The site of the brazier is clearly seen in Howell Hughes's 1823 print, to the right of the tower



The site of the coal brazier on the rock 'in front of' the lighthouse



The site of the brazier later seems to have functioned as a flagstaff base


H.R.Davies 1923 correspondence about the old coal brazier

In pursuit of the fate of the old coal brazier which had served atop the original and 1759-modified Trench and Sutton Morgan towers from 1717 until 1804, H.R.Davies corresponded with as many persons as possible to try and ascertain the truth. Typical of the help he received are the following letters from the then Superintendent of the Trinity House Office, Holyhead, Captain W. McCarthy.

24/2/1923

Dear Sir,
In answer to your note re old Coal Fire grates at the Skerries.
There has [sic] been no grates there for many many years, but the masonry on the summit of the mound where the flag-staff now stands is reputed to be the original base on which the Coal Fire grates were fixed.
I have no authority for this save that it has been passed down from Keeper to Keeper.
It is also asserted and I should think with some truth that the low building which we now use for the storage of Oil and Stores was then the dwellings [sic] of the Fire Stokers.
Being interested in matters of this kind I should be obliged if you will let me know when your paper is published so that I may obtain a copy.

Yours faithfully

I.W.H.McCarthy
Superintendent

P.S. There is also a legend that at one time the Skerries consisted of a man and his wife. A vessel was wrecked on the island one night which they had no knowledge of and whilst the man was gone to stoke the fire, his wife was considerably scared to see a [large black man] looking in at the door, one of the survivors from the wreck.

9/3/1923

Dear Mr Davies,
Thanks for your letter of the 26th ult.
I was off at the Skerries today and had a good look at the masonry near the Flagstaff which some of the Keepers considered was the base of the old Coal Fire grate, on close inspection I cannot agree with this.
It is circular about 7 1/2 feet across and 2 1/2 feet high, and only quite roughly thrown together, it might possibly have been the base of a temporary grate whilst the Lighthouse was building but that is all. There is also no approach to this hummock except over the rocks.
As the Lighthouse is built on by far the highest hummock I should think the coal fire was there also.
I was very much impressed by a set of steps leading up to the Tower on the West side which appeared to me to be the sort they would build years ago, with plenty of bends and no hand rail of any sort and these struck me as being possibly the old approach to the Coal grate.
The building I mentioned as being possibly the old dwelling has every appearance of such, the walls being very thick, this is divided into 2 compartments say living room and bedroom with a chimney at one end.
[some routine pleasantry omitted]
I do not think the Lighthouse was rebuilt at any time, only the addition of a fog horn house and if as you say an old grate was standing in 1828 it was probably on the site of this engine house to which the old steps lead.

Yours etc

The holotype pages of the first of these letters appear below. Click on the thumbnails to enlarge as required.
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections Bangor University Bangor MS 3504 (H.R.Davies Glanaethwy).