We have tried to trace all Principal Lighthouse Keepers and Assistant Keepers who served at Burnham High Lighthouse.

We have compiled a 'Roll Of Honour' as a tribute to those men and women who kept sailors in the Bristol Channel safe for over 200 years prior to automation.

The list may not be comprehensive, and if you know of any previous keepers we have missed out please contact us with the details.

We could not have compiled this page without the help of The Association Of Lighthouse Keepers who have completed a great deal of valuable research on previous keepers employed by Trinity House. This photograph is of an American Lighthouse Keeper called Thomas Patrick O'Hagan, who is sadly no relation to the present owner who shares the same name.

1841-1861
Albert Ball - born Berrow, Somerset in 1812.
James Campbell – born Edinburgh, Scotland in 1802.

1841-1851
William Merchant – born 'not in Somerset' in 1816.

1860-1861
James Bond Smith – born at Winterton-on-Sea, Norfolk in 1826. Moved in 1881 to Spurn Head lighthouse.

1865-1881
Walter H Warder – born in Yarmouth, Isle-Of –Wight in 1843.

Started as Assistant Keeper
1863-1864 Smalls Lighthouse.
1865 Longships Lighthouse.
1865-1871 Bideford Lighthouse.
1881–1890 moved on to become Principal Keeper at Casquets Lighthouse.
1890-1894 St. Anne's Head Lighthouse.

He retired to Norfolk in 1901.

In 1870 At Burnham-On-Sea Walter H Warder had a son – William.

William H Warder follows in his fathers footsteps.

1893-1896 Eddystone Lighthouse.
1896-1899 Le Hanois Lighthouse.
1899- 1904 South Foreland Lighthouse.
1904- 1905 The Needles.
1905- 1910 Admiralty Pier Lighthouse, Dover.

1867-1873
Horace H Roberts – born Huntstanton, Norfolk in 1846.

Started as Assistant Keeper
1865-1867 – Le Hanois Lighthouse.
1867-1873 – Burnham-On-Sea.
1873- 1885 – Avonmouth.

Principal Keeper
1885-1891 Longships Lighthouse.
1891-1894 Bardsey, (Tynemouth).
1901 St. Mary's Lighthouse Whitley Bay.

1871
George H Lewis – born Clovelly Wales 1822.

1841–1871 Bardsey Island Lighthouse.
1871 Burnham-On-Sea.

1881-1891
William Lewis – born Walwyns Castle, Pembrokeshire in 1826.

1859-1860 Usk Lighthouse.
1864-1867 St. Anthony's Lighthouse Cornwall.
1870 Marcross Lighthouse Glamorgan.
1872 Spurn Head Lighthouse.
1881-1891 Burnham-On Sea.

1881–1894
William Aggett – born in Brimley, Devon, 1851.

1876–1878 Wolf Rock Lighthouse.
1878–1881 Orfordness Lighthouse.
1881–1894 Burnham-On-Sea.

1891-1894
Joseph Fisher – born Chatham, Kent in 1832.

Started as Assistant Keeper
1854-1879 Gibraltar (became Principal Keeper 1873)
1879-1880 Blackwall Lighthouse.
1880-1881 Needles Lighthouse.
1881-1888 St. Catherine's Lighthouse.
1888-1891 Beachy Head Lighthouse.
1891-1894 Burnham-On-Sea.

1895-1910
William G Graham – born Plymouth, Devon in 1847.

Started as Assistant Keeper
1865-1866 Eddystone Lighthouse.
1866-1867 Longships Lighthouse.
1867-1874 St. Anne's Head Lighthouse.
1874-1886 Plymouth Breakwater Lighthouse.

Promoted to Principal Keeper
1886-1887 Maplin Lighthouse.
1887-1893 Smalls Lighthouse.
1893-1895 Hartland-Point Lighthouse,
1895-1910 Burnham-On-Sea.

In 1910 'Mrs. Graham' William's wife is listed as the Assistant Lighthouse Keeper at Burnham-on-Sea.

1904-1905
Ernest Horne – born in Dovercourt, Essex, 1864.

1894-1897 Bishop Rock Lighthouse.
1897-1898 Chapman Lighthouse.
1898-1899 St. Catherine's Lighthouse.
1899-1904 Nash Point Lighthouse.
1904-1905 Burnham-On-Sea.
1905-1906 Mucking Lighthouse.
1906-1908 The Needles Lighthouse.
1908-1910 Le Hanois Lighthouse.

The last listed lighthouse keeper in Burnham-On-Sea before automation is Mrs. Graham in 1910.