Brightlingsea Church light

[DavidofMersea]

I had it in my mind that there is or was a light at the top of the church tower, which is directly in line with the stretch of the Colne from the mouth to Brightlingsea creek, to guide fishermen in when the weather was bad.

I have a friend that is well informed about these sort of things, and he had never heard of it.

Is this my imagination? An urban myth? or fact? and if the later, is it still alight to day?

 

[Stork_III]

There is reference to the vicar raising a lamp on the flagstaff to guide boats home, but he died in 1912, so perhaps you saw it when you were a young boy? :encouragement:

http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/essex/churches/brightlingsea.htm

 

[Tiller Girl]

Can't see anything in Irving. He does say that when SW of the Colne Bar a transit over Martello Tower No 1 (On St Osyth's Point) and Brightlingsea Church will bring you to the Inner Bench Head and it is used as a clearing mark when coming over Mersea Flats - when the eastern edge of Mersea is clear of the Church Tower, turn and head in for the river. But that apart I can't see that it lines up to do as you suggest. St Osyth's Priory lined up with Wigborough Wick was a transit for the Rays'd back then.

 

[jant]

I had it in my mind that there is or was a light at the top of the church tower, which is directly in line with the stretch of the Colne from the mouth to Brightlingsea creek, to guide fishermen in when the weather was bad.

I have a friend that is well informed about these sort of things, and he had never heard of it.

Is this my imagination? An urban myth? or fact? and if the later, is it still alight to day?

There is no longer a light on All Saints Church. Rev. Arthur Pertwee used to go yto the Tower with a lntern to guide smacks in on storms, however he passed away in the early 1900's. Rev Pertwee also insitgated the placing of tiles around the church detiling Brightlingsea men who had lost thair lifes at sea. This Victorian frieze is well worth a look whilsrt visting the Town (there is even a mention of a Brightlingsea seaman who lost his life on the Titanic.
There is however a light (white fixed) in Batemans Tower which can be used as a transit.

 

[Tiller Girl]

Found this reading Lieut Messum (1902):



"From Mersea Quarters to Colne River .... at half flood; heading direct for Colne Point (the extremity of the land is just visible), will give not less than 9ft; when Brightlingsea Church is open of E end of Mersea Island, bring the gasometer at Brightlingsea ahead; this will clear the E edge of Mersea Flat.

 

[DavidofMersea]

Found this reading Lieut Messum (1902):



"From Mersea Quarters to Colne River .... at half flood; heading direct for Colne Point (the extremity of the land is just visible), will give not less than 9ft; when Brightlingsea Church is open of E end of Mersea Island, bring the gasometer at Brightlingsea ahead; this will clear the E edge of Mersea Flat.

Thanks for that. I always thought the light shone straight down the middle of the Colne

 

[merlin3688]

I think the light is on sometimes, people can pay to have it on at night to remember loved ones.

 

[Hydrozoan]

Found this reading Lieut Messum (1902) …

Thanks. I did not know of Messum’s ‘East Coast Rivers: Charts and Sailing Directions …’.

He was on the naval nomination database in March 1872 (the applicant being his mother – with the comments entry “One son, sub -other rels lost in Navy 'See Capt Tryon's remarks as to Mrs Messum'” suggesting that perhaps it was his father who was lost?). He appears to have been a Midshipman in 1876, a Lieutenant in Sydney and assisting in surveys in Australia and Tasmania in the 1880s-1890s. He also wrote a book on elementary hydrographic surveying (‘…no one better able to undertake the writing of such a book could have been found than Commander Messum, of the Royal Naval College at Greenwich’), and he is listed as a retired Commander in the Admiralty War Staff Operations Division in 1916-1917.

Perhaps you knew all that, but having done a web search in an idle moment over Christmas I thought I’d not throw away the results!