A BRIEF TIMELINE OF HISTORY

The Corporation of Trinity House of Strond has a long and interesting history, which begins (officially) in May 1514. This timeline offers just a glance at some of the milestones.

1514 1566 1594 granted by grants to Trinity Elizabeth I confers upon Henry VIII to the Corporation House the power to build Trinity House ballastage of Trinity House; Sir Thomas and other rights on the Thames, an Spert is the first Master seamarks for the protection of important early income for seafarers the charity

1604 1609 James I grants Trinity House rights We build our first lighthouses concerning the compulsory pilotage of at , to protect shipping, and the exclusive right to license shipping along the coast of pilots in the East Anglia

1676 1685 1698 Renowned diarist and Naval James II issues a renewed Eddystone becomes the first Administrator Royal Charter to Trinity rock in Europe, is elected Master of Trinity House; this document is built by ; it is House still the foundation of our destroyed by a storm in 1703 authority today

1732 1759 1796 The first in the The third Eddystone Our current headquarters are world is moored near the Lighthouse is built; pioneering built at . Today the Sands at the mouth of civil engineer Grade I Listed building is one the River Thames uses dovetailed stone blocks of ’s most prestigious in the shape of an oak tree venues

1803 1836 1838 The Blackwall workshops Trinity House is given , the daughter are established by the compulsory powers to acquire of the keeper at Longstone Thames, becoming a hub for and maintain all private Lighthouse, rows out to save engineering and lighthouse lighthouses nine victims of the wrecked keeper training Forfarshire steamer

1858 1882 1940 Electricity introduced to the The present Eddystone The Trinity House first Trinity House lighthouse Lighthouse (the fourth to be headquarters in London at established), designed by Sir is destroyed during the James Douglass, is completed Blitz. The house is faithfully restored in 1953

1958 1969 1977 Almshouses for retired First reliefs of lighthouse Last oil burning light removed mariners are built at , keepers by helicopters are from a Trinity House , the latest in a tradition trialled lighthouse at St. Mary’s Bay, predating even our first Royal Charter

1982 1989 becomes the Lightsmen are withdrawn first Trinity House rock lighthouse to be from the Channel station, the converted to automatic operation; last manned Trinity House THV Patricia is delivered lightvessel

1993 1994 1998 The conversion of Trinity North becomes the Keepers are withdrawn House buoys to solar power is first Trinity House lighthouse from , the completed to be converted to solar last manned Trinity House powered operation lighthouse

2002 2006 The Differential Global THV Alert enters service, becoming Trinity Positioning System (DGPS) House’s first Rapid Intervention Vessel network provided by the General Lighthouse Authorities becomes operational

2007 THV Galatea is delivered, the most advanced vessel ever built by Trinity House

2008 2011 2014 Development of e- Lighthouse modernisation Trinity House celebrates 500 concepts such as AIS, eLoran completed; new power years of service to the mariner

and DGPS begins systems reduce CO2 emissions. HRH The Princess 2025+ Royal elected Master The General Lighthouse Authorities’ strategy for the UK and Ireland’s marine aids to navigation for 2025 and beyond is realised