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-HousesStevenson, Robert
History
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
Stevenson, Robert
Bell Rock Lighthouse (Scotland); Lighthouses -- Scotland
By the Statutes, the general rate of duty upon British ships is 2d.
_per_ register ton for passing _one_ of, or _all_ the Scottish Lights;
together with certain local duties of ½d. per ton, connected with
the Lights of May and Inchkeith; and for vessels which only pass the
Lights on the Isle of Man, _one farthing_ per ton is the sole duty.
Foreign ships in all cases pay double rates. These duties are exigible
at all the Ports in the United Kingdom, and are remitted to the General
Collector at Edinburgh, at the end of three or six months, according to
the extent of the respective collections.
The application of the Funds, and disposal of the Surplus, are fixed by
the Acts; which also require, that an account of the moneys received
and expended by the Board, be annually presented to the Lords of the
Treasury, the Convention of Royal Burghs of Scotland, and that two
copies be sent to the Board of Customs at Edinburgh, to be laid before
both Houses of Parliament.
[Sidenote: Expence of Management, &c.]
The only permanent expence of management in the way of remuneration to
the Officers of the Board, are a salary of L. 500 to the Engineer; L.
380 to the Clerk, who is also Cashier, and a fee of 50 guineas to the
Auditor or Accountant. The revenue of the Board may be stated at about
L. 24,000 yearly; and as the department of the Engineer is unconnected
with the financial arrangements, this fund is, in fact, managed for
about L. 432, 10s. per annum.
As to the practical arrangement, the Engineer visits all the
Light-houses annually, and Reports to the Board upon the various works
and operations connected with the different Light-houses,--the conduct
of the light-keepers,--and also upon the stores and supplies required
for the ensuing year,--and these, when approven of, are authorised and
ordered by the Commissioners. All accounts for supplies are laid before
the Board, and paid twice in the year.
At each ordinary Light-house, a Principal and an Assistant Light-keeper
are appointed, whose salaries are respectively L. 45, and L. 35 _per
annum_, besides a piece of ground, not less than 10 acres, with fuel,
a suit of uniform clothes every three years, and some other small
perquisites. At the Bell Rock, there are four light-keepers, three of
whom are always at the Light-house, while one is, by rotation, on shore
at the establishment at Arbroath for the families of the light-keepers.
Their salaries are respectively L. 63, and L. 57, 15s., and for each of
the two ordinary Assistants L. 52, 10s. with provisions for themselves
while at the Rock, and apartments for their families ashore. The
light-keepers act under certain Instructions, and make Monthly Returns
to the Engineer’s office, copies of which will be found under Appendix,
No. I.
[Sidenote: Shipping of the Establishment.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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