NAME: Abbie
Burgess Grant
BIRTH DATE:
1839
BIRTH PLACE:
Maine
EDUCATION:
Limited formal schooling. Home-schooled by mother. Abbie
could read and write.
FAMILY BACKGROUND:
In 1853, Abbie's father, Sam Burgess, was appointed
Lighthouse Keeper at Matinicus Rock. Abbie was one of
ten children. She had two older sisters, one older brother;
five younger sisters; her youngest sibling was a boy.
She married Isaac Grant, son of Capt. John Grant, the
keeper of Matinicus after her father. They had four
children: Francis, Melvina, Mary Louise and Harris.
[This information is courtesy of Abbie's great granddaughter,
Patricia Grant.]
DESCRIPTION
OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Although her father and father-in-law
held the title of Lighthouse Keeper at Matinicus Rock,
it was Abbie that was in charge of the work. In 1873,
Isaac was appointed Keeper at White Head Light Station
and he and Abbie tended the lights there. Abbie received
the appointment of assistant keeper at White Head in
1875. She retired from there in 1890 due to illness.
DATE OF DEATH:
1892
PLACE OF DEATH:
Portland, Maine, in a house on Maple Street.
PORTRAYED
BY: Linda Wilson
READING:
-
Clifford, Mary Louise and J. Candace, Women Who Kept
the Lights: An Illustrated History of Female Lighthouse
Keepers. Williamsburg, Va., Cypress Communications,
1993.
Roop, Peter and Connie, Keep The Lights Burning, Abbie. Minneapolis, Minn., Carolrhoda Books, c1985. (for younger readers)
Jones, Dorothy Holder and Ruth Sexton Sargent Abbie Burgess, Lighthouse Heroine. New York, Funk & Wagnalls [1969] (fiction; for middle readers)
WEB SITES:
The Coast Guard Cutter Abbie Burgess
(USCGC Abbie Burgess WLM 553, 1997)
Coast Guard: Abbie Burgess (cutter) - Abbie Burgess launch
Coast Guard: Abbie Burgess Bio
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page may be cited as: |
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