George Worthylake
Encyclopedia
George Worthylake was the first lighthouse keeper
in what was to become the United States
. He was also the first to die in the line of duty.
Worthylake was hired as keeper of the Boston Light
on Little Brewster Island
by the General Court of Massachusetts
, at a salary of £50 a year; he was admonished that any dereliction of duty
would cost him £100. Besides keeping the light burning from sundown to sunup, he was also expected to serve as a harbor pilot. Worthylake would live on the island with his wife, Ann, and daughter Ruth. He is also known to have kept a flock of sheep on Great Brewster Island
; these drowned in a storm in 1717.
On November 3, 1718, Worthylake, his wife Ann, daughter Ruth, servant George Cutler, slave Shadwell, and friend John Edge were returning to the lighthouse after going into Boston to attend a sermon. Upon arrival near the island in a sloop, they alighted in a canoe to transport them to the station. The canoe capsized, and they all drowned. George Cutler's body was never recovered. Benjamin Franklin
memorialized the event in his ballad "The Lighthouse Tragedy"; he hawked copies of the poem, printed by his brother, in the streets of Boston. A single copy, whose authenticity is unknown, survives.
On November 14, 1718, less than two weeks after the Worthylakes had drowned, Robert Saunders, John Chamberlin, and a man named Bradduck were hired to maintain Boston Light until a replacement light-keeper could be appointed. They were summoned by a ship entering the harbor, in choppy seas, and Chamberlin and Bradduck both drowned on their return trip to the island. This event also inspired Franklin in his lighthouse ballad, as Chamberlin was called upon for trivial reason and not for navigational support.
Worthylake, his wife, and his daughter are buried under an unusual triple headstone in Copps Hill Burying Ground
.
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
in what was to become the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was also the first to die in the line of duty.
Worthylake was hired as keeper of the Boston Light
Boston Light
Boston Light is a lighthouse located on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The first lighthouse to be built on the site dates back to 1716, and was the first lighthouse to be built in what is now the United States...
on Little Brewster Island
Little Brewster Island
Little Brewster Island is a rocky outer island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. It is best known as the location of Boston Light, the only remaining Coast Guard-manned lighthouse in the United States, and an important navigation aid for traffic to and from the Port of Boston...
by the General Court of Massachusetts
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
, at a salary of £50 a year; he was admonished that any dereliction of duty
Dereliction of duty
Dereliction of duty is a specific offense under United States Code Title 10,892. Article 92 and applies to all branches of the US military. A service member who is derelict has willfully refused to perform his duties or has incapacitated himself in such a way that he cannot perform his duties...
would cost him £100. Besides keeping the light burning from sundown to sunup, he was also expected to serve as a harbor pilot. Worthylake would live on the island with his wife, Ann, and daughter Ruth. He is also known to have kept a flock of sheep on Great Brewster Island
Great Brewster Island
Great Brewster Island is a one of the outer islands in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, situated some offshore of downtown Boston. The island has a permanent size of , plus an intertidal zone of a further...
; these drowned in a storm in 1717.
On November 3, 1718, Worthylake, his wife Ann, daughter Ruth, servant George Cutler, slave Shadwell, and friend John Edge were returning to the lighthouse after going into Boston to attend a sermon. Upon arrival near the island in a sloop, they alighted in a canoe to transport them to the station. The canoe capsized, and they all drowned. George Cutler's body was never recovered. Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
memorialized the event in his ballad "The Lighthouse Tragedy"; he hawked copies of the poem, printed by his brother, in the streets of Boston. A single copy, whose authenticity is unknown, survives.
On November 14, 1718, less than two weeks after the Worthylakes had drowned, Robert Saunders, John Chamberlin, and a man named Bradduck were hired to maintain Boston Light until a replacement light-keeper could be appointed. They were summoned by a ship entering the harbor, in choppy seas, and Chamberlin and Bradduck both drowned on their return trip to the island. This event also inspired Franklin in his lighthouse ballad, as Chamberlin was called upon for trivial reason and not for navigational support.
Worthylake, his wife, and his daughter are buried under an unusual triple headstone in Copps Hill Burying Ground
Copp's Hill
Copp's Hill is an elevation in the historic North End of Boston, Massachusetts. It is bordered by Hull Street, Charter Street and Snow Hill Street. The hill takes its name from William Copp, a shoemaker who once owned the land...
.
See also
- History of Boston Harbor Light
- F. Ross Holland, Jr.F. Ross Holland, Jr.F Ross Holland, Jr. was an American historian. He is best remembered today for his books on American lighthouses.-Life:...
America's Lighthouses: Their Illustrated History Since 1716