1900-1905

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CONCEPTION AND BIRTH OF THE SBGI

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Development of the gas industry, 1792-1905
The gas industry had existed for almost a century when the Society of British Gas Industries was formed at the end of 1905. However, it was an industry based on town’s gas produced by carbonising coal, in the local gasworks, rather than the natural gas industry with which we are familiar today.

William Murdoch3, who worked with Boulton and Watt, had given early demonstrations of gas lighting. Additionally, he had illuminated his house in Redruth, Cornwall, as early as 17924. Gas lighting was first introduced into London by a Moravian, named Frederick Winzer5,
who illuminated the Carlton Palace gardens for the King’s birthday and Pall Mall in 18076.

There was a major leap forward on 30th April 1812, when a charter was granted to the Gas Light and Coke Company to lay pipes in London and Westminster. Samuel Clegg, who had worked with William Murdoch, became its first engineer making him the first professional gas engineer.

In 1814, serious gas-making was started in South London by a Scot named Munro. This venture eventually became part of the Phoenix Gas Light and Coke Company in 1824. This was the heritage of the formidable South Metropolitan Gas Company with its massive gasworks at Greenwich, on the opposite side of the River Thames from the Gas Light and Coke Company’s works at Beckton.

Within a few decades, every major city and town throughout Great Britain had a gasworks. Some were developed with private finance and others by municipal funding. Throughout the nineteenth century, cities and towns were transformed by gas lighting and later by gas cooking, heating and hot water.

Although electric lighting had made an impression, the development of the gas lighting improvements, including the incandescent gas mantle, ensured that gas lighting remained the superior, economical form of lighting.

In 1901, William Sugg Ltd was commissioned to modernise the gas lighting outside Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Parliament Square, which helped to retain the prominent position of gas lighting.

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