Author Topic: Trinity Wharf at Burton Ferry and the Smalls Lighthouse  (Read 2174 times)

Offline hatofthecat

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Trinity Wharf at Burton Ferry and the Smalls Lighthouse
« on: Saturday 26 December 15 23:13 GMT (UK) »
I have my 3x great grandfather Henry Norris, a civil engineer who supervised a number of lighthouse builds for Trinity House, lodging at Barnlake near Burton Ferry on the 1861 census.  This is only a few hundred metres from the Trinity House wharf at Burton Ferry which was built 1860-61 according to its listed building entry http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wa-82711-timber-jetty-wall-and-gatepiers-to-trinit#.Vn8UQxWLTIU matching the 1859-1861 construction period of the Smalls lighthouse.  Does anyone have an idea if the wharf at Burton Ferry was originally created to service the construction of the Smalls lighthouse ?  The designer of the lighthouse was James Douglas (sometimes spelt Douglass) which is also the name on the listing for the wharf at Burton Ferry.  I think it possible that my ancestor was working with Douglas on the wharf and/or lighthouse as he worked with him later on the Souter and Hartland Point lighthouses and was employed throughout his career by the same firm of Messrs. Walker & Burgess who Douglas also worked for. He may though have simply been supervising the building of the wharf itself as the firm were specialists in marine construction including harbours (I think he also worked on the survey for construction of the East Bute docks at Cardiff as he was there when my gg grandfather was born there in 1852).

Any local history knowledge, sources or pointers much appreciated.
Norris / Andover, Poplar, Canning Town, Stratford
Hughes, Cooper, New  / Berkshire
Waugh, Lisle, Davison, Mole, Luke, Dodd / Northumberland
Walton / Cumberland, County Durham, Northumberland
Littlefair / County Durham, Northumberland
Morcumb, Pedler, Warne, Whitford, Arthur, Warmington, Sleap, Docton,Couche / Cornwall
Ross / Middlesex, Hertfordshire
Southgate / Essex
Tarrant/Hampshire

Offline milford_lass

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Offline hanes teulu

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Re: Trinity Wharf at Burton Ferry and the Smalls Lighthouse
« Reply #2 on: Monday 14 May 18 18:52 BST (UK) »
Had you seen this article in Potter's Electric News - see top column 2 "Roose and Dungleddy Petty Sessions"

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3100336/3100338/9/

Offline hatofthecat

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Re: Trinity Wharf at Burton Ferry and the Smalls Lighthouse
« Reply #3 on: Monday 14 May 18 23:05 BST (UK) »
Thanks milford_lass although I think that's the same listing as I included in my original question.  Its on my "stuff to visit" list as I'm working my way round all his lighthouses, there are quite a few !

Thanks hanes teulu, yup I'd found a report of that particular... ahem... "spot of bother"  ::)  I guess he was sick of people pilfering from his site.  I do love the term "warm conversation" they used in the report  ;D  He made the papers quite a few times, first time was when he was repairing the Eddystone lighthouse in 1841 and usually its just about a new lighthouse he's working on but he was also in a train crash fatality enquiry report and another time once again up before the local magistrates in a dispute over payment for a sign for a lighthouse.
Norris / Andover, Poplar, Canning Town, Stratford
Hughes, Cooper, New  / Berkshire
Waugh, Lisle, Davison, Mole, Luke, Dodd / Northumberland
Walton / Cumberland, County Durham, Northumberland
Littlefair / County Durham, Northumberland
Morcumb, Pedler, Warne, Whitford, Arthur, Warmington, Sleap, Docton,Couche / Cornwall
Ross / Middlesex, Hertfordshire
Southgate / Essex
Tarrant/Hampshire