In yesterday’s column, we met Mr. Gilkie. After reaching out to thank him for sharing his family history as it pertained to the Sambro lighthouse, this follow-up came:
“Attached is a photo of my Sambro Light barometer, hanging on the back of our kitchen door. The red hand, still in place since hurricane Dorian, reads 28.38. I assume that is millibars, if that is what such a barometer would read as units. (The post-tropical cyclone made landfall near Sambro Creek, N.S. at 7:15 p.m. AST on Saturday, Sept.7).
“By all means, you have permission to tell your readers about my family history with Sambro Light. There is an excellent chapter in Rear Admiral Pullen's book, The Sea Road to Halifax, Occasional Paper No. 1, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1980, in which the history of Sambro Light is given, starting on Page 20. “In the listing of keepers, Pullen indicates that 1856 is the earliest known reference to William Gilkie. But family stories always had him arriving from Scotland in 1837. And in the list, they show no keeper from 1839, when James Goodwin was last listed as the keeper, until 1856 when William Gilkie is listed as the keeper. Since there must have been a keeper, I have always assumed that William would have been the keeper in that period.”
Below is the listing of keepers from Pullen’s book:
- 1759-1769 Captain Joseph Rous
- 1772-1801 Matthew Pennell Sr.
- 1801-1817 Matthew Pennell Jr.
- 1817-1839 James Goodwin
- 1856-1875 William Gilkie* *1856 is the first known reference to William Gilkie
- 1875-1876 Joseph Gilkie
- 1876-1915 Alfred Gilkie
- 1914-1929 A. J. Gilkie (Arthur, my grandfather)
- 1929-1942 W. Smith
- 1942-1961 W. A. Smith
- 1961-1965 G. A. Soltesz
- 1965-1968 J. E. Gwynn
- 1968 J. G. Fairservice
“An article in the Chronicle Herald by Bill Rompkey (date unknown) indicated that the lighthouse was automated in 1988 and the two keepers’ houses were boarded up. Mr. Fairservice passed away in 2007.
“Stay safe, and keep up the good work. You are our weather keeper.”
What a story. Many of us know so little about lighthouses, yet for centuries, mariners have depended on them - each lighthouse had its own distinctive signal, and the ships knew the signals. The work of a lighthouse keeper was invaluable - keeping bright the light that guided countless ships, their crews, passengers and cargo, safely to the next beacon.
Thank you, Mr. Gilkie, for sharing your story with us.
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Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network
