The Northern Light-houses being situated in parts of the country remote and inaccessible, it became necessary to arrange some systematic and proper plan for managing the ordinary business of the Board, which, at this time, had only one stated meeting, held by act of Parliament in the month of July annually. A special meeting was accordingly convened by the Secretary, in the month of March 1791; at which there were present, the Lord Advocate of Scotland; the Lord Provost of Edinburgh; the Sheriff of Aberdeen; the Sheriff of Renfrew; and the Sheriff of Orkney, Mr Charles Hope, now Lord President of the Court of Session. This meeting having taken into consideration the proper mode of supplying the light-houses, and of attending to the conduct of the light-keepers, it was resolved, That the engineer should charter a vessel annually, to carry a full complement of stores and other necessaries for the use of the lights, and such artificers, implements and materials as might, from time to time, be found necessary for making repairs at the light-houses; and also, that the engineer should annually visit each light-house, and report upon the state and condition of the buildings, and upon the conduct of the respective light-keepers in keeping the lights, and in the management of the stores and appurtenances committed to their charge; with power to dismiss them for neglect of duty.
Light-keepers’ Salary.
The light-keepers already engaged in the service, had been verbally informed by the engineer, that they would be paid L. 30 of yearly salary; and this meeting having before it a range of salaries paid to light-keepers both in England and Scotland, varying from L. 20 to upwards of L. 70, it was resolved, That in ordinary situations, the salary of the light-keepers in the service of the Northern Light-houses should be L. 30 per annum, with a piece of garden-ground and pasture for a cow, and a sufficient quantity of fuel for the use of their families.
First voyage of the Engineer.
In consequence of this arrangement, a vessel of about 100 tons burden was chartered and fitted out with stores and other necessaries for the use of the Northern Light-houses; and in the course of the summer of 1791, Mr Smith made his first annual visit by sea to the light-houses—the journeys of the engineer having hitherto been performed chiefly by land. On this voyage, every thing was reported to be in good order at the several stations, excepting at the Light-house of North Ronaldsay, which he found to be very improperly kept: it appeared also that the light-keeper at this station had been embezzling the stores committed to his charge. This person was formerly a ship-master, who, finding it difficult to get employment in the line of his profession, had been very improperly recommended to the attention of the Light-house Board.
Light-house keeper dismissed the service.
Economical plan of the early Light-houses.
The business of the Light-houses was now so arranged, that matters went on in a very prosperous and successful manner. So well, indeed, had the plans and buildings of their engineer been considered, and made to meet the slender funds of the Board, that, with an expenditure of little more than L. 10,000, five lights had been exhibited upon the coast. Though these buildings were unavoidably very much circumscribed in their accommodations, and even temporary in their construction, yet the speedy exhibition of the lights was of great benefit to navigation, while the improving state of the light-house duties enabled the Commissioners to extend their influence along a greater range of coast; and the different buildings have since been enlarged and completed in a much more substantial manner, by applying the surplus funds to these purposes.
1793.