Sources
Mr Derek Harker
Walney Lighthouse Visitors Book extract
walney-island.com
rootschat.com
wikipedia.org
Place
Walks
Walney 1 point 13
Themes
The Geldarts of Walney Lighthouse
IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF
JOSEPH GELDART
WHO DIED AT THE LIGHTHOUSE ON THE ISLAND OF WALNEY
ON THE 10TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 1871 AGED 84 YEARS
ALSO OF PEGGY, HIS BELOVED WIFE, WHO DIED ON FEBRUARY 13TH 1871 AGED 80 YEARS
ALSO OF WILLIAM, THEIR SON WHO DIED APRIL 13TH 1840 AGED 23 YEARS
ALSO JAMES, THEIR SON
WHO DIED AUGUST 20TH 1855? AGED 24 YEARS
A closer view of the lighthouse engraving on Joseph Geldart’s gravestone.
IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF
THOMAS GELDART
WHO DIED AT THE LIGHTHOUSE ON THE ISLAND OF WALNEY ON THE 16TH OF JUNE, 1879, AGED 51 YEARS
ALSO JANE, HIS WIFE WHO DIED ON 13TH OF JAN. 1900 AGED 68 YEARS
Joseph and Peggy died within 3 days of each other. It is thought that they were painting their cottage (in their 80s!) when some of the paint got into the water supply. They died of lead poisoning. [Source]
Walney Lighthouse Visitors Book extract:
Joseph Geldart was appointed Lightkeeper 11th Dec 1821 and remained until Feb.1871, when he was appointed Superintendent. (That's an error in the original book - Joseph Geldart DIED at the lighthouse 10th Feb.1871, so could not have been made Superintendant. View the stone on the Walney Island website)
Thomas Geldart was appointed to assist his father when the Tidal Light was erected in Sept.1846 and remained until he died in July 1879. (Another error in the original book - the Walney tombstone of Thomas and Jane Geldart says he died at the lighthouse 16th JUNE 1879. Again, see the stone on the Walney Island website.)
James Geldart was appointed assistant when his grandfather Joseph Geldart was made Superintendent (died) and remained assistant until his father died (in 1879) when he was made Lightkeeper.
William Geldart brother of James was appointed assistant when his father Thomas died, the latter two are at ?? Lightkeepers.
Thomas Geldart Son of William was appointed assistant to his father in 1922, resigned March 1926. William Geldart resigned Dec 1932. [Source]
Walney Lighthouse is a functioning lighthouse located on Walney Island in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The current building dates to the early 19th-century and is Grade II* listed as well as being the southernmost man-made structure in Cumbria.
Completed in 1804, the stone lighthouse and its attached cottages actually predate Barrow and its port. The structure was built to replace a smaller wooden lighthouse that was constructed in 1790 to aid in navigation towards the docks at Glasson close to Lancaster and the River Lune. The original lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1803 and was swiftly replaced by the lighthouse of today. The lighthouse was designed by engineer E. Dawson and saw little change for over a century when an acetylene gaslight system was installed, this was again changed in 1953 to a 'manned' electric light and rotation system. As of 2003 however the lighthouse has remained unmanned. [Source]
Mr Harker said that the lighthouse keepers were fairly self-sufficient, keeping pigs, chickens and geese. His grandfather had a greenhouse for salad vegetables. Road communications were poor, so they often had to row to Biggar village because the ‘low road’ would be flooded by the tide twice a day – as Sunderland Point at the mouth of the R. Lune opposite still is. Radio came to the lighthouse in 1923, and telephone in 1953.
