Lighthouse horror as keeper forced to live with corpse and went slowly mad

Irish Daily Mirror

a day ago

Robert Eggers' 2019 psychological horror, The Lighthouse, bagged praise and even an Oscar nomination for its striking monochrome cinematography, eerie atmosphere, and stellar performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.
The film spins the tale of two nineteenth-century lighthouse keepers marooned at a secluded New England outpost during a brutal storm, with isolation, suspicion, and bizarre visions taking their toll.
While audiences and critics have debated the film's symbolism and genre – part horror, part myth, part drama – what many viewers may not know is that it was partly inspired by a real-life tragedy that occurred over 200 years ago on the distant coast of Wales.
The true story, now referred to as the Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy, is one of the most chilling chapters in British maritime history and led to a lasting change in lighthouse policy.
The Smalls Lighthouse perches on a rocky islet about 20 miles west of the St David's Peninsula in Pembrokeshire, exposed to the full force of the Irish Sea - designed and built in 1775, reports the Mirror. The original Smalls building has been replaced with a new structure since the automation of lighthouses
Life at The Smalls was solitary and confined. At the time, lighthouse crews typically consisted of just two men, who would spend lengthy periods in total isolation.
Their sole duties were to keep the lamp burning at night and maintain the structure by day, regardless of the weather.
In 1801, the lighthouse was operated by Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffith, two blokes who were reportedly known to bicker. One day, Griffith fell seriously ill following what was described as a freak accident.
Howell attempted to look after his mate and set up a distress signal in the hope a passing ship would relay their need for assistance. But this was an era without radio, and simple flag signalling was of little use for such a remote outpost.
Storms battered the lighthouse for weeks, making it impossible for any ship to pass by. Griffith's condition deteriorated, and eventually, after a prolonged period of suffering, he passed away.
Faced with the sudden reality of being alone, Howell also confronted a chilling dilemma. Because the two men had not been on good terms, he feared if he disposed of the body at sea, any future inquiry would suspect him of murder.
His only option, he decided, was to keep the body until help arrived. The lighthouse is situated about 20 miles west of St David's Peninsula in Pembrokeshire
At first, Howell kept Griffith's body inside the living quarters, a hut barely five metres in diameter. But the stench of decomposition soon became unbearable.
A former cooper by trade, Howell dismantled part of the interior to build a makeshift coffin from timber boards. He placed Griffith inside, secured the lid, and hauled the coffin out to a shelf on the exterior of the lighthouse, tying it firmly in place.
The weather showed no signs of easing up and, weeks later, the ferocious winds ripped the coffin to shreds, casting the planks into the sea and leaving the body tied to the railing, exposed to the harsh elements.
It was at this point that the incident took on its most enduring – and gruesome – image. One of Griffith's arms had come loose, and whenever the wind caught it just right, it seemed to wave or beckon.
Howell could see it from inside the hut, a constant and chilling reminder of his dire situation.
As the days rolled by, several ships sailed within sight of the lighthouse, but the conditions were too treacherous to attempt a landing. Crews could see the light still burning at night – a testament to Howell's commitment to his duty – and during the day, they occasionally spotted a figure on the gallery. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in a scene from The Lighthouse (2019) (Image: Dumfries and Galloway Standard)
From afar, they couldn't discern what had transpired, and with no apparent urgency in the signalling, they continued their journey.
It's thought Howell lived alongside his deceased colleague for roughly four months before a ship from Milford Haven finally managed to land on The Smalls.
When the rescuers arrived, they discovered Griffith's body still bound to the railings and Howell physically and mentally altered. Friends back on shore later claimed they didn't recognise him – his hair had turned prematurely grey, his face was gaunt, and he seemed shattered by the ordeal.
The Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy sent shockwaves through the maritime community, highlighting the perils of having only two keepers at such a remote station. As a result, the governing body changed its policy to mandate that all lighthouses be manned by at least three individuals at any given time.
This rule stood for nearly two centuries, until British lighthouses were automated in the late 20th century.
The events of 1801 have sparked a plethora of works over the past two centuries. In 2011, the BBC aired The Lighthouse, a radio play by Alan Harris inspired by the tragedy.
In 2016, Welsh director Chris Crow released a feature film with the same title, also loosely based on the events at The Smalls, before Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse brought the story to global audiences.