A Quiet Life

From their inception and through the early years of the 20th century, long before automation, lighthouses were manned by keepers, often with their families in residence. In the case of the Petrie family, in 1922, their number included a new arrival, Martha. Over the years, Martha, or Mattie as she was nicknamed, went with her parents to several lighthouse postings around the British Isles. Growing up in the unusual environment that constitutes a lighthouse station, where going out to play can be a major hazard, Mattie witnessed much of which most children only dream. This is an account of the unique life of the lighthouse where the mundane activities of a mainland existence become exciting, certainly different and often downright near impossible. Martha Robertson recounts her growing up in the 20s and 30s, and describes the war years and life in the Wrens. This is a story of an existence that has disappeared forever as automation puts the seal on lightkeeping as a thing of the past.