Mumbles Lighthouse Foghorn FOGGY JASPER Culprits Revealed by Stuart Batcup
These photos of the Mumbles Lighthouse Foghorn, originally named "FOGGY JASPER", along with the text, are taken from Stuart Batcup's book, entitled 'A Trek Through Old Mumbles and Thistleboon', published on 16th June 2022, which records -
STOP PRESS: “ FOGGY JASPER” CULPRITS REVEALED!
Earlier in this Part of this ‘Trek, I reminded my readers of complaints that were lodged with the Oystermouth UDC in November 1908 about the ‘serious nuisance’ that was being caused to the residents of Thistleboon by the noise of the new fog -horn placed on Mumbles Head ‘a year or so ago’. After due deliberation about the sound that was ‘most unnatural and not a bit like any fog-horn ever heard’, it was decided to ask ‘the authorities’ to see that it was not ‘unnecessarily sounded’. This does not seem to have made any difference, and local residents learned to live with it, giving it the affectionate name of “Jasper” or “Foggy Jasper” after the Lighthouse Keeper Jasper Williams the first perpetrator of the unnatural sounds. Jasper was ably assisted in this torture by his nephew John James Davies Thomas (‘John’) who was born at Southend in 1877 and started work as Under Lighthouse Keeper at about the time he married in 1904.
John Thomas took over as Keeper in 1914 when his Uncle Jasper died and continued as such until 1928 when he retired. In the meantime, he had received a Commendation from the General Manager of the GWR (which owned the Harbour Undertaking at that time) for working through the General Strike of 1926
John Thomas was the grandfather of our own Allan Thomas who, with Bernard Hex now ensures that our restored Church Clock is wound twice a week and checked for timekeeping; and it was he who produced the two images shown of his grandfather actually operating the fog-horn when it was new. In the first photo he can be seen working the engine that drove the huge compressor shown in the second photo, which was the cause of all the noise. It must have been great fun pulling the lever to blast the huge horn at the top of the lighthouse!
There must be something in the Thomas Family genes that attracted John and Allan to work in tall towers with spiral stairs. In John’s case it involved winding up a heavy counter-weight to make the lantern revolve, and in Allan’s, to wind up the heavy counter weight that makes the Clock tick. Fortunately, the sound of the Church Clock chiming is nothing like the sound of the fog-horn, but we are as grateful for the sound generated by Allan as the seafarers of yore were for the much louder sound generated by his grandfather. Long may it continue
Carol Powell noted in her article 'Mumbles Lighthouse: The Keepers of the Light', that the foghorn became affectionately known as "Jasper's Baby".
Carol concluded -
'These ‘Keepers of the Light’ had warned sailors of the perils of the Cherrystone Rock and the Mixon Shoals for over 140 years, but their jobs had become redundant, as much-improved equipment obviated the need for keepers. Henceforth, the lighthouse would be powered automatically, become electrically powered in 1969, converting to solar power in 1995—but ‘Jasper’s Baby’ continues to cry out in foggy weather!'
More from the book -
A review from THE BAY magazine
'A Trek Through Old Mumbles and Thistleboon'
by Stuart Batcup
For anyone with even the slightest of passing interests in local history, Stuart Batcup's A Trek Through Old Mumbles and Thistleboon should come with a warning. Make some sandwiches and grab a mug of tea because you're not going anywhere for the next few hours.
This is because Batcup's account of the Old Mumbles that he grew up in many decades ago is everything that a local memoir should be. First, it's entertaining and personal: there are vivid accounts of growing up in the shadow of Thistleboon orphanage, playing old-fashioned pre-digital games with his chums in carefree, car-free streets. Affectionate nostalgia oozes from the page as the author lists the names of his old playmates from a time long before he was to have a distinguished career in law.
Second, it's an absolute goldmine of historical detail and archive photographic and cartographic material. We might think that Mumbles is pretty and bustling today, but before all those cars came along it was beautifully quiet and serene, connected to Swansea by the Mumbles Railway (on which Batcup was one of the very last passengers). Every now and then a work of local history comes along that's so charming that it's hard to put into words just how enjoyable a read it really is.
Batcup's A Trek Through Old Mumbles and Thistleboon, is one such. Warm and wise and yet full of scholarship and research, it is made all the more special by the fact that the profits from the book - incidentally published by our favourite bookshop, Cover to Cover - go towards the All Saints' Church organ restoration appeal.
Stuart Batcup, 2022
A Trek through old Mumbles Village
and Thistleboon: the collection
and Thistleboon: the collection
by Stuart Batcup
Having spent an idyllic childhood playing and exploring all these places, I thought it would be fun to retrace some of my childhood steps.
Our Trek, using the 1844 Tithe Map takes us to the site of the building originally known as Thistleboon House and 'The Final Push . .
The Tithe Barn to the Hill House Tavern
I begin the Trek to Thistleboon; All Saints' Church; the site of The Parish Tithe Barn Visits to Ceatons’ The Parade; The Bakehouse on Hall Bank; Village Lane; Dilston House on Western Lane Saint and Anne's Convent School for Girls.
Up Tichbourne Street to the Hilly Field
Why was it called Tichborne Street?
Who is ‘Madam’ Stockton' and cast of the Pantomime ‘Babes in the Wood’;
I note the yacht and canoe projects with pride. Altogether its a 'fishy' story
The Hill House Tavern
to Higher Lane
Thistleboon Stores when it was a Pub; Copyhold Property sale; Old Malt House and Garden; Remember The McKay and Mackenzie families and youngsters.
The first mention of this Hamlet; Shown as ThisteBoon in 1799; The gardens at Thistleboon House were so beautiful; All this changed in 1939; My first name became 'Victor'.
Who built Thistleboon House and when? They must have been rich and powerful and It clearly had an amazing view; Why is the hamlet called ‘Thistleboon;? Who would not want ‘a weekend retreat?
We have reached a key stage in the 'Trek' and study many of the earlier inhabitants.
The only residents of Thistleboon House whose burials are recorded inside the Church are those of the Shewen family.
Thistleboon House and its estate,
'A Timeline from 1820 to 1840.'
It seems that the family may not have been as wealthy as the impression already given,
Who was Major General George Warde, who later owned the estate?
Thistleboon House:
a Community Asset?
A Timeline from 1841 to 1975.
The house makes a distinct shift in its contribution towards not only our community in Oystermouth, but as a School, an Orphanage closely linked to our All Saints' Parish Church.
Thistleboon Farm
1841 to 1971.
It is clear from what I have already written that farming went on in Thistleboon long before the Farm was created.
Part Ten - A Trek . . .' >
A 1950s Thistleboon Childhood
By nineteen fifty the post War Baby boom had really kicked in, and there were scores of children in and around Thistleboon.
The Final Push . . .
The time has come for us to press on in a southwards direction towards ‘the Plunch’ and Limeslade Bay.
Serendipity
'Making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of’.
An interesting feature, also mentioned in 'The 'Trek'
By Stuart Barcup
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