Date of Service: 1883-1888 Born in Virginia. 1883-1888: Served as Assistant Keeper at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $540/year. Sources: Familysearch.org, Chesapeake Chapter Database.
Category: Thimble Shoal
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-samuel-thornton/
Keeper Bio: Payne, James
Date of Service: 1878-1888 1878-1880: Served as Second Assistant at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $400/year. 1880-1883: Served as First Assistant at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $440/year. 1883-1888: Served as Principal Keeper at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $660/year. Sources: Familysearch.org, Chesapeake Chapter Database.
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-james-payne/
Keeper Bio: Parker, Southey
Date of Service: 1872-1886 1842: Born in Northampton County, VA. to parents Gilbert & Rachael Parker. 1872-1878: Served as Assistant Keeper at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, VA. His salary was $440/year. 1874: Married Sarah Jane Lyons on April 20th in Hampton VA. 1878-1886: Served as Principal Keeper at Back River Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-southey-parker/
Keeper Bio: Lee, Alexander G.
Date of Service: 1880-1884 1835+/-: Alexander G. Lee is born a slave in Portsmouth, VA. 1865: Alexander G. Lee resides in Hampton, VA. 1871: Alexander G. Lee works as a boatman and oysterman at the customs house in Old Point Comfort, VA. Lee, and his wife Nellie, have a son in Hampton, VA. 1873: …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-alexander-g-lee/
Keeper Bio: Chisman, John M.
Date of Service: 1872-1875; 1878-1880 1872-1875: Served as Second Assistant at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $400/year. 1878-1880: Served as First Assistant at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $440/year. Sources: Familysearch.org, Chesapeake Chapter Database.
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-john-m-chisman/
Keeper Bio: Tyler, Charles C.
Date of Service: 1905 – 1919 1859: Born April 13 to parents Thomas and Maria Tyler in Somerset, MD. 1880: Occupation is listed as Seaman in the U.S. Census 1900: Occupation is listed as Oysterman in the U.S. Census 1905–1906: Serves as Second Assistant at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, VA, with an annual salary of $440. …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-charles-c-tyler/
Keeper Bio: Shawn, Walter M.
Date of Service: 1895 – 1908 1862: Born on February 14 in Queen Anne’s County, Eastern Shore, MD. 1869-1870: Family moves to Gloucester County, VA. 1880: Works as a farmer. 1888: Works as a lumberman. Marries Virginia E. Davis on December 26. The couple raises three children, Lessie, Linwood, and Estelle. 1895-1901: Serves as …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-walter-m-shawn/
Keeper Bio: Brooks, William Thomas “Billy”
Date of Service: 1909 – 1923 1853: Born on September 3 in Mathews County, VA. 1878: Marries Lucy Jane Marchant on January 31. The couple has six children - Egbert, James, William, Thomas, Golden, and Gladys. 1900: Works as an oysterman. 1909-1911: Serves as Assistant Keeper at Cobb Point Bar Lighthouse, MD beginning November …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-william-thomas-brooks/
Keeper Bio: Ripley, Wesley Foster
Date of Service: 1881 – 1916 1835: Born on June 18 in Mathews County, VA.1858: Marries Laberta F. Jarvis on November 11. Couple raises ten children: Martha, Louisa, Mary Ellen, Wesley, Mary E., Tommie, Robert, Delena, Maria, and Luther. 1860s: Ripley serves during the Civil War for the Confederacy on the Giles Light Artillery – …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-wesley-foster-ripley/
Timeline: Thimble Shoal Lighthouse
(Located 3.5 miles east of Old Point Comfort, at the mouth of James River, Hampton Roads, VA – Updated 5/27/2020) 1821: Lightship stationed near Thimble Shoal. 1872: First lighthouse, a screwpile, erected. 10/30/1880: Screwpile cottage destroyed by fire. Foundation survives. 12/24/1880: Screwpile cottage, destined for Bells Rock, VA installed instead on existing ironwork. 2nd fog …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/timeline-thimble-shoal-lighthouse/
Thimble Shoal Lighthouse
The first Thimble Shoal Lighthouse was a six-sided screwpile light erected in 1872. This light was first lit on October 15, 1872. This light replaced the last lightship in the bay. The light was listed as 3 ½ miles east of Old Point Comfort at Willoughby’s Spit and The Thimble entrance to Hampton Roads. On …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/thimble-shoal-lighthouse/
