Lighthouses Who supported them Who opposed them Did

Lighthouses Who supported them? Who opposed them?

Did you know that… …some LIGHTS REVOLVES ON A BED OF MERCURYYou can turn it with a push of a finger! Alderney Lighthouse (1812) What is this object? What two things is a lighthouse used for ?

Question: Why would people lure a ship onto the rocks ?

Before lighthouses were invented how did people stop ships from running aground?

Its pitch black in the dead of night and the captain and crew needs help… Does he follow or avoid the following? -the moving light … …or the static fixed light?

DEBATE in the 18 th Century Group 1 (Lighthouse Supporters) Half will be the ships crew with the Captain as spokesperson. Group 2 (Lighthouse opposition) Half will be the local villagers acting as poor men women and children who depend on ship wrecks as a source of income so they can feed their family. The leader of the group who organises the collection of washed up goods will act as spokesperson for group 2. Group 3 (Lighthouse supporter) One or two people will act as Parson Darby collected and buried washed up bodies from the shipwrecks. Group 4 (This is another dimension to the argument) ROLE PLAY- The Captains dilemmacan you help steer him to safety?

Shipwrecks and Parson Darby at Beachy Head In 1706 Parson Darby was appointed vicar of East Dean and rector of Friston. Both churches contained the graves of victims of the sea. During a coastal walk he found a cave in the chalk overlooking the sea at one of the most notorious cliffs and decided to make his own lighthouse. Source: http: //www. sussexexpress. co. uk/news/columnists/kevin-gordonthe-shipwrecked-sailor-s-friend-1 -5937846#ixzz 3 y. HCYfi 8 c The waters between Rye and Newhaven are located in the narrowest section of the English Channel which is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The volume of traffic passing through here resulted in many collisions. Although most wrecks were as a result of navigational errors or poor weather, there are stories of people deliberately luring vessels to the shore.

Lanterns would be tied to grazing livestock that could be seen well out to sea and easily mistaken for the lights of another vessel. On a dark night, and in poor visibility, the light could be interpreted as meaning that the area between the struggling ship and the light (of what they thought was another ship) indicated an area of "safe" water. By the time they recognised the looming land mass, it was usually too late and they ran aground. How much active wrecking was done by local people is unknown, but the resulting salvage was certainly seen as a good source of income. Jonathon Darby was Parson of East Dean in the late 17 th century. His duties included the burial of bodies washed up from ship wrecks. He realised that a fixed light could be a reliable warning to sailors of the coast, so he set about excavating "Parson Darby's Hole" near to Belle Tout, creating a chimney that led up from the coast and ledges where he could set lights on stormy nights. It has been said that Parson Darby created his "Hole", and there is little doubt that this resulted in many lives being saved. Parson Darby died in 1729 and is buried in Friston churchyard with the epitaph "Sailors Friend" on his gravestone. Source: http: //www. beachyhead. org/About. html

Beachy Head Lighthouses a Chance Optic First Order Lens.

Discussion: Who else do you think would have supported lighthouses and why ? What were the motivations for this?

Built 1892 Year first lit Automated 1894 1963 How do you think that sailors can tell the difference between one lighthouse and another… …in the dark?

Next session: MONDAY 13 th JUNE Become an activist ! Homework---what is an activist? Look it up and bring your definition of What an activist means (in your note books) next week. Don’t forget to bring your folders and zig Zag book.