Notes provided By Elsie Galbraith of Worcestershire.

I discovered from the Census of 1881 that my great-grandfather George Tracey aged 37 was a signal driver on the Shambles Lightship.

My great-grandmother Mary Tracey, a dressmaker, lived with their children in Spring Terrace, Wyke Regis, probably the most conveniently placed dwelling that could be found for its nearness to the lightship.

My grandfather Ralph Tracey's name and age, 11 years, are recorded.

The other members of the crew on the Shambles vessel at that time are named and their jobs described. These are the Master, two lamplighters, two signal drivers, one of whom is George Tracey, and two seamen. The job descriptions offer some fascinating clues about the operation of a lightship. On most lightships at this time it was usual for the master and mate of a light vessel to spend a month on board and a month on shore, alternating, while for the crew it would be two months on board and a month ashore.

It was common practice for the men to provide their own food for the two months that they were on duty, although one of their number would cook the food communally. This seems to indicate that most family arrangements would be such that the wives and families of the men had their homes ashore not too far away, to be near enough to supply fresh food to their men, and in readiness for the time spent ashore.

After 1881, but I don't know at what date, except that it is before the next census in 1891, George Tracey and his family moved to Ramsgate, where he had a post on another lightship. Ramsgate's proximity to the dangers of the Goodwin Sands would mean that more than one Light would be required. My great-grandfather's posting may have been to the Gull Stream, the Southsands or the Northsands lightships, but I haven't yet discovered which. Family reminiscence records that he was Master of a lightship in Ramsgate harbour.