The Lighthouse Hughsons

The Hughsons come from Whalsay in Shetland, where the family can be traced back to the late 1600s. Generations had led a difficult existence as fishermen and crofters until the late 1800s when Thomas and his younger brother John both enlisted in the lighthouse service. This was to completely change their future and that of their descendents.

Despite being poor fishermen, the family had always set much store by literacy, no easy task in the circumstances. At that time there was no school and, while other areas had ministers who taught their flock to read the bible, on Whalsay there was no permanent minister. Generally, children were taught by their fathers and it is moving to see the signature of your great x4 grandfather beautifully inscribed on documents of the 1770s. His handwriting is a lot neater than mine.

Thomas Hughson

1847 - 1921

In 1863 when Thomas and John were boys in Whalsay, a young minister, Angus Willins was appointed and he educated them in his own time, a kindness Thomas never forgot. It changed his life completely, allowing him to embark on a career in the lighthouse service. When the minister died at an early age, Thomas provided a grave stone which reads:

“In memory of the Rev Angus Willins, who came to Whalsay a missionary in 1863, when there was no school on the island. He saw due to his efforts a school, an enlarged church and enlarged manse, and the island made into a quoad sacra parish before he fell asleep on 27th June 1872, aged 44. This stone erected by Thomas Hughson to whom he gave a nightly lesson for two years in his parlour”.

Above: Stone erected in memory the Rev Angus Willins by Thomas Hughson.

The two men are commemorated in Brough churchyard on Whalsay, side by side, each extending a hand to the other.

Of Thomas’ children, David, the eldest, went into the Merchant Navy and was lost in a convoy in mid Atlantic in 1941.

Angus became a captain in the Royal Navy and survived both wars. I remember him from my childhood; very tall and straight, he drank only water. He retired to London.

Thomas, named after his father, became an engineer and a fellow of Heriot Watt College.

Anne was also very bright academically, going into teaching and winning academic medals.

Sadly they both succumbed to TB at an early age.

Thomas’ career in the lighthouse service spanned some 38 years.

Above: Grave of Thomas Hughson, his daughter Anne and son Thomas.

John Hughson

1854 - 1924

John Hughson, my great grandfather, followed his brother Thomas into the lighthouse service in 1877 and was posted to St Abb’s Head as assistant keeper. There he married and raised a family, staying at St Abb’s for some 12 years before moving to other posts and becoming a principal lightkeeper in 1894.

Education of the children again was paramount and my grandfather, John, was the first in my side of the family to obtain a university degree. My grandfather went on to teach and became headmaster in Lochinver school. Of the other children, Betty also became a teacher and David, the youngest, followed his father into the lighthouse service.

David Hughson

1882 - 1954

Second son of John Hughson, lightkeeper, David’s career in the lighthouse service was sadly a short one. He went into the lighthouse service in 1911, serving at Start Point on Sanday (Orkney), Dunnet Head and Fairisle before resigning the service in 1925.

He married in 1911 and had three children John, Mary and Jim. Mary was born at Sanday and Jim at Dunnet Head. Tragedy struck at Dunnet Head in 1918 when his wife Christine died of appendicitis. David continued in the service however and his sister Betty brought up the children.

He was posted to Fair Isle but resigned in 1925, settling the family in Edinburgh. Before entering the service he had trained as a joiner and was able to find employment with Tom Anderson the builders in Easter Road. He worked on many of the tenement developments in the East side of the city at that time, including his own flat in Willowbrae Road, and became a master builder.

One nice incident in his lighthouse career occurred when he was at Start Point. On 19 Feb 1915, HMS Goldfinch was wrecked in thick fog but all hands were saved. David and his wife were given a silver teapot by six of the crew in thanks for his part in their rescue.

Above: Inscription on the silver teapot presented to David and Christine Hughson.