An Account of the Bell Rock Light-House / Including the Details of the Erection and Peculiar Structure of That Edifice; to Which Is Prefixed a Historical View of the Institution and Progress of the Northern Light-Houses

by Robert Stevenson

Rate of Light-house duties for the Isle of Man.

The subject of the erection of the light-houses on the Isle of Man, having again been agitated by the merchants of Liverpool, the rates of duty which would probably be demanded for the erection of a light-house upon the Calf of Man, was procured from one of the agents of the Trinity-House of London upon that coast. This schedule of duties appearing to be high, a correspondence took place between Mr William Laird of Liverpool, and Mr Quintin Leitch of Greenock, respecting the rate of Scotch light-house duties, which was ultimately brought under the notice of the Commissioners of the Northern Light-Houses, by Sir William Rae, Bart.

1802.

Author’s Report on this subject.

Reference having been made to the author relative to the expence of erecting a light-house upon the Calf of Man, he stated to the Board, that, in the course of a tour which he had made in the year 1802, round the coast of Great Britain, he visited the Isle of Man, with a view to ascertain the most eligible places for light-houses on that island, where he considered two light-house stations to be indispensably necessary, viz. one on the Calf of Man, to the south, and another on the Point of Ayre, towards the north of the island. From the numerous shipping of that district, he only calculated upon the duty of one farthing per ton upon shipping for the light-houses of both stations. The Commissioners took this matter under consideration at the time, as appears from their minutes of the 14th January 1803, which state, that “Mr Stevenson had reported very strongly of the great utility which would attend the erection of light-houses on the Isle of Man; but that island not being within the jurisdiction either of the Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses or Trinity Board of London, both boards seem thereby to be prevented from accomplishing an object so much wished for by mariners, as such an improvement upon the coast would prove a great additional security to the navigation of those seas, and especially to the trade of a great number of the ports of England and Ireland. In order, therefore, that this circumstance might not be overlooked, the Commissioners direct this notice to be taken of it in their minutes, that if an application to Parliament should, at a future period, be deemed necessary, they may judge how far it may not be proper in them to apply for power to erect lights upon the Isle of Man.”

Scotch Light-house Board applied to for lights on the Isle of Man.

When these circumstances were intimated to the merchants of Liverpool, and especially that the rate of one farthing per ton was considered a sufficient rate of duty, the business was brought under the notice of the Association of Shipowners and other public bodies of Liverpool, by Mr John Gladstone, when a representation and petition from them was presented to the Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses, praying, that they would bring a bill into Parliament, to enable them to erect the necessary light-houses on the Isle of Man.

Act of 1815.

This application having been complied with, Sir William Rae was requested to attend to the progress of the bill, and to take the assistance of any of the other members of the light-house board who might happen to be in London at the time. The Isle of Man Light-house Bill was accordingly brought forward by Mr Huskisson, in absence of Mr Canning, member of Parliament for Liverpool, as a measure in which that port was specially interested. But when the subject was communicated to the late Mr Rose, M. P., one of the elder brethren of the Trinity House of London, he requested that nothing might be done in this measure, until he should have an opportunity of consulting with the gentlemen of the Trinity-House, as he considered the Isle of Man to be within the district of that board. After repeated meetings, at which Mr Rose attended, he ultimately stated, that the Trinity Board did not consider the Isle of Man as coming under their line of coast; and that the Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses might, therefore, go on with their bill. It was accordingly brought forward in the House of Commons, and the author attended to prove the preamble of the bill in the House of Lords; and in June 1815 it received the Royal assent.

Difficulty in fixing the position of the Isle of Man lights.