Maldon by Gas Light (1897-1971)
Maldon’s gas street lighting initially featured just three lamps: one located outside what is now Boots the chemist, another outside the Holy Trinity Church (All Saint’s Church), and a third outside the former police station in West Square. All of these lamps operated on town gas sourced from further down the High Street, where it was produced, specifically at what is now the High Street East car park. Over time, additional lamps were installed, but the distribution was inconsistent, with some roads having one or two lamps while others had none at all. Following the introduction of North Sea gas, Maldon’s Street lights were converted to electricity between 1969 and 1971.
Some individuals may recall the bluey-green fiberglass street lights that were placed in side streets, while main roads featured pre-cast concrete posts before the introduction of the galvanized steel lights we see today.
In the early days, lighting fuels included olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil, nut oil, and similar substances. These were the predominant fuels until the late 18th century. Historical Chinese records from 1700 years ago indicate the use of natural gas in homes for lighting and heating, utilizing bamboo pipes to deliver gas to residences. The first public demonstration of gas street lighting occurred in Pall Mall, London, on January 28, 1807, by Frederick Albert Winsor.
Maldon by Gas Light (1897-1971) continued
In 1812, Parliament issued a charter to the London and Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company, marking the establishment of the world's first gas company. Less than two years later, on December 31, 1813, gas lighting was introduced at Westminster Bridge. As artificial lighting became increasingly prevalent, there was a growing demand for it to be made widely accessible to the public. This demand was partly due to the fact that towns became significantly safer for travel after gas lamps were installed on the streets, leading to a reduction in crime rates. In 1809, the first application was submitted to Parliament to incorporate a company aimed at expediting this process, but it did not succeed.
However, in 1810, the same parties renewed their application, and despite facing some opposition and incurring substantial costs, the bill was eventually passed, albeit with significant amendments; thus, the London and Westminster Chartered Gas-Light and Coke Company was formed. The first location outside of London in England to receive gas lighting was Preston, Lancashire, in 1825, thanks to the efforts of the Preston Gaslight Company, led by the innovative Joseph Dunn, who developed a more effective method for brighter gas lighting.
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