Some miscellaneous notes on the early 19^th Century Signal Stations which were established in 1795 and paid off at the Peace of Amiens circa March 1802 and were reactivated about 14 or so months later in May 1803:

Signal Stations on the Coast - From the :

Signal Stations on the North Coast, from the Nore to North Yarmouth.

Wakering Stairs,
On Foulness Isle,
Tellingham Grange,
Bradwell, St. Peter’s Chapel,
Colewick Farm, near St. Osyth Bay,
Eastwick Farm, on land called Hatchfield,
Little Holland Wall,
Burn House Land,
On the Nase Point,
Beacon Hill,
Feliz Stow,
Westward of Bawdsey Sea Marsh, on land called Further Warren,
Orford Castle,
Red House Warren,
Beacon Hill, on Dunwich Common, *
Easton Cliff near the Ness,
Cove Hythe,
Guinton, to the Northward of Lowestoffe,
Yarmouth Dean.

From St. Abbe’s Head to Leith.

(These last 8 signal stations were built in the summer of 1798 at Chatham Dockyard under the supervision of Captain Clements.)

Following the introduction of the Sea Fencibles in 1798 the Signal Stations came under the jurisdiction of the Captain in charge of the Sea Fencibles in that district, and again in 1803 on the re-activation of the Fencibles, until the demise of the Sea Fencibles in early 1810.

* 8 Jun 1805 It is interesting to note that over 5500 vessels passed the signal house at Dunwich Common, on the East Coast, between 5 Apr and 4 May, inclusive, excluding those that passed during the hours of darkness.

9 Dec 1811 a telegraph was erected at the Signal Station at Great Wakering, Essex.

Jan 1802 the watch for night signals was discontinued, i.e. during the Peace.

24 Jun 1803 the Admiralty issued a circular to the signal stations on the coast directing them to send in a report listing all transactions that have been carried out, and including details of the wind and weather etc.

19 Nov 1803 it is reported that the naval signal stations along the coast are directed to make certain signals in the night, by burning one or more blue lights, accompanied with a fire-blaze of no long duration. Care is to be taken by army personnel manning their beacons not to confuse signals from the naval signal stations with those from the army beacons.

7 Dec 1803 additional signal stations are reported to have been built in Kent and Essex, under the command of a Lieutenant, but I have no details.

In addition to the transmission of messages the presence of French privateers on the coast was noted and transmitted for the benefit of the merchant service and for directing RN cruisers to where the privateers were lurking e.g. on 14 May 1807 a signal was made at one p.m. from a signal post to the east, and repeated at Maker, of a privateer being off the Start. The following signals were particularly for the benefit of merchant vessels:

1. For an enemy frigate or frigates = 1 ball above a flag
2. For the enemy’s small cruisers = 2 balls above a flag
3. For an enemy’s ship or vessel close under the land = 3 balls above a flag

Similarly the Customs and Admiralty Boards arranged that the coast signal stations would signal the presence of suspected smuggling vessels in the offing and perhaps transferring goods out at sea to smaller boats, or waiting for nightfall, and in the event of the revenue vessels making a capture the signal station would be entitled to a portion of any prize money arising from the information (per King's Cutters and Smugglers By E. Keble Chatterton).

22 Oct 1808 the Cygnet sighted by the Dowlaw signal station, near Dunbar, with her masts and bowsprit cut away and some of her guns thrown overboard : the signal station reported the fact to the local flag officer at Leith Roads who dispatched the sloops Spitfire and Basilisk, along with the local lifeboat, to provide assistance to the Cygnet, which was brought back to Leith Roads.

22 Oct 1809 the Manacle and Lizard signal stations reported the appearance of several French privateers on the coast, but there were no cruisers on that part of the coast to deal with the threat.

21 Jul 1810 the death was reported of Lieutenant W. Nowell, R.N., Commander of Peak Hill Signal Station, Devonshire,

29 Jun 1812 the current method of communication by flags and balls was reviewed in favour of something similar to the French method i.e. using a high pole with hinged signal arms (semaphore). The persons employed in sending and repeating signals are to be accommodated in a building on which the signal mast will be erected. This was put on hold until the peace.

Following the end of the war I gather that it was proposed to maintain the coast signal stations as a means of curtailing the activities of smugglers, and in some cases this was certainly the case, as it would appear that the coast guard took over some of the signal stations following the termination of the coast blockade in about 1830-31, but it would appear that most of the signal stations were disposed of over time.

The following signal stations were built for the Admiralty-Portsmouth Semaphore line which was opened in 1822, following the closure of the wartime 6-Shutter Telegraph at the end of the Napoleonic War in 1815 :

Admiralty,
Chelsea,
Putney,
Kingston, Coombe Warren,
Esher, Cooper's Hill,
Cobham, Chatley Heath,
Guildford, Pewley Hill,
Godalming, Bannicle Hill,
Haslemere, Haste Hill,
Midhurst, Holder Hill,
Petersfield, Beacon Hill, South Harting,
Petersfield, Compton Down, Compton,
Bedhamton, Portsdown Hill, Camp Down,
Portsmouth

apart from the Portsmouth and Admiralty stations, the names of officers appointed to the various stations disappeared from the Navy List in 1848, with the arrival of the electronic telegraph in 1847, which followed the railway line to Gosport.

Details regarding how the wartime 6-Shutter Telegraph worked, as designed by Lord George Murray circa 1795, can be found in Volume 8 of the Mechanics Magazine, p. 296, available in Google Books.

Coastguard Signal Stations—Wireless Telegraphy.

23 March 1903 which six coastguard signal stations are already fitted with wireless telegraphy apparatus :—Dover, Culver Cliff, Portland, Rame Head, Scillys, and Roches Point.

The following are to be fitted during the financial year 1903/04 :—Bere Island, Spurn Head, Alderney, St. Abb's Head, St. Ann's. Head, Landguard, Port Patrick, Duncansby Head.

Commercial signalling is to be carried out from :— Culver Cliff, Scillys, Spurn Head, St. Abb's Head, Portland, St. Ann's Head, Duncansby Head, and Roches.

Blue Lights or False Fire :

Version 1: saltpetre, yellow arsenic, sulphur

Version 2: saltpetre, yellow orpiment, sulphur, antimony

Blue Lights

Saltpetre, antimony, sulphur, mealed powder

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