Railway Lamp Boy

[thehopefulrook]

I know the answer seems obvious but can anyone tell me exactly the job of a lamp Boy in 1905.
My Grandfather Watson Allison aged 18 started work in 1905 as a Lamp Boy at Seaham Harbour Station Co Durham for NER. He progressed to Porter and by the time he retired in 1952 he was a Guard. Would he have had to sit any tests or would changing jobs be promotion for working hard. Also does anyone know were i can find any more information about him. Thanking you in advance

[euryalus]

I know the answer seems obvious but can anyone tell me exactly the job of a lamp Boy in 1905.
My Grandfather Watson Allison aged 18 started work in 1905 as a Lamp Boy at Seaham Harbour Station Co Durham for NER. He progressed to Porter and by the time he retired in 1952 he was a Guard. Would he have had to sit any tests or would changing jobs be promotion for working hard. Also does anyone know were i can find any more information about him. Thanking you in advance

A lamp boy would have been a "starting job" for a young employee, and it would probably have involved "lamping" duties - that is to say cleaning and trimming the oil lamps wihich were needed to illuminate the semaphore signals. A Signal Lampman would be an adult employee.

[Peter Goodey]

Lamp lad


Cleans, fills, trims, lights and extinguishes at specified times, portable lamps used in station, passenger trains rear lamps and passenger carriage roof oil lamps where used; removes lamps on barrow to and from lamp room; at some stations performs similar duties in regard to fixed oil or gas lamps where not done by carriage and wagon department.

Source: Dictionary of Occupational Terms, Ministry of Labour, London, 1927