Gas Light and Coke Company
Encyclopedia
The Gas Light and Coke Company (also known as the Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company), was a company that made and supplied coal gas
and coke
. The Company was located on Horseferry Road
in Westminster
, London. It is identified as the original company from which British Gas plc
is descended.
, who was originally from Germany, and incorporated by Royal Charter
on 30 April 1812 under the seal of King George III. It was the first company set up to supply London with (coal) gas
, and operated the first gas works in the United Kingdom which was also the world's first public gas works. It was governed by a "Court of Directors", which met for the first time on 24 June 1812. The original capitalisation was £1 million (about £9 billion at 2005 prices), in 80,000 shares.
Offices were established at Pall Mall
, with a wharf at Cannon Row. In 1818 the company established a tar works in Poplar
and expanded their works at Brick Lane
and Westminster. Under the company's chief engineer, Samuel Clegg
(formerly of Boulton and Watt
), a gas works was installed at the Royal Mint
in 1817 and by 1819 nearly 290 miles of pipes had been laid in London, supplying 51,000 burners. Clegg also developed a practical gas meter.
The Company absorbed numerous smaller companies, including the Aldgate Gas Light and Coke Company (1819), the City of London Gas Light and Coke Company (1870), the Equitable Gas Light Company (1871), the Great Central Gas Consumer's Company (1870), Victoria Docks Gas Company (1871), Western Gas Light Company (1873), Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company (1876), Independent Gas Light and Coke Company (1876), the London Gas Light Company (1883), Richmond Gas Company (1925), Brentford Gas Company (1926), Pinner Gas Company (1930) and Southend-on-Sea and District Gas Company (1932).
With the advent of electricity the company expanded into domestic services, with "Lady Demonstrators" employed to promote gas cooking. This home service eventually developed into a full advisory service on domestic gas use.
The GLCC supplied an area from Pinner
in North West London to Southend-on-Sea
in Essex. On 1st May 1949 the GLCC was nationalised under the Gas Act 1948 and became the North Thames Gas Board
, one of Britain's twelve regional Gas Boards.
in Fulham
in 1824. Its ornately decorated number 2 gasholder is Georgian
, completed in 1830 and reputed to be the oldest gasholder in the World. The Imperial Gasworks' neoclassical
office building was completed in 1857 and a laboratory designed by the architect Sir Walter Tapper
was added in 1927. All three structures are now Grade II listed buildings.
Coal was delivered by flatiron coastal
colliers
, which had a low-profile superstructure, hinged funnel and masts in order to pass under bridges upriver from the Pool of London
. The GLCC had a new jetty built at Imperial Wharf in the 1920s.
. The company was taken over by the GLCC in 1883. The works covered 20 acres (8 ha) and once employed 800 people. The works were damaged in Second World War air raids.
Coal was delivered by flatiron coastal colliers. After the works were rebuilt, a new jetty and coal handling plant were added in 1952.
Nine Elms Gas Works closed in 1970 as a result of Britain's conversion to natural gas
from the North Sea
. The site has since been redeveloped for a Royal Mail
depot and other commercial units.
were built in 1868 on East Ham
Levels east of London. The site was named "Beckton" after the GLCC chairman, Simon Adams Beck. The vast 550 acres (222.6 ha) not only gave the GLCC room for much more gas production than at Nine Elms, but was downriver of the Pool of London and so could be served by significantly larger colliers.
In 1872 five men were gaoled for 12 months following a strike at the Beckton works in support of two workers sacked for requesting a pay rise. The sentence was subsequently reduced to four months. In 1889 men were laid off from Beckton, prompting the founding of the National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers, which subsequently became part of the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union
(GMB Union).
was completed in 1869 for the Brentford Gas Company. The GLCC took the company over in 1926 and had Southall's No. 5 gas holder built early in the 1930s. The holder is over 300 feet (91.4 m) tall and is still a major local landmark.
Coal was supplied to Southall works via the Grand Union Canal
and the Great Western Railway
. Like Beckton, Southall was a major supplier of road tar.
GLCC ships had brown upper works above hull level. The funnel was black with a broad silver band above two narrow silver or white bands, and the broad silver band was emblazoned with red pyramids. The house flag was white with a red rising sun in the centre and the initials "G L C Co." in blue capitals distributed around the four corners.
SS Lanterna was a 1,685 GRT
collier built in 1882 by the Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. of Willington Quay, Howdon
, Tyneside
. On 6th October 1916 a mine
sank her in the North Sea
off Cromer
. All her crew survived.
SS Coalgas was a 2,257 GRT collier built in 1890 by Short Brothers
at Pallion
, Sunderland
. On 5th March 1918 a mine sank her in the North Sea southeast of Orford Ness
. All her crew survived.
SS Ignis was a 2,042 GRT collier built in 1903 by Bonn and Mees of Rotterdam
. On 8th December 1915 a mine sank her in the North Sea off Aldeburgh
. All her crew survived.
SS Fulgens was a 2,512 GRT collier built in 1912 by Wood, Skinner & Co of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. On 1st August 1915 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea one mile off Sea Palling
. All her crew survived.
SS Snilesworth was a 2,220 GRT collier that Short Brothers had built in 1889 for John Tulley and Sons of Sunderland. The GLCC bought her in 1915 and renamed her Lampada. On 8th December 1917 the German Type UB III submarine
torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea three miles north of Whitby
. Five of Lampadas crew were killed.
SS Grovemont was a 1,298 GRT collier built as Tudhoe in 1906 by S.P. Austin and Son
of Sunderland for Furness Withy
. J.P. Jönsson of Landskrona
, Sweden bought her in 1913 and renamed her Grovemont. The GLCC bought her in 1915 and renamed her Capitol (I). In 1925 the GLCC sold her to new owners in Norway who renamed her Vilma. After the Second World War she passed through three more owners and names. She was broken up in Hamburg
in 1957.
SS Grovelea was a 1,282 GRT collier built in 1906 as Lady Furness for A. Christiansen of Copenhagen
. J.P. Jönsson bought her in 1912 and renamed her Grovelea. The GLCC bought her in 1915 and renamed her Phare. On 31st October 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Scarborough. 14 of Phares 18 crew were killed.
SS Universal was a 1,274 GRT collier built in 1878 by Short Brothers for the Taylor and Sanderson Steam Ship Co of Sunderland. The GLCC bought her in 1916 and renamed her Ardens. On 18th August 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Filey
. One of Ardens crew was killed.
SS Magnus Mail was a 2,299 GRT cargo ship built in 1889 by Short Brothers for J. Westoll of Sunderland. The GLCC bought her in 1916 and renamed her . On 21 May 1917 the German submarine shelled and boarded her in the North Sea off Whitby. The boarding party tried to scuttle her with explosives but she did not immediately sink. Vessels from Whitby rescued her crew and took Lanthorn in tow, but she sank before she could be beached.
SS Rookwood was a 1,143 GRT collier built in 1896 by John Blumer & Co. of Sunderland for the East London Steam Ship Co of London. The GLCC bought her in 1916 and renamed her Firelight. On 1st May 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank Firelight off the mouth of the River Tyne
.
SS Monkwood was a 1,141 GRT collier built in 1900 by John Blumer & Co. for Steam Colliers Ltd. of London. She was sold to Tyne & Wear Shipping in 1901. The GLCC bought her in 1916 and renamed her Glow. On 22nd July 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Cloughton
. One of Glows gunners was killed.
SS War Brigade was a 2,365 GRT coaster
ordered by the UK War Shipping Controller and built in 1919. While she was under construction the GLCC bought her and renamed her Halo. On 21 March 1941 a mine in the Thames sank her off Beckton Pier. She was later salvaged and returned to service. On 22 January 1945 a German S-boat torpedoed her in the North Sea off Vlissingen. She was taken in tow but sank the next day. All her crew were saved.
SS Whitemantle was a 1,692 GRT collier built in 1920 by Wood, Skinner & Co of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. On 22 October 1939 she was sunk in the North Sea by a mine off Withernsea
.
SS Flashlight was a 934 GRT flatiron
launched in May 1920 by S.P. Austin & Son of Sunderland. Enemy aircraft bombed and sank her off The Wash
on 7th March 1941.
SS Gaslight was a coastal collier launched in 1920. The GLCC bought her in 1921 to supply Beckton gas works and Regents Canal Dock. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949.
SS Fireglow (I) was a 1,261 GRT flatiron built in 1925 by S.P. Austin & Son. On 8th December 1941 a German mine in the Hearty Knoll Channel in the North Sea north of Blakeney Point
sank her, killing one of her crew.
SS Homefire was a 1,262 GRT flatiron built in 1925 by S.P. Austin & Son.
SS Lady Olga was a 1,266 GRT flatiron built in 1927 by S.P. Austin & Son to serve Fulham Gasworks. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949 and was broken up at Hoboken, Antwerp in 1958.
MV Barking is a tug
built in 1928 by J. Pollock & Sons of Faversham
, Kent. Her work was to move lighters
on the Thames. She has survived, is preserved in private ownership and has been re-engined as a steam tug.
SS Suntrap was a 939 GRT flatiron built in 1929 by Hawthorn Leslie and Company
of Hebburn
on Tyneside. On nationalisation in 1949 she passed to North Thames Gas Board, who in 1954 sold her to the Ouse Steam Ship Company, who renamed her Sunfleet.
SS Torchbearer was a 1,267 GRT collier built in 1929 by John Crown & Sons Ltd
of Sunderland. On 19th November 1939 she was sunk by a mine in the North Sea off Orford Ness
and four of her crew were killed.
SS Horseferry was a 951 GRT collier built built in 1930 by John Crown & Sons. On 11 March 1942 the German S-boat S-27 torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Winterton-on-Sea
. 11 members of her crew were killed.
SS Mr Therm was a 2,974 GRT collier launched in April 1936 by S.P. Austin & Son. She was named after an advertising image that the illustrator Eric Fraser
(1902–83) had designed for the GLCC in 1931.
SS Icemaid was a 1,964 GRT collier launched in May 1936 by S.P. Austin & Son. On nationalisation in 1949 she passed to North Thames Gas Board, who in 1958 sold her to Greek owners who renamed her Papeira M and registered her in Panama
. She was wrecked at Mogadishu
, Somalia in 1963 and scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia in 1965.
SS Gasfire was a 2,972 GRT collier launched in September 1936 by S.P. Austin & Son. On 17 October 1940 the S-boat S-27 torpedoed her in the North Sea off Smith's Knoll east of Great Yarmouth
. Gasfires stern was damaged and 11 crew were killed but she remained afloat. Austin repaired her and in May 1941 she returned to service, but on 21 June 1941 a mine sank her in the North Sea 11 miles east of Southwold
.
SS Murdoch was a 2,717 GRT collier launched in January 1941 by S.P. Austin & Son. On 26th April 1941 she struck a submerged wreck in the North Sea, causing a severe leak. Her crew tried to keep her under way, but she sank near the North Scroby Sand off Caister-on-Sea
.
SS Capitol (II) was a 1,558 GRT flatiron launched in April 1941 by S.P. Austin & Son.
SS Adams Beck was a 2,816 GRT collier built in 1941 by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Company
of Fife
. She was launched in April 1941 and completed in June, but on 29th July enemy aircraft attacked and sank her in the Tyne
estuary, killing one member of the crew.
SS Fireside was a 2,717 GRT collier launched in March 1942 by S.P. Austin & Son.
SS Flamma was a 2,727 GRT collier launched at Burntisland in April 1942. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949. In 1963 she was sold to new owners who renamed her Sangeorge and registered her in Panama
. In 1967 she was broken up in Bremen
, Germany.
SS Firedog was a 1,557 GRT flatiron launched for the GLCC in July 1942 by S.P. Austin & Son.
SS Winsor was a 2,831 GRT collier launched at Burntisland in May 1942. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949. In 1964 she was sold to new owners who renamed her Ypapanti and registered her in Panama. In 1966 she was wrecked in the North Sea off Walton on the Naze.
SS Firelight (II) was a 2,841 GRT collier launched at Burntisland in January 1943 and completed in May. On 4th November 1943 an S-boat torpedoed her in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk
. The torpedo blew off Firelights bow
but she remained afloat and put into Great Yarmouth
the next day. Later she was taken to South Shields
, fitted with a new bow section and returned to service.
SS Fireglow (II) was a 1,549 GRT flatiron launched in July 1944 by S.P. Austin & Son. She took the name of the earlier Fireglow sunk in 1941.
SS Firebeam was a 1,554 GRT collier launched in 1945 by Hall, Russell & Company
of Aberdeen, who built her under contract to Burntisland Shipbuilding.
MV Adams Beck was a 1,773 GRT flatiron launched at Burntisland in 1948. She took the name of the earlier Adams Beck sunk in 1941. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949. She was sold to Greek owners in 1963 who renamed her Razani and registered her in Panama. In 1967 she ran aground in Galway Bay
in Ireland. In 1968 she was refloated, taken to Passage West
near Cork
and broken up.
Coal gas
Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal containing a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and volatile hydrocarbons together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen...
and coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
. The Company was located on Horseferry Road
Horseferry Road
Horseferry Road is a street in the City of Westminster in central London, England, running between Millbank and Greycoat Place. It is perhaps best known as the site of City of Westminster Magistrates' Court...
in Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, London. It is identified as the original company from which British Gas plc
British Gas plc
British Gas plc was formerly the monopoly gas supplier and is a private sector in the United Kingdom.- History :In the early 1900s the gas market in the United Kingdom was mainly run by county councils and small private firms...
is descended.
History
The company was founded by Frederick Albert WinsorFrederick Albert Winsor
Frederick Albert Winsor, originally Friedrich Albrecht Winzer was a German inventor, one of the pioneers of gas lighting in the UK and France....
, who was originally from Germany, and incorporated by Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
on 30 April 1812 under the seal of King George III. It was the first company set up to supply London with (coal) gas
Coal gas
Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal containing a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and volatile hydrocarbons together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen...
, and operated the first gas works in the United Kingdom which was also the world's first public gas works. It was governed by a "Court of Directors", which met for the first time on 24 June 1812. The original capitalisation was £1 million (about £9 billion at 2005 prices), in 80,000 shares.
Offices were established at Pall Mall
Pall Mall, London
Pall Mall is a street in the City of Westminster, London, and parallel to The Mall, from St. James's Street across Waterloo Place to the Haymarket; while Pall Mall East continues into Trafalgar Square. The street is a major thoroughfare in the St James's area of London, and a section of the...
, with a wharf at Cannon Row. In 1818 the company established a tar works in Poplar
Poplar, London
Poplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
and expanded their works at Brick Lane
Brick Lane
Brick Lane is a street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It runs from Swanfield Street in the northern part of Bethnal Green, crosses Bethnal Green Road, passes through Spitalfields and is linked to Whitechapel High Street to the south by the short stretch of...
and Westminster. Under the company's chief engineer, Samuel Clegg
Samuel Clegg
Samuel Clegg was a British civil engineer.Clegg was born at Manchester on 2 March 1781, received a scientific education under the care of Dr. Dalton. He was then apprenticed to Boulton and Watt, and at the Soho Manufactory witnessed many of William Murdoch's earlier experiments in the use of coal...
(formerly of Boulton and Watt
Boulton and Watt
The firm of Boulton & Watt was initially a partnership between Matthew Boulton and James Watt.-The engine partnership:The partnership was formed in 1775 to exploit Watt's patent for a steam engine with a separate condenser. This made much more efficient use of its fuel than the older Newcomen engine...
), a gas works was installed at the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
in 1817 and by 1819 nearly 290 miles of pipes had been laid in London, supplying 51,000 burners. Clegg also developed a practical gas meter.
The Company absorbed numerous smaller companies, including the Aldgate Gas Light and Coke Company (1819), the City of London Gas Light and Coke Company (1870), the Equitable Gas Light Company (1871), the Great Central Gas Consumer's Company (1870), Victoria Docks Gas Company (1871), Western Gas Light Company (1873), Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company (1876), Independent Gas Light and Coke Company (1876), the London Gas Light Company (1883), Richmond Gas Company (1925), Brentford Gas Company (1926), Pinner Gas Company (1930) and Southend-on-Sea and District Gas Company (1932).
With the advent of electricity the company expanded into domestic services, with "Lady Demonstrators" employed to promote gas cooking. This home service eventually developed into a full advisory service on domestic gas use.
The GLCC supplied an area from Pinner
Pinner
- Climate :Pinner's geographical position on the far western side of North West London makes it the furthest London suburb from any UK coastline. Hence the lower prevalence of moderating maritime influences make Pinner noticeably warmer in the spring and the summer compared to the rest of the capital...
in North West London to Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
in Essex. On 1st May 1949 the GLCC was nationalised under the Gas Act 1948 and became the North Thames Gas Board
North Thames Gas Board
The North Thames Gas Board was a state-owned utility providing gas for light and heat to industries and homes in part of England. The Board's area included parts of the County of London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Surrey...
, one of Britain's twelve regional Gas Boards.
Fulham
The Imperial Gas Company started construction of its works at Sands EndSands End
Sands End is in the southernmost part of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Sands End was a close knit working class community but has in recent years become gentrified with flats on the market for more than £2.4 million....
in Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
in 1824. Its ornately decorated number 2 gasholder is Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, completed in 1830 and reputed to be the oldest gasholder in the World. The Imperial Gasworks' neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
office building was completed in 1857 and a laboratory designed by the architect Sir Walter Tapper
Walter Tapper
Sir Walter Tapper was a British architect known for Gothic Revivalist architecture. On his death in 1935 his son Michael Tapper completed some of his works....
was added in 1927. All three structures are now Grade II listed buildings.
Coal was delivered by flatiron coastal
Coastal trading vessel
Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled sea-going ships usually cannot....
colliers
Collier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
, which had a low-profile superstructure, hinged funnel and masts in order to pass under bridges upriver from the Pool of London
Pool of London
The Pool of London is a part of the Tideway of the River Thames from London Bridge to below Tower Bridge. It was the original part of the Port of London. The Pool of London is divided into two parts, the Upper Pool and Lower Pool...
. The GLCC had a new jetty built at Imperial Wharf in the 1920s.
Nine Elms
Nine Elms Gas Works were built in 1858 by the London Gas Light Company, on the site of a former tidal mill on the south bank of the River ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. The company was taken over by the GLCC in 1883. The works covered 20 acres (8 ha) and once employed 800 people. The works were damaged in Second World War air raids.
Coal was delivered by flatiron coastal colliers. After the works were rebuilt, a new jetty and coal handling plant were added in 1952.
Nine Elms Gas Works closed in 1970 as a result of Britain's conversion to natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. The site has since been redeveloped for a Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
depot and other commercial units.
Beckton
Beckton Gas WorksBeckton Gas Works
Beckton Gas Works was a major London gas works built to manufacture coal gas and other products including coke from coal. It has been variously described as 'the largest such plant in the world' and 'the largest gas works in Europe'. It operated from 1870 to 1969, with an associated by-products...
were built in 1868 on East Ham
East Ham
East Ham is a suburban district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Newham. It is a built-up district located 8 miles east-northeast of Charing Cross...
Levels east of London. The site was named "Beckton" after the GLCC chairman, Simon Adams Beck. The vast 550 acres (222.6 ha) not only gave the GLCC room for much more gas production than at Nine Elms, but was downriver of the Pool of London and so could be served by significantly larger colliers.
In 1872 five men were gaoled for 12 months following a strike at the Beckton works in support of two workers sacked for requesting a pay rise. The sentence was subsequently reduced to four months. In 1889 men were laid off from Beckton, prompting the founding of the National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers, which subsequently became part of the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union
GMB Union
The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom, and has more than 600,000 members. Its members are drawn from many sectors, with particular strength amongst manual workers in local government and the health service...
(GMB Union).
Southall
Southall Gas WorksSouthall Gas Works
Southall Gas Works is a site of around in Southall, west London, formerly occupied by a plant for the manufacture of town gas. Today a much reduced site is used for the pressure reduction and storage of natural gas and the remainder of the site is the subject of planning proposals.-Location:The...
was completed in 1869 for the Brentford Gas Company. The GLCC took the company over in 1926 and had Southall's No. 5 gas holder built early in the 1930s. The holder is over 300 feet (91.4 m) tall and is still a major local landmark.
Coal was supplied to Southall works via the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
and the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
. Like Beckton, Southall was a major supplier of road tar.
Transport
The company had a large and diverse transport fleet including ships, barges and railway wagons and locomotives to bring coal into the gasworks and take coke and by-products out, plus horse-drawn and later motorised transport for local delivery and maintenance.Ships
Stephenson Clarke and Associated Companies managed the GLCC's ships.GLCC ships had brown upper works above hull level. The funnel was black with a broad silver band above two narrow silver or white bands, and the broad silver band was emblazoned with red pyramids. The house flag was white with a red rising sun in the centre and the initials "G L C Co." in blue capitals distributed around the four corners.
SS Lanterna was a 1,685 GRT
Gross Register Tonnage
Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...
collier built in 1882 by the Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. of Willington Quay, Howdon
Howdon
Howdon is a place in Tyne and Wear, England.Howdon is an area in the eastern part of Wallsend, a former coal-mining and shipbuilding town on the north banks of the River Tyne....
, Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
. On 6th October 1916 a mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
sank her in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
off Cromer
Cromer
Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
. All her crew survived.
SS Coalgas was a 2,257 GRT collier built in 1890 by Short Brothers
Short Brothers of Sunderland
Short Brothers Limited was a British shipbuilding company formed in 1850 and based at Pallion, Sunderland since 1869. The company closed in 1964 when it failed to invest to build bigger ships.-19th century:...
at Pallion
Pallion
Pallion is a suburb, civil parish and electoral ward of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England. Most of the buildings in the area were built during the Victorian Era and consist of large terraced houses built for wealthy shipbuilders, but also smaller one storey cottages in other areas...
, Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
. On 5th March 1918 a mine sank her in the North Sea southeast of Orford Ness
Orford Ness
Orford Ness is a cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford and down to North Wier Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the mainland by the River Alde, and was formed by longshore...
. All her crew survived.
SS Ignis was a 2,042 GRT collier built in 1903 by Bonn and Mees of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. On 8th December 1915 a mine sank her in the North Sea off Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
. All her crew survived.
SS Fulgens was a 2,512 GRT collier built in 1912 by Wood, Skinner & Co of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. On 1st August 1915 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea one mile off Sea Palling
Sea Palling
Sea Palling is a village and a civil parish covering in the English county of Norfolk. The village is south-east of Cromer, north-east of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies east of the A149 between Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth...
. All her crew survived.
SS Snilesworth was a 2,220 GRT collier that Short Brothers had built in 1889 for John Tulley and Sons of Sunderland. The GLCC bought her in 1915 and renamed her Lampada. On 8th December 1917 the German Type UB III submarine
German type UB III submarine
The Type UB III submarine was a class of U-boat built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.UB III boats carried 10 torpedoes and were armed with one 88 mm deck gun. They carried a crew of 34 and had a cruising range of around 9,000 miles...
torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea three miles north of Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
. Five of Lampadas crew were killed.
SS Grovemont was a 1,298 GRT collier built as Tudhoe in 1906 by S.P. Austin and Son
A&P Group
A&P Group Ltd is the largest ship repair and conversion company in the UK, with three shipyards located in Hebburn, Middlesbrough and Falmouth. The Company undertakes a wide variety of maintenance and repair work on commercial and military ships with projects ranging from a two day alongside repair...
of Sunderland for Furness Withy
Furness Withy
Furness Withy was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange.-History:The Company was founded by Christopher Furness and Henry Withy in 1891 in Hartlepool. This was achieved by the amalgamation of the Furness Line of steamers with the business of Edward Withy and...
. J.P. Jönsson of Landskrona
Landskrona
Landskrona is a locality and the seat of Landskrona Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 28,670 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Landskrona was founded at the location of Scania's best natural harbour, as a means of King Eric of Pomerania's anti-Hanseatic policy, intended to compete...
, Sweden bought her in 1913 and renamed her Grovemont. The GLCC bought her in 1915 and renamed her Capitol (I). In 1925 the GLCC sold her to new owners in Norway who renamed her Vilma. After the Second World War she passed through three more owners and names. She was broken up in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
in 1957.
SS Grovelea was a 1,282 GRT collier built in 1906 as Lady Furness for A. Christiansen of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. J.P. Jönsson bought her in 1912 and renamed her Grovelea. The GLCC bought her in 1915 and renamed her Phare. On 31st October 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Scarborough. 14 of Phares 18 crew were killed.
SS Universal was a 1,274 GRT collier built in 1878 by Short Brothers for the Taylor and Sanderson Steam Ship Co of Sunderland. The GLCC bought her in 1916 and renamed her Ardens. On 18th August 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Filey
Filey
Filey is a small town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the borough of Scarborough and is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast. Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort...
. One of Ardens crew was killed.
SS Magnus Mail was a 2,299 GRT cargo ship built in 1889 by Short Brothers for J. Westoll of Sunderland. The GLCC bought her in 1916 and renamed her . On 21 May 1917 the German submarine shelled and boarded her in the North Sea off Whitby. The boarding party tried to scuttle her with explosives but she did not immediately sink. Vessels from Whitby rescued her crew and took Lanthorn in tow, but she sank before she could be beached.
SS Rookwood was a 1,143 GRT collier built in 1896 by John Blumer & Co. of Sunderland for the East London Steam Ship Co of London. The GLCC bought her in 1916 and renamed her Firelight. On 1st May 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank Firelight off the mouth of the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
.
SS Monkwood was a 1,141 GRT collier built in 1900 by John Blumer & Co. for Steam Colliers Ltd. of London. She was sold to Tyne & Wear Shipping in 1901. The GLCC bought her in 1916 and renamed her Glow. On 22nd July 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Cloughton
Cloughton
Cloughton is a small village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north of Scarborough town centre....
. One of Glows gunners was killed.
SS War Brigade was a 2,365 GRT coaster
Coastal trading vessel
Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled sea-going ships usually cannot....
ordered by the UK War Shipping Controller and built in 1919. While she was under construction the GLCC bought her and renamed her Halo. On 21 March 1941 a mine in the Thames sank her off Beckton Pier. She was later salvaged and returned to service. On 22 January 1945 a German S-boat torpedoed her in the North Sea off Vlissingen. She was taken in tow but sank the next day. All her crew were saved.
SS Whitemantle was a 1,692 GRT collier built in 1920 by Wood, Skinner & Co of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. On 22 October 1939 she was sunk in the North Sea by a mine off Withernsea
Withernsea
Withernsea is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and forms the focal point for a wider community of small villages in Holderness. Its most famous landmark is the white inland lighthouse, rising around above Hull Road...
.
SS Flashlight was a 934 GRT flatiron
Flatiron (ship)
A flatiron is a type of coastal trading vessel designed to pass under bridges that have limited clearance. Her mast are hinged or telescopic, her funnel may be hinged, and her wheelhouse may also fold flat....
launched in May 1920 by S.P. Austin & Son of Sunderland. Enemy aircraft bombed and sank her off The Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
on 7th March 1941.
SS Gaslight was a coastal collier launched in 1920. The GLCC bought her in 1921 to supply Beckton gas works and Regents Canal Dock. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949.
SS Fireglow (I) was a 1,261 GRT flatiron built in 1925 by S.P. Austin & Son. On 8th December 1941 a German mine in the Hearty Knoll Channel in the North Sea north of Blakeney Point
Blakeney Point
Blakeney Point is a shingle spit on the coast of North Norfolk north of the village of Blakeney in the English county of Norfolk. It is managed by the National Trust as part of its Blakeney National Nature Reserve and within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-Description:Blakeney...
sank her, killing one of her crew.
SS Homefire was a 1,262 GRT flatiron built in 1925 by S.P. Austin & Son.
SS Lady Olga was a 1,266 GRT flatiron built in 1927 by S.P. Austin & Son to serve Fulham Gasworks. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949 and was broken up at Hoboken, Antwerp in 1958.
MV Barking is a tug
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
built in 1928 by J. Pollock & Sons of Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
, Kent. Her work was to move lighters
Lighter (barge)
A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered and were moved and steered using long oars called "sweeps," with their motive power provided by water currents...
on the Thames. She has survived, is preserved in private ownership and has been re-engined as a steam tug.
SS Suntrap was a 939 GRT flatiron built in 1929 by Hawthorn Leslie and Company
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
of Hebburn
Hebburn
Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
on Tyneside. On nationalisation in 1949 she passed to North Thames Gas Board, who in 1954 sold her to the Ouse Steam Ship Company, who renamed her Sunfleet.
SS Torchbearer was a 1,267 GRT collier built in 1929 by John Crown & Sons Ltd
John Crown & Sons Ltd
John Crown & Sons Ltd, was a British shipbuilding company founded in 1847 and based on the River Wear, Sunderland.-Ships built by John Crown & Sons Ltd:-See also:* List of shipbuilders and shipyards...
of Sunderland. On 19th November 1939 she was sunk by a mine in the North Sea off Orford Ness
Orford Ness
Orford Ness is a cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford and down to North Wier Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the mainland by the River Alde, and was formed by longshore...
and four of her crew were killed.
SS Horseferry was a 951 GRT collier built built in 1930 by John Crown & Sons. On 11 March 1942 the German S-boat S-27 torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Winterton-on-Sea
Winterton-on-Sea
Winterton-on-Sea is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. As its name suggests, it is situated on the coast some north of the town of Great Yarmouth and east of the city of Norwich.Ordnance Survey . OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East...
. 11 members of her crew were killed.
SS Mr Therm was a 2,974 GRT collier launched in April 1936 by S.P. Austin & Son. She was named after an advertising image that the illustrator Eric Fraser
Eric Fraser
Eric George Fraser was one of the foremost British illustrators and graphic artists of his time, famous in the public mind for his regular contributions to the Radio Times, and as the creator in 1931 of 'Mr Therm' in adverts for the Gas Light and Coke Company.He illustrated classic scenes from...
(1902–83) had designed for the GLCC in 1931.
SS Icemaid was a 1,964 GRT collier launched in May 1936 by S.P. Austin & Son. On nationalisation in 1949 she passed to North Thames Gas Board, who in 1958 sold her to Greek owners who renamed her Papeira M and registered her in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. She was wrecked at Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, Somalia in 1963 and scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia in 1965.
SS Gasfire was a 2,972 GRT collier launched in September 1936 by S.P. Austin & Son. On 17 October 1940 the S-boat S-27 torpedoed her in the North Sea off Smith's Knoll east of Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
. Gasfires stern was damaged and 11 crew were killed but she remained afloat. Austin repaired her and in May 1941 she returned to service, but on 21 June 1941 a mine sank her in the North Sea 11 miles east of Southwold
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
.
SS Murdoch was a 2,717 GRT collier launched in January 1941 by S.P. Austin & Son. On 26th April 1941 she struck a submerged wreck in the North Sea, causing a severe leak. Her crew tried to keep her under way, but she sank near the North Scroby Sand off Caister-on-Sea
Caister-on-Sea
Caister-on-Sea, also known colloquially as Caister, is a settlement in Norfolk in the United Kingdom, close to the large town of Great Yarmouth. It is a seaside resort and busy holiday destination on the "Golden Mile", with its main attraction being its sandy "Georgian Beach". It is home to Great...
.
SS Capitol (II) was a 1,558 GRT flatiron launched in April 1941 by S.P. Austin & Son.
SS Adams Beck was a 2,816 GRT collier built in 1941 by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Company
Burntisland Shipbuilding Company
The Burntisland Shipbuilding Company was a shibuilder and repairer in Burntisland, Fife, Scotland that traded from 1918 until 1969.-Founding and early years:...
of Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. She was launched in April 1941 and completed in June, but on 29th July enemy aircraft attacked and sank her in the Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
estuary, killing one member of the crew.
SS Fireside was a 2,717 GRT collier launched in March 1942 by S.P. Austin & Son.
SS Flamma was a 2,727 GRT collier launched at Burntisland in April 1942. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949. In 1963 she was sold to new owners who renamed her Sangeorge and registered her in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. In 1967 she was broken up in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Germany.
SS Firedog was a 1,557 GRT flatiron launched for the GLCC in July 1942 by S.P. Austin & Son.
SS Winsor was a 2,831 GRT collier launched at Burntisland in May 1942. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949. In 1964 she was sold to new owners who renamed her Ypapanti and registered her in Panama. In 1966 she was wrecked in the North Sea off Walton on the Naze.
SS Firelight (II) was a 2,841 GRT collier launched at Burntisland in January 1943 and completed in May. On 4th November 1943 an S-boat torpedoed her in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. The torpedo blew off Firelights bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
but she remained afloat and put into Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
the next day. Later she was taken to South Shields
South Shields
South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
, fitted with a new bow section and returned to service.
SS Fireglow (II) was a 1,549 GRT flatiron launched in July 1944 by S.P. Austin & Son. She took the name of the earlier Fireglow sunk in 1941.
SS Firebeam was a 1,554 GRT collier launched in 1945 by Hall, Russell & Company
Hall, Russell & Company
Hall, Russell & Company, Limited was a shipbuilder based in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK-History:Brothers James and William Hall, Thomas Russell, a Glasgow engineer, and James Cardno Couper founded the company in 1864 to build steam engines and boilers. In 1867 the company built its first ship, the Kwang...
of Aberdeen, who built her under contract to Burntisland Shipbuilding.
MV Adams Beck was a 1,773 GRT flatiron launched at Burntisland in 1948. She took the name of the earlier Adams Beck sunk in 1941. She passed to North Thames Gas Board upon nationalisation in 1949. She was sold to Greek owners in 1963 who renamed her Razani and registered her in Panama. In 1967 she ran aground in Galway Bay
Galway Bay
Galway Bay is a large bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south. Galway city is located on the northeast side of the bay. It is about long and from to in breadth...
in Ireland. In 1968 she was refloated, taken to Passage West
Passage West
Passage West is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour. It is some 10 km from Cork city, separated by the green belt from the urban sprawl of Douglas and Rochestown. The town has many services, amenities and social outlets...
near Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and broken up.