Why Building A Lighthouse Took So Many Lives | Worst Jobs | Absolute History

Among the thankless tasks tackled by Tony this week are the work of the midshipman, lighthouse keeper, stoker and trimmer, the men of Britains first navy who survived on minimal rations, and the men who wore sacks on their heads on the luxury liners. Finally he experiences the dangerous occupation of the Victorian lifeboat man.
It's like Netflix for history... Sign up to History Hit, the world's best history documentary service and get 50% off using the code 'AbsoluteHistory' bit.ly/3vn5cSH
This channel is part of the History Hit Network. Any queries please contact: [e-mail]

[@adamwiggins9865]

“And that kept you sane?” “Yes it kept me sane” Doubtful...

[@neenmach]

That was the best line. Yep kept you sane alrighty ..

[@darkdemondevil]

Not going to lie, that level of slightly not all togetherness is a little enviable in my book. He seemed so happy about it despite being off.

[@beegwan1893]

I can smell the crazy coming off that guy.

[@ms.annthropic6341]

I noticed that too. 😂 Man, Tony's the best.

[@davepowell1661]

Perhaps before before being Keeper he had issues?

[@pattisweet9780]

Does anyone understand, Tony was at least 40 when they did "The Black Adder". Some where after, he did 20years of "Time Team". Some time towards the end of Time Team he did these Worst Job shows. Personally, I think he's doing a same good job of demonstrating how bad all this everyday work really got!

[@perfectlypurepinkpompompan3467]

Have to admit he IS a marvel!!! GREAT story-teller and narrrator as well: he would do well as an actor!!

[@GlennDavey]

@@perfectlypurepinkpompompan3467 Tony Robinson is an actor.

[@GlennDavey]

I personally remember him most fondly telling stories on Tales from Fat Tulip's Garden. Just him, telling stories to the camera, doing voices. It was great. Clips on KZbin.

[@janine7418]

I am amazed at how well he handles some of those jobs. He 8s no spring chicken but he pulls them off...climbing steeples, wrangling sheep, shoveling coal in that heat, even for a few minutes is impressive...

[@beebeelicious]

@@GlennDavey Fat Tulip!!❤❤

[@johnburakowski61]

My first boat , when I was a child was a gift from an old mountain man . It was a wooden rowboat and had to be soaked each spring for about a week so the wood could swell . The coffee can was as essential as the oars .

[@johnburakowski61]

@Agent J Not enough space between the board's to caulk and never was originally caulked . I was 12 years old and my brother was 10 . We didn't know boats from shinola . We only knew that Albert said , " soak it before you use it or you'll sink ! "

[@johnburakowski61]

@Agent J : Soaking did work each spring for the 10 years we used it . Once the wood swelled , it was good for the summer . Still had to bail a couple times while we were out . As children , in the 1950's , we did what the elders told us . Not saying it was all good advice .

[@artverse188]

@Agent J Yeah because a 12 year old is going to find fiber glass and caulking up their a$$. Give him a break, doubt you did anything better as a child. The fact that they had the patience to take care of the boat and soak it every year in itself is something.

[@mastrofnone8025]

Tony Robinson . Yet another British treasure

[@msjrockqueen2011]

What I really like about Tony's videos is his great sense of humor; he's able to laugh at himself reacting to these jobs instead of sulking off with a look of utter defeat (I particularly liked his reaction in an earlier video to the worm stew 🤢).

[@kencramer2232]

Tony is an upbeat personality, delightfully entertaining & interesting. I usually enjoy reading others constructive comments &/or perspectives but there seems an inordinate amount of people here with troubling dispositions

[@thewallachianbard6975]

I hope one day somebody makes a similar video about customer support, retail and food service .

[@tanyatwiligwolf]

The former lighthouse keeper they interviewed is absolutely delightful. He must have an extremely strong mind to have endured that kind of madness inducing job

[@GlennDavey]

People are saying "oh he's crazy". He's not. Most people don't understand people who can be by themselves. But there's a superpower in being able to make your own fun.

[@yaroslavsky]

Tony, this is your oar. TONY, THIS IS YOUR OAR.

[@captynrj]

lmaooo!!

[@PatrickBaptist]

Yeah after watching awhile you quickly learn this guy is a dufus.

[@tphvictims5101]

That’s no Oar, That’s me Wife 😆

[@iamloved223]

She was so patient lmao!

[@PatrickBaptist]

@Gregory Jack Sounds like instaSPAM/bull shit.

[@qg786]

That salted and dried meat looked nice.

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

I like beef jerky

[@xxiloveitallxx]

As a snack maybe or even a meal a few times a week but not so much if it's your only protein apart from stinky fish for weeks /months on end

[@LoveAndSnapple]

*Monster Hunter intensifies*

[@smaakjeks]

Fenalår is amazing :)

[@loger_2floofyboogaloo278]

pass on the fish but the meat looked great. If you had the time and resources im sure you could soak it and grill it to make a soft cut for stew or something on shore

[@skitlus335]

He asks if the "fenalår" is a ham, to which the guy says "Yep", but it is in fact a dried and cured leg of lamb. It's delicious, goes great with beer, and is still eaten to this day! :)

[@diy_cat9817]

I wonder why he didnt just say "nope, lamb".

[@PatrickBaptist]

@@diy_cat9817 Prob to not make Tony look like he is full of balonga.

[@kubeek]

how come ham cannot be made from a leg of lamb?

[@skitlus335]

@@kubeek because then it's not ham, just like a sauce made from apples wouldn't be a tomato sauce.

[@lakrids-pibe]

Lamb - pork - same same. Close enough.

[@youtubekk6515]

lol 5:51 1- "its very good for ya" 2- (spits it out like its disgusting) 1- sad face

[@toomanyopinions8353]

Big ups to the guy who had all his coworkers die on his first day and still went on to serve for 40 years. Maybe it's because seeing death is less common now, but that feels like the sort of thing that would give you PTSD.

[@CLove511]

As a woodworker, him inhaling the sawdust makes me cringe. There's a reason people all used to die so young, and we've solved most of it with PPE and other precautions. I had a grandfather who died from lung complications -- he didn't smoke, but he did cut lumber, and he inhaled all that sawdust every day.

[@chrishossack445]

The trick with the rope is a technique called a regain. Used often by every soldier when traversing rope.

[@HenrikoMagnifico]

Viking in Swedish actually means "bay-person" or a "bay-er"

[@StanSwan]

With a b or g?

[@burnerjack01]

Yeah, but in every other language it meant "He who kicks ass and takes all."

[@rogersledz6793]

Thank you so much for uploading this video. It is helping me get through the pandemic!

[@alexanderm.3644]

14:08 The Production Crew: "... At least we told him so."

[@jonathanstern5537]

I don't know, I would think that rowing a lifeguard boat and saving people would be more fulfilling than cutting out fish guts.

[@stefanfilipovits21]

These are fascinating. Thanks for posting.

[@mattm5361]

It's Worst Jobs in History with Tony Robinson, The up-loader has just stolen the content and claimed it as their own.

[@herefishyfishy6907]

When living in the lighthouse, I painted with my poop and that kept me sane.

[@NathanChisholm041]

We all need hobbies!

[@dissodatore]

and if you paint on the outside, the next storm will clean it for you!

[@joshharley5397]

You're fond of my lobster though

[@equarg]

😳……………… You needed KZbin, Netflix, Hulu, Discovery,……all the TV you wanted. Plus knitting. Knitting is a good hobby. Just no painting with poo. No. Anything but that!😣

[@jessiec.9169]

Awe, how I love Tony!🖤

[@finkelroy211]

Ship's surgeon. Hands down. If you ever watched someone die from massive trauma, you know what I mean.

[@MyCatInABox]

I love that sound fx at 9:50

[@JTA1961]

This guy is obviously a jolly good sport. I'm impressed.

[@danielleboyd3070]

Thank you Tony.

[@grantunderhill8098]

Watching these makes me appreciate my 9 to 5 much more

[@daphneraven6745]

I’m really surprised that people didn’t do the same thing back then as they do in more modern times when they build small boats: fill them with water and a few rocks and leave them there in the shallow water for a little while before they use them. At least that’s what my grandfather always did when he built them out of wood!

[@pollauritsabrahamsenjq1618]

That's what we still do

[@alicedubois1348]

Your videos are so wonderful to learn more about history, and for book research. Thank you so very much for your hard work and time!! ❤

[@alicedubois1348]

@@Tsumami__ LMAO!!! *facepalm* shows how much I know... Thanks. 😂

[@antiprismatic]

Scare crow from Batman... Boogeyman

[@mattm5361]

It's Worst Jobs in History with Tony Robinson, The up-loader has just stolen the content and claimed it as their own.

[@shombie2737]

One = video. More than one = videos. :-/

[@Optimusprimerib36]

This is from BBC...

[@EternallyUnhappy]

I'm in Canada and use to watch his show worst Jobs on TV in the late 90s it spawned our own version here in Canada... We use to also watch other videos of his in History class in Highschool on Fridays.... He was definitely a stand up chap

[@Harikusa]

The fact that boat was always leaking doesn't seem like a real thing.

[@myishenhaines1706]

I’d say the most cramped imaginable on old ships were the slave quarters.

[@Mandy-nt2cs]

Yeah it would be very interesting to have a documentary (there are some about slave ships) about the differences and similarities between the ships the Africans used to attack, plunder, kidnap & transport the Europeans they enslaved and the ships the Europeans, Caribbeans, ect used to pick-up and transport enslaved Africans. It would be interesting to see how the vessels changed over so much time of the slave trades that ran out of Africa.. since they were kidnapping people for at least a millennium. I know the Barbary Pirates used small, fast moving vessels when attacking ships at sea but not sure what they used when they attacked costal dwelling peoples & abducted them. They couldn't have always used small ships as they enslaved over 1 million white Christians just between 1530 & 1780.. not to mention all the women & children they kept for their own purposes, all those they murdered ect. It would be interesting to see the types of ships those who enslaved other humans used and what those that were enslaved experienced.

[@cindyjones920]

I shared this with my son, who recently retired from U.S. Navy!

[@kencramer2232]

And!? What’s your point.... please

[@WhyYoutubeWhy]

I love the theme song! Also, I wouldn't mind the lighthouse gig, being away from society, just tuning a light every hour 😏

[@carmeno9635]

That chain making looks so tricky! Very tedious...

[@peterkoller3761]

Underdog? in German (Austrian German, that is), it is Aufschneider (the guy on top) and Owezahrer (the Underdog) nowadays the meaning of Aufschneider is "boaster", and Owezahrer is "idler".

[@petramatulova1950]

@28:00 I think this is the first worst job I might have been good at. 9 year old me always won the 'most tiny beads threaded in three minutes' kind of competition. Looks like a lot less fun though. :D

[@harrycarry516]

Nylon ropes are slippery in the rain, hemp ropes are not.

[@billijomaynard8924]

Never thought i would see the day Tony Robinson trying to pull off a Bear Grylls stunt. Way to go, Tony.

[@LawlerNichole]

"The entire Crew are laughing at me." OH Tony and the things you put up with.

[@Bill23799]

Did you open the video on the fore deck of HMS Belfast in the Thames?

[@rodpettet2819]

Have you always had a problem getting your leg over? 😂😂

[@siemprerosso]

So thats what a sane lighthouse keeper looks like...

[@GlennDavey]

Yes. That's what someone who is good at spending a lot of time alone looks like. You wouldn't be able to do it. You would actually come back a crazy person, because you believe that finding solitary activities to pass the time is "insane". So you would fail very badly and probably take your own life before the boat ever returned.

[@Calidore1]

The fusey chain bit was pretty haphazard, couldn’t followmthat too well.

[@chrismccartney8668]

Yet midshipman if he survived and learnt from an experienced and successful ships crew they later in life made the backbone of the Navy and produced superb daring captains more than a match for any Frenchies or Pirates cos he had many years seatime under their belt

[@Peter-or8oc]

I'm 37:55 into it there was massive push back against building lighthouses because there were whole communities that survived on salvaging the cargo and wood from the shipwrecks so they weren't happy their livelihoods were being taken away from them !

[@mikkelnpetersen]

39:20 Everyday, EVERY SINGLE DAY, was leg day.

[@compscript7973]

For this episode you should include the spelling of these professions because I certainly can't find them.

[@mykilpee]

This guy is unfit for all of these jobs, and unsure on how for he is documenting it, but it's funny watching him.

[@MrSvenovitch]

He's an annoying boob alright

[@PatrickBaptist]

No joke, he is a moron, bet he isn't much of a man in real life, probably needs someone to hand hold him through everything including taking a dump.

[@zopEnglandzip]

He started off as a comedian, if you are English you can't watch time team or worst jobs without thinking of Rowan atkinson shouting at him and generally treating him like a pos

[@RocketHarry865]

@@zopEnglandzip so we all end up embracing our inner blackadder

[@blaggercoyote]

I really don't like like Tony Robinson, sanctimonious twit, BUT he does do a pretty good job at these programmes

[@deweyb3458]

The guy eating the cured fish was killing me. I was born and raised mostly in the US, but my family is from Norway. It is a National thing to pickle fish and cure it for later consumption, but they have this special way of fermenting fish with Vodka. It's called Gravlax. In Norway, I'm told that they love it but for me just to smell it almost makes me sick. Boy am I glad I don't have to eat that stuff. I couldn't imagine kissing someone that has eaten that stuff recently....

[@alexgade4512]

cured in vodka? Gravlax as far as I know, is just salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill. I never heard of fish being fermented in vodka before. In lye water (lutefisk), yes, but not vodka. Are you sure it was gravlax you had in mind?

[@deweyb3458]

I was young, so I'll have to ask some family. I'll let you know.

[@xxiloveitallxx]

Gravlax is delicious but I've never heard of it being fermented with vodka? Could that be lueskfish?

[@MrSvenovitch]

They call it cat piss in an episode of archer.

[@ArneAnders1-el7uo]

It is salmon that is buried, grav = grave/dig. To cope with the taste we drink akevitt, 40 - 45 % alcohol. It is an acquired taste 😋 😅 Vennlig Hilsen fra Norge 🇳🇴

[@tasmedic]

"Britain hasn't been invaded for the best part of 900 years." Sniff. I smell BS, due to assumptions and a poor research team. Historically incorrect, and Tony should have known this. Here are two very well known examples. Fishguard, February 1797. French forces. Also the Dutch invasion when William and Mary just walked in and took the throne, while their massive fleet stood offshore to make sure that no resistance was raised, 1677. That was a bloodless invasion, but an invasion none the less. They marched with an army, right into London! I have to hand it to William and Mary, though. The bare faced gall of just walking in and taking the throne. Plus, they accepted the limitation of Royal powers in the Kingdom, and set the stage for a much more democratic state.

[@erikiacopelli451]

so an english version of dirty jobs

[@scottfaris9175]

Dirty Jobs idea was probably taken from this.

[@AustinParkerKillulotz14]

I love these episodes but the audio is sooooo low it hard to hear whats going on

[@brucemackinnon6707]

Hemp has more of a grip. Nylon is slippery.

[@chriswhite4999]

I don't think the pea packets kept him sane, lol.

[@CAMacKenzie]

Manky. I had to look that one up, but it obviously couldn't be good.

[@opiniondiscarded6650]

Yay the audio is fixed

[@oldsilverdrew2471]

Lighthouse part starts at 34:23. Just in case that's why you're here and want to skip the B.S.

[@metaldetectingengland]

Cheers mate 👍😁👍

[@jm_historian7997]

Cheers!

[@laceyavron]

My thinks Tony is feeling his age after every attempt to try all these jobs. It's good for a laugh anyway.

[@sebell69]

the Vikings would CAULK their planks they had plenty of peat moss (which they also discovered it can make IRON)

[@alienbeef-gravy493]

Everyone acts so casual in this documentary, that's what makes it good

[@ricardokowalski1579]

38:30 "that kept you sane?"... doubt that!

[@anotherblonde]

Swab is an ancient Egyptian word for clean with water

[@throow]

No. It comes from old Norse "svipa" that means to whip.

[@z_ed]

Dutch zwabber (c. 1600)

[@JOHNTOPG]

It comes from a q tip swab, q tips clean and they mean to clean the decks... Duh

[@alienbeef-gravy493]

Guys it could come from a lot of things, we'll never know though.

[@blaggercoyote]

@@z_ed Correct, according to my dictionary,

[@NaumRusomarov]

"... and that kept you sane? yeah that kept me sane." hm.... I beg to disagree.

[@sanuku535]

5:48 I like the leader.

[@arlenmargolin1650]

I can't imagine that the swabbing going on on the poop deck was genuine that must have been movie poop

[@terrulian]

Tip of the hat, my good man!!

[@OstblockLatina]

Tony: How do you cope in a lighthouse? Social phobia, introverts and autistic people: How do you cope out of it?! Huge mental reserves, pfft - I need them to bear the burdain of the society full of noise, stupidity, vanity and cruelty. No matter where you go, there's people everywhere - even the pandemic didn't bring solitude. I'd give everything to be allowed to work and live in a lighthouse with no access of touristic traffic. Sadly, lighthouses are either out of use or already occupied.

[@darkdemondevil]

Surprise peas man is a treasure.

[@bunjit6537]

Whilst being a fairly eloquent host, Tony suffers from an inability to do most things.

[@obsidiandwarf]

He used pea-packets to make model houses... and that kept him... sane (?????)

[@GlennDavey]

I broke my arm on the first day of summer vacation at the beach when I was 14. I spent the rest of the time using the family video camera and a bunch of Lego sets they bought me out of sympathy to made a pretty epic stop-motion movie. Have you spent much time by yourself? You find stuff to do

[@alcoholic2412]

This is way better than the American version with Mike Rowe

[@averageperson8882]

10:48 cheeky little fart

[@kevg3320]

RIP the crew of the lifeboat Solomon Browne.

[@kevinhoffman8214]

run the boat into some soft mud near the shore and fill with water , come back in a couple days and the mud will fill the gaps and the wood will have swelled , or you can bail

[@mastrofnone8025]

Would love to visit the UK but I hate flying.. oh well. I'll watch Tony

[@lizzybeary]

You know you’re watching a video about ships, right? So unless you hate sailing too, you could still visit.

[@djdeath4318]

lol at going out to sea in a boat thats already sinking

[@moname7017]

Every job was bad before improvements were made.

[@lisasmith516]

How much abuse was NORMAL is WICKED... Awful. SAD.

[@cementhapavery]

How did they start the building - how was it firmly attached to the base rock - this would be a crucial element.' Was it dovetailed into the base? I assume all parts were pre-assembled on land and numbered. A long steel cable could have conveyed the pieces to the rock... maybe?

[@cementhapavery]

I have been thinking about this and the logical safe way would be to carve out a flat circle to suit in the rock with an undercut around the perimeter. The first course stones would then be slipped in and mortared. The stones would effectively have an L-shaped toe carved on the bottom outer face. The last stone installed would make sure all is locked into place. This would all have to be accurately measured and cut out precisely to ensure no problems and everything fitting securely. The rest of the stones would be dovetailed and mortared together. They would probably use a very strong but thin tile adhesive type of mortar. Being prefabricated everything should have gone together like clockwork and in quick time. Depending on distances stones could be transported by boat or a steel cable and pulley system. losing stones in the sea would have caused nasty setbacks, more extra work, and delays, so great care would have been taken in the transportation of the stones.

[@grahamlait1969]

Hmmmm... The chaps I admire in this are the two blokes doing the sawing, one of whom describes it as 'numbing' and says 'You'd rather be doing almost anything else.'... and they're doing it as a hobby. The other bloke, the one stuck down the hole in the ground, doesn't get to say anything at all. Speaking as a Scot, I have to say that the English really are the best. I wouldn't like to say what they're best at, but I can think of nothing more likely to give you a novel perspective on this world than taking up a hobby you actually hate.

[@oiudatropen9548]

Please fix the audio. It's way too low!

[@EokaBeamer69]

What's the name of the moderator? I love this guys style of narrating and explaining. He's like the David Attenborough of history.

[@EokaBeamer69]

nvm. I just watched the first minute of the video. :D

[@PatrickBaptist]

@@EokaBeamer69 Yeah you quickly learn he is a dufus that never really worked a real labor job a day of his whole life... Just a softie...

[@EokaBeamer69]

@@PatrickBaptist So whats his name then?

[@PatrickBaptist]

@@EokaBeamer69 Not worth my time.

[@Sheppey05]

The narrator is Tony Robinson

[@jerrythegnome7688]

5:17 guy fieri serving him salted and dried meat

[@NsKrewtable]

Taking him to Flavor Town.

[@someguy-oe4fk]

Watch the lighthouse, basic idea of the lighthouse keepers life

[@stoveboltlvr3798]

13:16 must be the poop deck!

[@homfri111]

and to think my buddy had an existential crisis when the starbucks on the carl vinson was shut down for half his deployment

[@theeraphatsunthornwit6266]

Sawing wood like that it gonna take time to make ship😯

[@Turambar3791]

Henry freeman was faster than bullets XD

[@TheBigLeeg]

The lighthouse guy wasn’t kept sane as he proclaimed. I found even the edited version of him was a bit goofy. To put it lightly. lol pun intended

[@Manospondylus]

Used to rule the waves. 🇺🇲

[@blairfleming5861]

i would have said the worst job was being a settler or exploration expedition having like 30% of your crew die during the travel was considered a pretty good ratio not to mention the pain of having scurvy and the mental stress of having to eat rancid flour with maggots crawling through it and eating not to mention that when you arrive at your destination its likely you will be in even worse conditions

[@biggshow1045]

Descending angel part of American boot camp experience,marine corp.

[@arlenmargolin1650]

Well it's hard to believe that working the capstan and pulling up the anchor could take days I mean what if you had a high tail it out of there and I don't know it doesn't make any sense to me that to pull up an anchor would take more than an hour or so even an hour sounds like a long time

[@finkelroy211]

I guess Tony Robinson wasn't a Boy Scout!

[@PatrickBaptist]

Oh but I bet he was...... Seems like the soft kinda boy they would want.

[@kristaGinger]

I really like this guy in general. But someone younger and more actively able to do things would be a bit better lol😂😂 I just feel bad. He dies like 10 seconds in

[@geoffpriestley7001]

He was born in 47 so 73 this year

[@trymenot81]

Doubt if the stunt man sliding from church steeples was a grandfather's age.

[@paulstewart6293]

Anchors were connected to the boat by cannabis ropes of 10 cm. Anchoring uses the concept of the catenary.It's odd. But the curve is nice.

[@davidhartung1962]

It’s called the BIG spoon

[@blipblip88]

"Manky" lol..