Fisgard Lighthouse was built in 1860 to imporove the safety of navigation on the West Coast. It helped guide mariners to Esquimalt Harbour, and the base for the Royal Navy. It was a symbol of British sovereignty in an era of American expansionism.
Amelia takes the lead
During Heritage Places Days, from 8 July 2023, let yourself be guided by the stories of lighthouses and the families who have occupied them. These familiar landmarks have a lot to tell!
In 1879, Fisgard Lighthouse’s third keeper, William Bevis, died in hospital after a long illness. Without a new lighthouse keeper to take over, his assistant (and wife) Amelia took over. Her 16 year-old niece was her assistant. The British Admiralty, who oversaw lighthouses throughout many places in the empire, made it very clear that women were not suitable to run a lighthouse. A new keeper was dispatched “immediately” which meant nine months before they arrived from England. In the meantime, Amelia and her niece ran Fisgard Lighthouse without any incident or problem. Because of the unique situation, Amelia was paid the same wages as her husband but was then dismissed from the position. Amelia and her niece either moved away or she remarried as there are no death records for her in the province of British Columbia. The woman many consider first female lighthouse keeper in the British Empire goes, essentially, unrecognized.
Visit Fisgard lighthouse National Historic Site
