A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SHUTTER TELEGRAPH
Long before the electric telegraph came on the scene a method of communication existed that relied on line of sight, using relay stations set up at points visible to the next one. This was no new idea as some similar system was used by the Romans to communicate from hilltop to hilltop.
Optical telegraphy dates from ancient times, in the form of hydraulic telegraphs, torches (as used by ancient cultures since the discovery of fire) and smoke signals. Modern design of semaphores was first foreseen by the British polymath Robert Hooke, who gave a vivid and comprehensive outline of visual telegraphy to the Royal Society in a 1684 submission in which he outlined many practical details. The system (which was motivated by military concerns, following the Battle of Vienna in 1683) was never put into practice.
Illustration showing Robert Hooke's proposed system. At top are various symbols that might be used; ABCE indicates the frame, and D the screen behind which each of the symbols are hidden when not in use.
One of the first experiments of optical signalling was carried out by the Anglo-Irish landowner and inventor, Sir Richard Lovell Edgeworth in 1767. He placed a bet with his friend, the horse racing gambler Lord March, that he could transmit knowledge of the outcome of the race in just one hour. Using a network of signalling sections erected on high ground, the signal would be observed from one station to the next by means of a telescope. The signal itself consisted of a large pointer that could be placed into eight possible positions in 45 degree increments. A series of two such signals gave a total 64 code elements and a third signal took it up to 512. He returned to his idea in 1795, after hearing of Chappe's system.
Sir Richard Lovell Edgeworth's proposed optical telegraph for use in Ireland. The rotational position of each one of the four indicators represented a number 1-7 (0 being "rest"), forming a four-digit number. The number stood for a particular word in a codebook.
The Shutter Telegraph was conceived at the time Napoleon was a threat to Britain and followed the successful implementation of the system employed by the Chappe Brothers in France. Britain, however, was looking for a less complicated system than the Chappe's system, cheaper and easier to operate and requiring little or no training of personnel to run it.
In 1795 following a request from the Admiralty, two designs were put forward for consideration. The first was from John Gamble which employed five shutters, however, the Admiralty had concerns regarding Gamble's design due to its complexity. The second was from Lord Murray which used six shutters and he offered his system to the Admiralty as "making improvements to the telegraph".
Lord George Murray was a gentleman of the cloth, Archdeacon of Man, Rector of Herston in Kent and later Bishop of St Davids. Murray's method was capable of more combinations, due to its six shutters and was of less complexity. A shutter telegraph frame was constructed and trials took place on Wimbledon Common. His system was immediately approved and adopted by the Admiralty. The first Telegraph line to be completed was London to Deal and Sheerness in 1796 which consisted of 15 stations and later that year the London to Portsmouth line consisting of 10 stations. In 1805 the Admiralty wanted communication to its Navy based in Plymouth and a junction was formed on the Portsmouth line at Beacon Hill, West Sussex and a line of 22 stations were installed and completed by July 1806.
Another route required was to Great Yarmouth. This was the time of the Napoleonic Wars and Yarmouth being the most easterly naval station was important for the defence of the North Sea and the Baltic. The first official message was sent via the new Telegraph in 1808 when the Admiral based in Yarmouth reported to the Admiralty in London 'Calypso ready for sea'.
The relay station was sited on Long Hill Newmarket at a spot known as 'The King?s Seat', as it was a favourite spot of Charles II when out walking; this being on the north side of Moulton Road close to where Warren Towers now stands. From this high point (elevation 260 ft) there would have been uninterrupted views to the next relay stations SW to Gog & Magog Hills Cambridge and NE to Icklingham Suffolk (Telegraph Plantation).
All the Shutter Telegraph stations functioned until 1816. A message from London to Portsmouth was usually transmitted in about fifteen minutes.
Murray's design consisted of a timber building with a twenty-foot-high frame mounted on the roof. In this frame were six shutters: two mounted horizontally and three vertically which were pivoted about their centres.
Each shutter was approximately three feet or one metre square and could be opened and closed using ropes from inside the building. The six shutters gave a total of sixty-three combinations, and these were used to provide letters of the alphabet, numbers and other short codes.
The Telegraphs were erected in line-of-sight and were five to ten miles apart depending on terrain. They only operated during the daytime and telescopes were used to read the signals from up the line and relayed down the line and vice-versa.
The stations would have up to five navy personnel at each telegraph: two glassmen (looking through the telescopes), two to operate the shutters and a lieutenant in overall charge.
If the visibility was bad locally a horse and rider would be dispatched to take the message by hand to the next station and pass it on. Experiments were made to use some form of lighting at night, but these were the cause of several fires and not successful. The Telegraph Stations were kept in operational readiness from 1795 until 1816, when the telescopes were returned to the Admiralty.
They were in actual operation whenever Napoleon was free, and Britain considered itself under threat from invasion. By 1816 the Semaphore Telegraph was brought in and the line from London to Portsmouth was the first to have the shutters replaced with the new Semaphore stations.
Shutter Telegraph Lines
| Great Yarmouth | Deal | Sheerness | Portsmouth | Plymouth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admiralty Hampstead Woodcock Hill St Albans Dunstable Downs Lilley Hoo Baldock Royston Gogmagog Hills Newmarket (Side Hill) Icklingham Barnham East Harling Carleton Rode Wreningham Strumpshaw Great Yarmouth | Admiralty West Square Southwark New Cross Shooters Hill Swanscombe Gad's Hill Callum Hill Beacon Hill Shottenden Barham Downs Betteshanger Deal | Admiralty West Square Southwark New Cross Shooters Hill Swanscombe Gad's Hill Callum Hill Beacon Hill Tonge Barrow Hill Sheerness | Admiralty Chelsea Royal Hospital Putney Heath Cabbage Hill Netley Heath Hascombe Blackdown Beacon Hill Portsdown Hill Portsmouth (Southsea Common) | Admiralty Chelsea Royal Hospital Putney Heath Cabbage Hill Netley Heath Hascombe Blackdown Beacon Hill Chalton Wickham Town Hill Toot Hill Barnshaw Pistle Down Chalbury Blandford Racecourse Belchalwell Nettlecombe Tout High Stay Toiler Down Lamberts Castle Dalwood Common St Cyrus Rockbeare Great Haldon South Knighton Marley Lee Saltram Plymouth |
The Admiralty to Portsmouth Telegraph Shutter line consisted of 10 stations, situated as follows:
The following information and images come courtesy of Bob Hunt and his website Portsdown Tunnels, which, sadly is no longer available.
1 Roof of the first Lord's house - Whitehall. 2 Chelsea - Royal Hospital. 3 Putney - near Telegraph Inn. 4 Cabbage Hill - near Chessington Zoo. 5 Netley Heath - 'Telegraph', Blind Oak Gate. 6 Hascombe - Telegraph Hill. 7 Blackdown - Tally Knob. 8 Beacon Hill - Harting Down. 9 Portsdown Hill - various references: "Cosham Road Junction - south of crossroads" "near Cliffdene Cottage". 10 Portsmouth - Southsea Common by Clarence Pier.
The arrow shows the location of the Portsdown Shutter Station. It was near Cliffdene Cottage which was demolished in the 1980s, and south of Cosham junction which refers to the B2177 / London Road crossroads slightly to the east of the arrow.
This is a model of the Portsdown Shutter Station showing the six open shutters and their control gear. The construction was clapper board with a brick chimney (left). A lean-to coal shed would be constructed on the right side. The label on the roof shows the number 178 for reasons unknown.
A view inside the station showing two Glassmen on telescopes and two Ropemen operating the shutters.
The Glassman is reading the signal from the next station in the line and the Ropemen are relaying the message on. The inset shows the outcome of their efforts - the number 13.
The Portsmouth terminal station located on Southsea Common. This would send and receive messages from the Portsdown station 5.5 miles to the north. All the shutters are set to open - station idle. They went to all closed as a signal that a message was about to be sent.
Looking east on top of Portsdown 2004. The Portsdown shutter station was located here. To the left is the site of the former Cliffdene Cottage. Centre left the white walls of the George Pub can just be seen, then a road sign on the B2177. Interestingly on the far left is the Shutter Station's modern day counterpart.
Courtesy of Laurie Booth via Bob Hunt's website Google Earth brings the the converted OS reference to the grassed area, which differs about eight feet in height from the Telecom complex. As an Archaeological Dowser, I have searched the lat/long bearing and revealed a structure indicated on the attachment. Within the outline is a n E-W central line from edge to edge. At the N & S ends are centrally placed approx. 3x3ft features. These internal features are not flagged, so as to avoid cluttering at ground level photography. I suggest the features could be read as positions of a shutter operating mechanism and two glassmen. Three nearby utility covers are taking services from the west and directing them north towards the Telecom complex; they don't continue east. A dowsed path leaves an access at the top left, following round the southern end to meet the path GSP marked 010. It runs along the northern edge of this existing path before veering right towards a destination I've not investigated. My interest in telegraphic communication, including the London - Portsmouth line, encouraged sending you this information.
