Overview

• In 1801 Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffith quarrelled at the isolated Smalls Lighthouse off Pembrokeshire, and after Griffith died during violent storms Howell found himself alone with his corpse.
• Fierce Irish Sea conditions made rescue impossible for about four months, leading Howell to construct a makeshift coffin and later lash the decomposing body to an exterior railing.
• Rescuers from Milford Haven eventually landed and discovered Howell physically gaunt, mentally altered and Griffith’s body still tied to the gallery.
• The incident led Trinity House to mandate three-person crews at remote lighthouses, a safety rule that stayed in place until late-20th-century automation.
• The tragedy has been retold through radio plays, films and articles and is cited as a partial inspiration for Robert Eggers’ 2019 psychological horror film.