rebuilt in 1960 as a small metal tower, which was in turn swept away by spring ice in 1978. Since 1980, the mast that replaced it is left in place only from May to October each year. The aid is owned by the Coast Guard and maintained by a private contractor.
http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=2635

With the retirement of the last lighthouse keeper in 1934, a modern automatic light was added to the structure of the original Mumbles Lighthouse on the Gower peninsular in Wales.
http://www.explore-gower.co.uk/mumbles_lighthouse.html

On our pages you can hear the fog horn of this lighthouse:
Lighthouse Duo -The Mumbles Lighthouse A5358

Until wireless telephone communications were established on Ailsa Craig (Scotland) in 1935, the lightkeepers and employees of Ailsa Craig Granites Ltd used to depend on pigeons for the conveyance of messages.

Northern Lighthouse Board -- Aisla Craig

On the 27th of October 1936 the German lightship ELBE 1 (Buergermeister O´Swald I) sank under dramatic circumstances in heavy storms. In commemoration of the 15 lightship men who died in discharge of their duty.

Thanks Iris... thought I would leave that event for you That is the event we issued the comemorative covers for: Lighthouse Duo -- Our Covers
Have a look if you are interested in Philately!

Langness Lighthouse, Isle of Man, UK
1937 Optical mirror apparatus installed FL 10 sec
Langness Lighthouse

The Isle of Man is part of the Northern Lighthouse Board's responsibility - that explains why many of the lighthouses there are in a stile that looks very Scottish.

Pedal radio established in 1937 so the the keepers could communicate with Norah Head. This was later replaced by a Bendix radio which relieved the need for pedalling. Previously the only communication with the mainland was by signalling lamp or heliograph.

South Solitary Lighthouse New South Wales

David Allen Stevenson member of the great Lighthouse Stevenson dynasty died in 1938.

David A. assumed the position of Engineer to the Northern Lighthouse Board as early as 1885 and remained in the post until 1938.
He was involved in the building of many lighthouses:
David A. worked with his Uncle Thomas Stevenson (1818 - 1887) on the lighthouses at Fidra (1885), Oxcar (1886) and Ailsa Craig (1886). David also worked with his brother Charles on a further twenty-three lighthouses at: Skaddan and Skroo (Fair Isle) (1892), Helliar Holm (1893), Sule Skerry (1895), Rattray Head (1895), Stroma (1896), Tod Head (1897), Noup Head (1898), Flannan Isles (1899), Tiumpan Head (1900), Killantringan (1900), Barns Ness (1901), Bass Rock (1903), Hyskeir (1904), Trodday (1908), Neist Point (1909), Rubh Re (1912), Milaid Point (1912), Maughold Head (1914), Copinsay (1915), Clyth Ness (1916), Duncansby Head (1924), Esha Ness (1929) and Tor Ness (1937).

The Godrevy Lighthouse was altered in 1939, when a new 2nd order fixed catadioptric lens was installed, together with an acetylene burner. The fog bell was also removed, the keepers withdrawn and the lighthouse made automatic.
Trinity House Service - Godrevy Lighthouse

Lighthouse Duo - Godrevy Lighthouse

In 1940 the Flamborough Lighthouse was electrified and further modifications took place in 1974.


Flamborough Lighthouse

Der jetzige Leuchtturm wurde 1941 als Flakleitstand erbaut und 1952 als Leuchtfeuer in Betrieb genommen.

The present lighthouse was actually built in 1941 as an antiaircraft observation tower; somehow it escaped the bombing and survived to be converted into a lighthouse in 1952

Helgoland Lighthouse

Out Skerries Lighthouse, Scotland
On 18 January 1942, a Sunday, at 11.45am a single enemy bomber approached the island from a westerly direction at low level and passed directly over the Lighthouse dwelling houses. One or two bombs were dropped, missed the buildings and fell in the sea. The raider made a wide circle to the east, returning over the Lighthouse Buildings and dropped another bomb which registered a direct hit on the Boatman's house. The house was completely demolished and the sole occupant at the time, the Boatman's mother, was buried beneath the debris, sustaining injuries from which she died at Lerwick on 20 January 1942. Other damage on this raid was as follows - Boatman's wash house and coal cellar demolished, dwelling houses of Lightkeepers and out-buildings etc completely destroyed or otherwise badly damaged. The flagpole was damaged and the framework of the base was also badly shaken.

[url= http://www.nlb.org.uk/ourlights/history/Out%20Skerries%20Lighthouse.pdf#search='1942%20Lighthouse']Out Skerries Lighthouse[/url]

This is getting a long time line, so I thought I'd split it....
Continue here at Pt. II