Every two years keepers were rotated around the lighthouse stations.
This way they all had their turn on the more isolated and bleak stations
as well as on the more popular ones. It also allowed them to progress
from Assistant Keeper to Principal Keeper, and helped prevent friction
between lighthouse station families building up.
Sober and industrious
Keepers entering the lighthouse service were to be men between the
ages of 21 and 31 years, with good character and a certificate from
school on their ability to read, write and have a 'fair' knowledge
of arithmetic. They were expected to be "sober and industrious,
cleanly in their persons and habits and orderly in their families.
Any flagrant immorality will subject them to immediate dismissal."
Over the years these requirements changed
only slightly. The final edition of the handbook stated keepers
were to be men aged between 24 and 40 years, with at least two years
secondary education and above-average handyman abilities.
An 1886 publication called Instructions
to Lighthouse Keepers outlined what was expected from lighthouse
keepers - both at work and in the running of their homes on the
lighthouse stations. "Keepers must pay for excessive use of
coal. Interior of houses will be painted French Grey. Chair legs
must not be cut down. This is an improper practice and must be discontinued."
The keeper's job was not a comfortable one. They were expected to
remain awake on duty with only a hard, straight-backed chair to
sit on in the light room. Peculiarly, the light that could be seen
for miles by seafarers was only just bright enough to read a book
by inside the light room.
A hard life
While single men could apply for positions as relieving keepers,
they needed to be married before being appointed to a permanent
station. Keepers' wives paid a hard price on the isolated stations.
They worked just as hard as their husbands, often enduring poor
health in the harsh weather and living conditions with no accessible
medical help, and in many instances, coping with the loss of a child
or children following illness or accident.
Accidents were common given the dangerous
terrain surrounding the light stations - many were perched on top
of cliffs. Most keepers had small children and it could take weeks
for help to arrive, often too late.
More information
For more information about lighthouse keepers, download the following
publication:
  Lighthouse
Keepers (PDF - 445K)
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