1858
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- The permanent Out Skerries Lighthouse on Bound Skerry was lit.
- Robert Jamieson (1827-1899) takes up post as schoolmaster in Sandness
January
- 1st
The new and permanent Muckle Flugga Lighthouse was lit. - 10th
The Vivacious,laden with a cargo of wheat, drove ashore in Culli Voe. She was reported to have been in the process of discharging her cargo by the 15th, and does not appear again in the record, therefor presumed probably successfully salvaged. - 12th
The Eclipse, a sail barque laden with a cargo of coal, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, from Newport, and for Madras, India went ashore at one of the locations in Shetland known as "Sandwick", Sand Wick, Northmavine, or Sand Wick, Sandwick are thought most likely. The wreck and cargo was purchased and refloated by Hay & Co. sometime before August 13th, and taken to Freefield, Lerwick. The hulk, was later beached and broken up at the North Ness during 1860/61.
March
- 25th
Shetland's only mass murder took place.
Peter Williamson, a shop owner in Lerwick and Lerwick Town Councillor, murdered his wife and three of his five children in a house in Fox Lane. Another of his children was injured but survived, whilst another child was not at home at the time of the attack.
May
- 19th
The Lark (1858). a cod fishing sloop, of Lerwick, for the West Voe of Sumburgh, struck a rock and in the vicinity of Horse Holm or actually within the West Voe of Sumburgh, as a result of her jibsheet carrying away during a gale. All of the crew were saved. - The vessel Tolv Sødskende broke from moorings in Lerwick Harbour and went ashore on rocks at an unspecified location.
August
- 31st
Bressay Lighthouse on Kirkabister Ness is first lit.
September
- 2nd
William A. A. Tulloch was born. - 9th'
An unidentified fishing boat capsized or foundered off Burra Ness/Burraness, North Yell putting the lives of four persons in imminent danger. May S. Hectorson of Burraness was lowered on a rope on to a cliff ledge, from where, at some personal danger, she threw a line to two of the men and was instrumental in their rescue. For this she received a silver medal and the sum of £2.00 from the Merchant Marine Fund. For their part in the rescue Andrew Moar, a fisherman received the sum of £1.00, and Janet Brown, Catherine Arthur, Elizabeth Moar and Jane Tulloch received 15 shillings each. It is not stated whether this date is the date of the incident or of the award being made.
October
- The Elizabeth (1858), a sloop, of Aberdeen, Scotland, wrecked at Infield Mossbank/Firths Voe.
- 7th
- The Favourite (1858), a sloop, of Lerwick, while moored at the quayside at Freefield drove against it, became severely damaged and sank to lie on her beam ends.
- Two unidentified fishing vessels, registered in Scotland, and described as "small", wrecked at or near Voe in Olna Firth.
- 11th
The vessel Phoenix which had been lying in Lerwick Harbour, went ashore at a location within the harbour then known as Sinclair's Pier, and subsequently went to pieces.
November
- Gas lights first lit in Lerwick streets.
