However The Lighthouse takes place sometimes in the 1890’s in New England.Ī tiny nod to Howell and Griffith can actually be found about halfway into The Lighthouse. While the Smalls incident wasn’t documented particularly well, we do know Howell and Griffith were stationed to the island sometime in 1801. Now let’s breakdown the similarities and differences between the film and the mystery that inspired it. Said works include the 2011 BBC radio play The Lighthouse written by Alan Harris, the 2016 Chris Crow directed film (also called The Lighthouse), and the 2018 chamber opera For Those in Peril composed by Francis Lynch. The Smalls Lighthouse incident has inspired several works of media aside from Eggers’ film. It was reported that even his closest friends couldn’t recognize the now white haired Howell.Īlso See: Is Murder by Numbers Based on a True Story? It also left Thomas Howell a shell of his former self. The incident brought about a change in lighthouse policy to make teams rosters of at least three people on at any time. After four months (yes, you read that right) Howell and Griffith were finally rescued from the island. Gotta love a ghost that doesn’t forget the past.ĭespite the poor weather, low supplies and the waving corpse taunting him, Howell managed to keep the lighthouse’s lantern lit along with maintaining his other duties. It was as though Howell’s old nemesis was screwing with him from beyond the grave. The wind would even catch one of Griffith’s arms so it looked like the corpse was waving. This led to the corpse being on full display for Howell to see from the island’s hut. Things took a sinister turn when strong winds destroyed most Griffith’s coffin. As time went on, a brutal storm began to close in, this made it impossible for boats or crew to reach Howell. Related: The Lighthouse is a Dazzling Must See īut as Griffith’s body began to decompose and no doubt smell, Howell decided to build a makeshift coffin then tie it to one of the railings outside one of the lighthouse windows. It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine an argument escalating into murder. Howell feared that if he were to throw Griffith’s body into the sea the authorities would accuse him of murder. Either way, Griffith died just a few weeks after his arrival at the lighthouse. Some reports claim his death was the result of a freak accident, while others state Griffith succumbed to a mysterious illness. The details get a little fuzzy when Thomas Griffith dies. So, when they were stationed at the Smalls Lighthouse off Marloes Peninsula Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1801, tensions were no doubt high. The duo reportedly disliked each other and often argued in public. In all my prowling on Google, I haven’t been able to find anything on either man prior to this incident except how often Howell and Griffith fought. The story starts with our lighthouse keepers Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffith. The incident in question, now exactly 219 years old, is none other than the mysterious Smalls Lighthouse tradgedy of 1801. Love Real Life Ghost Hunting Shows? CLICK HERE FOR MORE!Īlso See: This Sinister True Story is Reminiscent of Don’t Breathe
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