THE EARLY HISTORY OF LONDON STREET‐LIGHTING1

Abstract

HistoryVolume 25, Issue 100 p. 311-324 THE EARLY HISTORY OF LONDON STREET-LIGHTING1 E. S. de Beer., E. S. de Beer.Search for more papers by this author E. S. de Beer., E. S. de Beer.Search for more papers by this author First published: March 1941 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-229X.1941.tb00748.xCitations: 1 1 Bibliographical Note.—The history of street-lighting in London has been almost entirely neglected; the only account of it worth serious consideration—that given by Dr. W. R. Scott in The Constitution and Finance of English, Scottish and Irish Joint-Stock Companies to 1720—deals with only a special part of the subject, and does not make use of all the documents for that part that were available for Dr. Scott. But except for Paris, the history of whose lighting has been admirably written by Col. A. P. Herlaut, in Société de l'histoire de Paris, Mémoires, XLIII (1916), 129–265; continued in his L'Eclairage de Paris á l'époque Revolutionnaire (c. 1935), there appeárs to be no important history of the lighting of any town. Mr. T. P. Cooper's Lights o' York (1936) appears to be the first attempt to collect the materials for an English town. The subject is beginning to attract the attention of local antiquaries, and Mr. J. H. Thomas, in Town Government in the Sixteenth Century, gives regulations for several towns. The present sketch is based on materials collected since the outbreak of war, and certain sources, notably the Journals of the City corporation and the Chancery Proceedings in the Public Record Office, have not been available. There is probably more information to be obtained about the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and about the important decade between 1684 and 1694; but in general the story is clear enough; and in spite of the present restrictions can be set down in outline. I have used or consulted, among others, the following materials: Guildhall Record Office, Repertories, Lamp-tax books, and various miscellaneous papers (but not the unpublished Letter Books or the Journals); some MSS. in the Guildhall Library; printed patents in the Patent Office Library; printed documents in the British Museum and elsewhere, including seventeenth-century orders and papers relating to the various lights c. 1684–94 (the most important of these is The Case of Edmund Heming, 1689); the printed collections of statutes and the Journals of both houses of parliament; the London Gazette, 1680–1700; Mr. E. A. Ebblewhite's History of the Tin-Plate Workers' Company; other works on the City Companies; the published records of the Inns of Court; general histories of London and descriptive works; works on lamps and lighting by H. R. d'Allemagne, M. Luckiesh and Mr. F. W. Robins. I do not know of any surviving street lamps dating from before 1800; standards or holders for them dating from after c. 1750 are common in the West End of London. I know of no certain representation of the Convex Lights; specimens are perhaps shown in two views by Sutton Nicholls, of the Post Office (c. 1710?) and of the Mews at Charing Cross. The Conic Lamp is figured on collectors' receipts (specimen 1717–18 in Guildhall Library). After 1736 representations of lights become common, notably in Hogarth's works and on tradesmen's cards (specimens are reproduced by Sir A. Heal, English Tradesmens' Cards, etc.). I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to the officials of the various libraries where I have worked, and notably to Mr. P. E. Jones and Mr. Raymond Smith of the Guildhall Record Office and Library. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume25, Issue100March 1941Pages 311-324 RelatedInformation