MD 2008 was born in 1815 in her Grace was the seventh child of The family had a small cottage attached to the grandfather’s cottage in the village of , William and Thomasin Darling and island’s and they were the only people Northumberland. e she was given the name, Gracee who lived on the island. e d Horsley Darling. Horsleyd was her d li grandmother’s name.li Their cottage had no li S S taps with running S water but it did have e When Gracee was 3 weeks old her e l l a pond and a walled l p familyp went to live on Brownsman p garden where the m mIsland where her father was the m a a family kepta chickens The Darling Family . S S and grewS vegetables And the Longstone Lighthouse and flowers.

The lighthouse The lighthouse was built 6 miles from the mainland The lighthouse had a lantern (a light) that on Brownsman The Longstone lighthouse was by a man called Joseph Nelson. His design had a shone out over the sea to warn ships of the Island was not built in 1826 on Longstone Rock. red and white circular tower with iron railings round danger of the rocks in the area. in a good place e e the lantern gallery at the top. e e d d d From way out at sea, the ships d to guide ships li li li li past the rocks S S S would see one white flash S and many e e He also built living e every 20 seconds and thee crew people were pl pl quarters because thep l would know that itp wasl the afraid of the m m lighthouse keeperm Longstone lighthousem sending dangers. a a would havea to live in a warninga of danger. S In 1826,S when Grace was 10 years old, the Darling the on S Eventually it was agreed that a new lighthouse family moved to the new Longstone lighthouse and Longstone Rock. should be built at Longstone in the . William Darling became the lighthouse keeper.

The lighthouse was home to the Darling family. Grace and her family spent most of their time on the The Pinnacles - Rocks around the Farne Islands. The rocks that surround Longstone Lighthouse It was built on rock that was just 1m above the ground floor of the lighthouse in a large room that water at high tide. was heated by a wood burning stove. The small de de In storms their de picture shows them in the room which wasd etheir li li living quarters li kitchen and their living room. li S S were often S S e e swamped by e e pl pl the sea. pl pl m m It was a very m m Sa Sa bleak placeS ato live. Sa

Above their living room a spiral staircase led up to The family collected rainwater in underground Grace’s father was Every day William Darling had three circular bedrooms, one above the other. tanks and a pump brought water from the tanks William Darling the to polish and clean the lamps. into the kitchen. lighthousekeeper. He also had to keep the Grace’s bedroom was one the e e e This is a very old windows in the lantern room third floor and aboveid her was id id id l Fresh water hadl to come in photographl of him clean so that thel light could the lantern room. Inside the S barrels fromS the mainland by whenS he was an old shine out toS sea. lantern room were the big le boat.le le man. le planterns that warned ships of p p p m the dangerous rocks all m m He has a telescope m It was a hard life in his hands. Why a around. a a Every daya he made sure there was enough oil in for the Darling would he have S S S the lampsS and checked the wicks. It was very Outside was their boathouse where they kept their family. needed a telescope? boat and a store of oil for the lamps. hard work. Grace’s father taught This is a picture of Grace was kept busy all day with her schoolwork, From the top of the lighthouse, Grace loved to all of his children to William’s daughter, her needlework and keeping the house clean and watch the many different ships passing by. read, write and do Grace Darling. tidy. Sometimes, when her arithmetic. Hee also She often helpede her e e taught them geography brothers weren’t around, The newest ships, she id father toi lookd after id id and history.l l she would help her father l noticed, had short l the lighthouse. S S when he went out with S masts and funnels S e Grace and her sisters e his boat. Grace also tooke which belched clouds of e l learned to knit, spin, l l l p p her turn at the topp of the black smoke. p sew and cook and of Her father told her they m course, all the children m lighthouse wherem she kept m a a a were paddlea steamers S helped to look after the S watchS for ships in trouble S lighthouse. at sea. run by steam engines.

By the time Grace was 19 years old, all but one The sea was often rough and of her brothers and sisters had left home to work when there were storms out on the mainland. e at sea, the lighthouse woulde lid be battered by lwaves.id There was only Grace, S S her parents and her 16 year old brother le le William Brooks leftp at p the lighthouse.m Sometimes them storms were so bad a the family awould have to leave their S living Squarters and take refuge in the upper rooms of the lighthouse.