Abbie Burgess

Abigail E Grant (née Burgess; August 1, 1839 – June 16, 1892) was an American lighthouse keeper known for her bravery in tending the Matinicus Rock Light in Maine during a raging winter storm in 1856. She did so for nearly a month while her father, the head keeper, was away from the island. Her heroic actions attracted much attention and she was soon a popular heroine.

Biography

Abbie was the fourth of nine children of Samuel and Thankful (Phinney) Burgess, who moved to Matinicus Rock in 1853 to become its lighthouse keeper. Although only 15, she soon took over duties of tending the lighthouse so that Samuel could fish and catch lobster, which he sold in Rockland, Maine, 25 miles (40 km) away. In the lighthouse, she found a lightkeeper's log, which detailed great storms that had struck Matinicus Rock, including one in 1839 that had destroyed the original lighthouse. (At the time lighthouse keepers were presidential appointees.) He was replaced by Captain John Grant. Abbie, however, stayed on to train him and fell in love with his youngest son, Isaac. They were eventually married, and served as assistant keepers on Matinicus Rock for fourteen years, where they had four sons. They were then moved to Whitehead Light off St. George, Maine, where they served as lighthouse keepers for fifteen years before retiring in 1890.

The folk song "Lighthouse Keeper" by Neptune's Car was inspired by the experiences of women lighthouse tenders including Abbie, Ida Lewis, and Katherine Walker.

In 1998, the United States Coast Guard commissioned Cutter Abbie Burgess (WLM-553), a 175' Keeper-class buoy tender. She is currently stationed in Rockland.

In 2023, the Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA presented a play, Matinicus: The Story of Abigail Burgess, written by Jenny Connell Davis, about Abbie's time on Matinicus Rock with her family.