Little Ross Lighthouse

[Solway]

Can anyone please advise if the builder of Little Ross Lighthouse was a Gatehouse of Fleet contractor? I understand Stephenson was the designer.                                                                                                      Many thanks.   

[Rosinish]

This should answer your question?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ross

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Stevenson

Annie

[Solway]

Thank you, Annie, for your reply, but although Stephenson was the engineer, I was wondering who the actual builder was, i.e. stonemason, and if he may have been from Gatehouse of Fleet.

[Flattybasher9]

I have had a look, but cannot find any reference to a "mason" as yet. One thing that I did find, was that there was a toll on ships that passed a/the lighthouse, something that I did not know. One learns something new every day.

http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1843/N/general/49.pdf

Page 4 and 5.

Regards

Mlaky

[Solway]

Thank you, Mlaky, for your information and interest.  Should you stumble on the builder/mason, would you kindly let me know?

[Luath]

-and one thing I found out that I didn't know, was about the murder there


Event ID 754881

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes


NX64SE 21.00 65943 43202

Lighthouse

(flashing white) [NAT]

OS (GIS) MasterMap, September 2009.

NX64SE 21.01 NX 65942 43189 Residential Block (Cottages)

Visible on vertical air photograph (OS 70/095/006, flown 1970).

(Undated) information in NMRS.

This lighthouse was built at the mouth of Kirkcudbright Bay to close the gap between those at Mull of Galloway and Southerness (NX13SE 2 and NX95SE 1 respectively). The engineer was Thomas Stevenson and it was first lighted on 1 January 1843, being the first light of catadioptric type, having metallic mirrors above and below the lenses. Although this experiment was not totally successful, the light was hailed by Wlliam Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) as being, with Buchan Ness (NK14SW 73.00) and Rhinns of Islay (NR15SE 15), 'undoubtedly the three best revolving lights in the world'.

In 1960, the lighthouse was the scene of a sensational murder when an occasional lightkeeper was shot and robbed; an assistant lightkeeper was sentended to death but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. The light was made automatic in the same year.

R W Munro 1979.
(https://canmore.org.uk/event/754881)

[Luath]

Would Trinity House be able to help?  Not sure if they only do English/Welsh lighthouses, but might give you a starting point.

[Solway]

Very many thanks for your response and information, Luath. Looking further at your suggestion, I will make contact with the Northern Lighthouse Board to learn if they can assist with identifying the builder/stonemason.
Thanks again.

[barryd]

I am linked in to an English born Irish Lighthouse Engineer. From my notes on him:
 
1831: English-born lighthouse engineer. William Douglass, younger son of Nicholas Douglass, later superintendent engineer to the Corporation of Trinity House, was born in Bow, Middlesex, on 10 January 1831. Like his elder brother Sir James Nicholas Douglass he spent his career in the lighthouse service. In 1878 he was appointed engineer to the Irish Lights Commissioners. During his tenure of the post, he was responsible for the construction of new lighthouses at St John's Point, Fanad Point, Mew Island, Tory Island and Bull Rock as well as introducing improvements to many existing lighthouses. The major achievement of his career was the design and initial construction of the new Fastnet lighthouse