CHANONRY AND CROMARTY November 1908

Petitions received from local seamen and fishermen to have towers whitewashed to make them more visible.

Chanonry Lighthouse

POST OFFICE ENGINEERING DEPT

 24^th December 1914

Confidential 

Gentlemen,   I beg to inform you that a telephone will be shortly placed in Chanonry point Lighthouse by the order of the Local Admiralty Officials. 

Yours Faithfully 

J W Taylor, Superintending Engineer

Letters re use of telephone by the Military in 1918

Chanonry Lighthouse

11^th March 1818 

Sir,   Mr McKeddie, Occasional Keeper wishes me to draw your attention to the fact that it is over two years since he was called in to do duty here and does not consider he is in regular employment by the Northern Lighthouse Board.  He says if he is not called in once a year for Annual holidays he at least ought to get some retaining fee.

 As long as this telephone is in my house and calls coming in night and day I cannot take a holiday.  I left my wife with it once for ten days but the worry was too much for her I won’t do it again. 

I am, Sir Your Obedient Servant

John Clyne 

There was a reply from C Dick Peddie offering £3 per year to the Occasional Keeper if he was not called in as a retainer.  He enquired as to who had installed the telephone and on whose authority and why the Occasional could not attend to the telephone during John Clyne’s holiday.  This is John Clyne’s reply: 

Chanonry Lighthouse

16^th March 1918 

Sir

      Regarding the telephone in my house, it was the Admiralty who ordered the installation of it.  I knew nothing of it until an employee of the Post Office came to put it in and I understood that it would be intended solely for the lighting of the light and so that I should not fail to hear the bell in the long evenings of winter, I had it put in the kitchen.  I was soon disillusioned as to the use of it. From four small patrol boats that at that time were in the Firth, some of the Officers would use it three or four times a day. Then I would get messages for them, also messages for the HCB detachment that were billeted in the Poor’s house. It came that we had that little privacy in our house so that I complained to the EDO Cromarty - he is the Officer from whom I get my orders.  He got the telephone from out of the kitchen and into the lobby with an extension bell to my bedroom. The most messages I get now is from the HCB who have their headquarters at Fearn; in fact the most of the business of the detachment here has been conducted through this telephone, but I am thankful to learn that they are leaving this on Tuesday 1^st and a detachment of Artillery are taking their place and are to have a gun battery and a telephone of their own.  I get a good many calls from officers on Newton Camp or Fort George as the case may be,  in regard to the ferry boat, but I willingly answer those calls as an obligement.  What I have objected to all along is the want of privacy in my own home. It has been like a public office.  During the summer months it was used as much by Officer’s wives as by Officers.

      I suppose the Occasional Keeper could attend to the telephone but it would require another extension bell to his room or occupy my bed which we very much object to.

 I am

 Your Obedient Servant

 John Clyne

 1^st June 1918

 Sirs

I much regret that I again have to trouble you about the telephone in my house. I objected to the frequency that Major Jolly and his men were using the telephone. Now I am convinced they are set on annoying us during the night too.  Take last night for instance, at 10.40pm I had just retired when I was rung up and told to get my light lighted at 11pm. About 5 minutes before 11pm I was rung up and told the order was cancelled; shortly before midnight I was rung up again and told the light would not be required at all (but why ring me up to tell me that).  At 4.20am a knock at my door, I went and opened it.  It was the sentry on the guns demanding to know the time and to use my telephone to ask for his relief.  As far as I can see Major Jolly is here to make trouble.  He does not want me here at all and has said as much as that they should have the lighthouse taken over.

I would prefer to get my orders for lighting from the Senior Naval Officer or the Navigation Officer and not from Major Jolly. 

I am Your Obedient Servant 

John Clyne 

C Dick Peddie replied asking for more details.  This is John Clyne’s reply:

I am in receipt of your letter of the 3^rd inst and beg to answer the questions you put.  (1) So far as I know, the orders for lighting and extinguishing any light are issued by S.W.O. Inverness. (2) Messages come to me through the Chanonry Exchange, Major Jolly’s headquaters. (3) Major Jolly holds the position of Battery Commander and is responsible for the lighting of the new leading lights for the north channel when they are required.  He wanted to be responsible for my light too and sent me orders by his orderly to report to him every morning at 9am on the state of my light and apparatus, the which I refused to do and told him our secretary was the only one I would report to.  (4) A detachment of RMA is stationed just outside the lighthouse wall with their headquaters at the Poorhouse about a mile away.  They not only have the telephone there but it is known as the Chanonry exchange.  They have a telephone at each of the leading lights too but did not put one at the battery, using my house instead, till on the 29^th or 30^th I told him I would  stand no more of it , but would report to you.  The telephone was put in at the battery yesterday (3^rd) so I hope I will be over with them now. 

I am Your Obedient Servant 

John Clyne 

C Dick Peddie replied that as John Clyne implied he saw no more trouble as stated in the last line of his letter he would do no more but if anything else arose he would contact the Senior Naval officer at Inverness.

Chanonry Lighthouse

Chanonry Lighthouse

14^th March 1918 

Sir

I am in receipt of your letter re accommodation for Officer.   As you suggest we can easily provide one of the back rooms and bedroom and do all we possibly can for his comfort.

The only little grievance will be the bedding; we have four beds with mattresses and palliasses for each but only bedding for three beds and my boy and girl are of an age where each requires a bed for themselves and seeing that my time in the service is nearly up I have not asked for the bedding I would otherwise have done.  Even as it is we will manage. 

I am Sir, Your Obedient Servant

John Clyne

To NLB Edinburgh 

The board replied stating they would provide more bedding but it was to remain the property of the commissioners and be left when John Clyne left the service.  There was then a letter from the Naval department saying the Officer would provide his own bedding so John wrote to the NLB stating extra bedding would not be required.

Chanonry Lighthouse

25^th March 1918 

Sir

I beg to inform you that the Senior Officer (Major Jolly RMA) who is to occupy the room in my house was in looking at it.  I intended as you proposed to give them the West or smallest room but he said he would like very much if they could get the East room as the bedroom window overlooked the Broom and down the Firth, so I told him it was all the same to us and he could get that room.  He also informed me that each Officer would supply his own bedding.  He and his sub do 24 hours each alternately here.  It may be a fortnight or three weeks ere they occupy the room.

            In the case of their supplying their own bedclothes I don’t think it will be necessary for you to send the new bedding you proposed.

I am, Your Obedient Servant,

John Clyne

Chanonry Lighthouse

15^th October 1919 

The following retirements of Lightkeepers were reported, and the Commissioners approved of the grant of the Pensions and Additional Allowances stated:-(including)

Chanonry Lighthouse