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The Gas Light and Coke Company (also known as the Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company, and the Chartered Gas Light and Coke Company), was a company that made and supplied
coal gas Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made from coal and supplied to the user via a piped distribution system. It is produced when coal is heated strongly in the absence of air. Town gas is a more general term referring to manufactured gaseous ...
and coke. The headquarters of the company were located on
Horseferry Road Horseferry Road is a street in the City of Westminster in central London running between Millbank and Greycoat Place. It is perhaps best known as the site of City of Westminster Magistrates' Court (which until 2006 was called Horseferry Road ...
in
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
, London. It is identified as the original company from which
British Gas plc British Gas plc was an energy and home services provider in the United Kingdom. It was formed when the British Gas Corporation was privatised as a result of the Gas Act 1986, instigated by the government of Margaret Thatcher and superseding the ...
is descended.


History

The company was founded by Frederick Albert Winsor, who was originally from Germany, and incorporated by
royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...
on 30 April 1812 under the seal of
King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...
. 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 £70 million at 2018 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 Brick Lane ( Bengali: ব্রিক লেন) is a street in the East End of London, in the borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs from Swanfield Street in Bethnal Green in the north, crosses the Bethnal Green Road before reaching the busiest ...
and Westminster. Under the company's chief engineer, Samuel Clegg (formerly of
Boulton and Watt Boulton & Watt was an early British engineering and manufacturing firm in the business of designing and making marine and stationary steam engines. Founded in the English West Midlands around Birmingham in 1775 as a partnership between the Eng ...
), a gas works was installed at the
Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury and is un ...
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 GLCC's constituent companies had themselves absorbed smaller companies, including: 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. In 1948 the GLCC supplied an area of 547 square miles from Egham in Surrey, Pinner in North West London to
Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north ...
in Essex. It supplied a population of 4.5 million, and in 1948 had 21,250 employees and sold 276.7 million Therms of gas. On 1 May 1949 the GLCC was nationalised under the
Gas Act 1948 The Gas Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 67) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which nationalised, or bought into state control, the gas making and supply industry in Great Britain. It established 12 Area Gas Boards to own and ope ...
and became the major part of the new
North Thames Gas Board The North Thames Gas Board was an autonomous state-owned utility area gas board providing gas for light and heat to industries, commercial premises and homes in south-east England. The board's area of supply, encompassing , included parts of ...
, one of Britain's twelve regional area gas boards. The GLCC's service valve covers can still be seen on the streets of London, dating from the period of its operation.


Gasworks

The following thirteen gasworks were in operation when the GLCC was dissolved in 1949.


Beckton

Beckton Gas Works Beckton Gasworks was a major London gasworks 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' Winchester C (Ed), ''Handling 2,000,000 tons of coal ...
were built in 1868 on
East Ham East Ham is a district of the London Borough of Newham, England, 8 miles (12.8 km) east of Charing Cross. East Ham is identified in the London Plan as a Major Centre. The population is 76,186. It was originally part of the hundred o ...
Levels east of London. The site was named "Beckton" after the GLCC chairman, Simon Adams Beck. The vast 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 The National Union of General Workers (NUGW) was an early general union in the United Kingdom, the most important general union of its era. History The union was founded in 1889 as the National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers by Will ...
, which subsequently became part of the
General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 460,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Servic ...
(GMB Union). Engineer to the St Pancras works in 1903, and the Shoreditch works in 1905, and in 1906 he was appointed Resident Engineer of the Beckton works of the Gas Light and Coke Co. The Resident Engineer from 1906 was Joseph Newell Reeson who went on to undertake world first experiments with welded gas holder construction. At the time of nationalisation in 1949, Beckton was the largest gas works in the world, capable of producing a total of 119.12 million cubic feet of gas per day (3.37 million m3/day). The works subsequently closed in 1976.


Bow Common

Bow Common gasworks was built by the Great Central Gas Consumers' Company in 1850 (Messrs. Peto and Betts had contracted to build the works for £106,000) the works was remote from its supply area in the City and the East End. By the late 1850s the works had fallen into "ruinous disrepair". The Great Central was absorbed by the GLCC in 1870. The Bow Common works was entirely rebuilt by the GLCC in the early 1930s. Productive capacity was 10.5 million cubic feet per day in 1948.


Brentford

The Brentford Gas Company was established in 1820, its gasworks at
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings wh ...
was therefore one of the oldest in the country. The company grew to supply Acton,
Ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was his ...
,
Hanwell Hanwell () is a town in the London Borough of Ealing, in the historic County of Middlesex, England. It is about 1.5 miles west of Ealing Broadway and had a population of 28,768 as of 2011. It is the westernmost location of the London post t ...
,
Southall Southall () is a large suburban county of West London, England, part of the London Borough of Ealing and is one of its seven major towns. It is situated west of Charing Cross and had a population of 69,857 as of 2011. It is generally divided ...
,
Heston Heston is a suburban area and part of the Hounslow district in the London Borough of Hounslow. The residential settlement covers a slightly smaller area than its predecessor farming village, 10.8 miles (17.4 km) west south-west of Charing ...
,
Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boro ...
and Barnes. It received legal powers in 1868 to build a new works at Southall on the
Grand Union Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter ...
as the Brentford site was said to be too cramped for development. Nevertheless, the Brentford site remained in use and was redesigned and rebuilt in 1935 with Intermittent Vertical Retorts after a study of the Pintsch-Otto plant in Germany; and a polygonal MAN waterless gasometer was built. Productive capacity was 15.5 million cubic feet per day in 1948.


Bromley

The Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company spent £300,000 on the works on Bow Creek at Bromley-by-Bow which was "obsolescent in design and not yet in sight of completion" in 1875. The company was amalgamated with the GLCC in 1876 but the Bromley works was still considered to be a "vast white elephant" because the coaling arrangements on Bow Creek were unsatisfactory. The plant was reconstructed in the 1890s. Productive capacity was 30.65 million cubic feet per day in 1948. The site subsequently closed in 1976, however the Bromley-by-Bow gasholders remain as they were heritage listed in 1984.


Fulham

The Imperial Gas Company started construction of its works at
Sands End Sands End is an area of the ancient parish of Fulham, formerly in the County of Middlesex, which is now the southernmost part of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England. In a deep loop of the River Thames, between the tidal Chelse ...
in
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandswor ...
in 1824. Its ornately decorated number 2
gasholder A gas holder or gasholder, also known as a gasometer, is a large container in which natural gas or town gas is stored near atmospheric pressure at ambient temperatures. The volume of the container follows the quantity of stored gas, with pressu ...
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 The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...
colliers, which had a low-profile superstructure, hinged funnel and masts in order to pass under bridges upriver from the
Pool of London The Pool of London is a stretch of the River Thames from London Bridge to below Limehouse. Part of the Tideway of the Thames, the Pool was navigable by tall-masted vessels bringing coastal and later overseas goods—the wharves there were th ...
. The GLCC had a new jetty built at Imperial Wharf in the 1920s. Productive capacity was 32.5 million cubic feet per day in 1948.


Harrow and Stanmore

The Harrow and Stanmore Gas Company operated the works at Harrow and
Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, whi ...
until the company was absorbed by the GLCC in 1924. The Stanmore gas works were located at the north side of the marsh on Marsh Lane. A waterless gasometer was installed in 1931, amidst an outcry about ruining the view from Harrow Hill, including from the headmaster of
Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (sc ...
. The holder was painted in undulating lines of green, lighter in tone as they went up the holder. Productive capacity of the works was 3.28 million cubic feet per day in 1948. The gasometer was demolished in 1986.


Kensal Green

Kensal Green Kensal Green is an area in north-west London. It lies mainly in the London Borough of Brent, with a small part to the south within Kensington and Chelsea. Kensal Green is located on the Harrow Road, about miles from Charing Cross. To the w ...
gasworks was built by the Western Gas Light Company soon its incorporation in 1844. It supplied
Cannel Cannel coal or candle coal is a type of bituminous coal, also classified as terrestrial type oil shale. Hutton(1987) Dyni (2006), pp. 3–4 Speight (2012), pp. 6–7 Due to its physical morphology and low mineral content cannel coal is considered ...
gas to St Pancras,
St Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it merge ...
,
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest ...
,
Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the London Borough o ...
,
Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...
and Chelsea. Cannel gas was more expensive to produce but gave a better light than coal gas; however, the works were converted to produce coal gas in 1886. The Western company was absorbed by the GLCC in 1873. In 1889 inclined retorts were installed. The Kensal Green works were entirely rebuilt by the GLCC in the early 1930s. Productive capacity was 16.3 million cubic feet per day in 1948. In 1954 the new No.3 retort house was opened.


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 Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
. The company was taken over by the GLCC in 1883. The works covered and once employed 800 people. There was a major explosion at the works on 31 October 1865: eleven workers were killed and destroyed the northern gasometer (1.04 million cubic feet). 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. Productive capacity was 27.7 million cubic feet per day in 1948. Nine Elms Gas Works closed in 1970 as a result of Britain's conversion to
natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...
from the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...
. The site has since been redeveloped for a
Royal Mail , kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga , logo = Royal Mail.svg , logo_size = 250px , type = Public limited company , traded_as = , foundation = , founder = Henry VIII , location = London, England, UK , key_people = * Keith Williams ...
depot and other commercial units.


Shoreditch

The gasworks at
Shoreditch Shoreditch is a district in the East End of London in England, and forms the southern part of the London Borough of Hackney. Neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets are also perceived as part of the area. In the 16th century, Shoreditch was an imp ...
was another venture by the Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company, constructed adjacent to the
Regents Canal Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London, England. It provides a link from the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in ea ...
in 1822. By the 1840s the works supplied gas to
Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Wal ...
and
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...
. Shoreditch gasworks became part of the GLCC in 1876. In 1934 Shoreditch became a stand-by station for "use only in times of exceptional demand". Productive capacity was 5.75 million cubic feet per day in 1948.


Southall

Southall Gas Works Southall Gas Works is a former gas works site of around in Southall, west London, which is currently being redeveloped for mixed-use including 3,750homes as part of   Berkeley Group’s The Green Quarter. Location The site is located in Sout ...
was completed in 1869 for the
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings wh ...
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 tall and is still a major local landmark. Coal was supplied to Southall works ''via'' the
Grand Union Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter ...
and the
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
. Like Beckton, Southall was a major supplier of road tar. Productive capacity was 20.25 million cubic feet per day in 1948.


Southend-on-Sea

The
Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north ...
and District Gas Company was established in 1854 and a gasworks was built to the east of the pier. The company absorbed the undertakings at
Rochford Rochford is a town in Essex, England, north of Southend-on-Sea, from London and from Chelmsford, the county town. At the 2011 census, the civil parish, which includes the town and London Southend Airport, had a population of 8,471. History ...
(1920) and
Leigh-on-Sea Leigh-on-Sea (), commonly referred to simply as Leigh, is a town and civil parish in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. In 2011, it had a population of 22,509. Geography Leigh-on-Sea is on the northern ...
(1923), and was in turn absorbed by the GLCC in 1932. By this time the plant at Southend was obsolete and the works was entirely rebuilt. Coal was supplied to a dedicated pier. Productive capacity was 7.75 million cubic feet per day in 1948.


Staines

The Staines gasworks were originally built by the Staines and
Egham Egham ( ) is a university town in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately west of central London. First settled in the Bronze Age, the town was under the control of Chertsey Abbey for much of the Middle Ages. In 1215, Magna ...
District Gas and Coke Company on a site adjacent to the River Thames – although coal was delivered by road. The company was absorbed by the Brentford Company in 1915, which was itself absorbed by the GLCC in 1926. Although the works at Staines was considered to be small it was kept as it was able to meet local requirements at an extremity of the GLCC's grid. A polygonal MAN waterless gasometer was installed in the 1930s. Productive capacity was 1.3 million cubic feet per day in 1948. A continuous catalytic reforming plant was in operation from 1966 to 1971.


Stratford

The gasworks at Stratford was built by the West Ham Gas Company. It supplied a densely populated area east of London and provided a bulk gas supply to the Chigwell, Loughton and Woodford Gas Company. It was absorbed by the GLCC in 1912. Productive capacity was 9.0 million cubic feet per day in 1948.


Closed gasworks

The gasworks of the GLCC and its constituent companies that were closed before 1948 (date of closure) were as follows.


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., plate 43 The
house flag A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...
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 Howdon is a largely residential area in the eastern part of Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England. It consists of High Howdon and the smaller settlement of East Howdon. Much of the High Howdon area was formerly called Willington prior to post-World ...
,
Tyneside Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt. The population of Tyneside as publishe ...
. On 6 October 1916 a mine sank her in the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...
off
Cromer Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Norwich, north-northeast of London and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline. The local government authorities are Nor ...
. All her crew survived. SS ''Coalgas'' was a 2,257 GRT collier built in 1890 by
Short Brothers Short Brothers plc, usually referred to as Shorts or Short, is an aerospace company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Shorts was founded in 1908 in London, and was the first company in the world to make production aeroplanes. It was particu ...
at Pallion,
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
. On 5 March 1918 a mine sank her in the North Sea southeast of
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 Weir Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the m ...
. All her crew survived. SS ''Ignis'' was a 2,042 GRT collier built in 1903 by Bonn and Mees of
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte (river), Rotte'') is the second largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the Prov ...
. On 8 December 1915 a mine sank her in the North Sea off
Aldeburgh Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town in the county of Suffolk, England. Located to the north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the composer Benjamin Britten and remains the centre of the international Ald ...
. All her crew survived. SS ''Fulgens'' was a 2,512 GRT collier built in 1912 by Wood, Skinner & Co of Newcastle upon Tyne. On 1 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 8 December 1917 the
German Type UB III submarine The Type UB III submarine was a class of U-boat built during World War I by the German Imperial Navy. UB III boats carried 10 torpedoes and were usually armed with either an or a deck gun. They carried a crew of 34 and had a cruising rang ...
torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea three miles north of
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 maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Cl ...
. Five of ''Lampada''s 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 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 (1852–1922) in 1891 in Hartlepool. This was achieved by the amalgamatio ...
. J.P. Jönsson of
Landskrona Landskrona (old da, Landskrone) is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from 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 Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
in 1957. SS ''Grovelea'' was a 1,282 GRT collier built in 1906 as ''Lady Furness'' for A. Christiansen of
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...
. J.P. Jönsson bought her in 1912 and renamed her ''Grovelea''. The GLCC bought her in 1915 and renamed her ''Phare''. On 31 October 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Scarborough. 14 of ''Phare''s 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 18 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 1 May 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank ''Firelight'' off the mouth of the
River Tyne The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wat ...
. 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 22 July 1917 the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Cloughton. One of ''Glow''s 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 E-boat torpedoed her in the North Sea off
Vlissingen Vlissingen (; zea, label=Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic l ...
. 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 Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
. On 22 October 1939 she was sunk in the North Sea by a mine off
Withernsea Withernsea is a seaside resort and civil parish in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its white inland lighthouse, rising around above Hull Road, now houses a museum to 1950s actress Kay Kendall, who was born in the town. The ...
. 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 The Wash is a rectangular bay and multiple estuary at the north-west corner of East Anglia on the East coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire and both border the North Sea. One of Britain's broadest estuaries, it is fed by the riv ...
on 7 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 8 December 1941 a German mine in the Hearty Knoll Channel in the North Sea north of
Blakeney Point Blakeney Point (designated as Blakeney National Nature Reserve) is a national nature reserve situated near to the villages of Blakeney, Morston and Cley next the Sea on the north coast of Norfolk, England. Its main feature is a 6.4 km (4& ...
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 A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...
built in 1928 by J. Pollock & Sons of
Faversham Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2, which follows an ancient Briti ...
, Kent. Her work was to move
lighters A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or c ...
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 R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilder and locomotive manufacturer. The company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982. History The company was formed ...
of
Hebburn Hebburn is a town in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It governed under the borough of South Tyneside; formerly governed under the county of Durham until 1974 with its own urban district from 1894 until 1974. It is on the sou ...
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, was a British shipbuilding company founded in 1847 and based on the River Wear, Sunderland. History In its centenary year the shipyard was acquired by J.L. Thompson & Sons Ships built by John Crown & Sons Ltd See al ...
of Sunderland. On 19 November 1939 she was sunk by a mine in the North Sea off
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 Weir Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the m ...
and four of her crew were killed. SS ''Horseferry'' was a 951 GRT collier built in 1930 by John Crown & Sons. On 11 March 1942 the German E-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 Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
. She was wrecked at
Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
, Somalia in 1963 and scrapped at
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...
, Yugoslavia in 1965. was a 2,972 GRT collier launched in September 1936 by S.P. Austin & Son. On 17 October 1940 the E-boat ''S-27'' torpedoed her in the North Sea off Smith's Knoll east of
Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...
. ''Gasfire''s stern was damaged and 11 crew were killed but she remained afloat. Austin rebuilt her stern (increasing her GRT to 3,001) 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 is a seaside town and civil parish on the English North Sea coast in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is ...
. SS ''Murdoch'' was a 2,717 GRT collier launched in January 1941 by S.P. Austin & Son. On 26 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, also known colloquially as Caister, is a large village and seaside resort in Norfolk, England. It is close to the large town of Great Yarmouth. At the 2001 census it had a population of 8,756 and 3,970 households, the populati ...
. 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 The Burntisland Shipbuilding Company was a shipbuilder and repairer in Burntisland, Fife, Scotland that was founded in 1918. In 1969 it was taken over by Robb-Caledon Shipbuilders, which in turn was nationalised in 1977 as part of British Shi ...
of
Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross ...
. She was launched in April 1941 and completed in June, but on 29 July enemy aircraft attacked and sank her in the
Tyne Tyne may refer to: __NOTOC__ Geography *River Tyne, England *Port of Tyne, the commercial docks in and around the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England *River Tyne, Scotland *River Tyne, a tributary of the South Esk River, Tasmania, Australia People ...
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 ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
. In 1967 she was broken up in
Bremen Bremen ( Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state cons ...
, 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 Walton-on-the-Naze is a seaside town on the North Sea coast and (as Walton le Soken) a former civil parish, now in the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring district in Essex, England. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of H ...
. SS ''Firelight'' (II) was a 2,841 GRT collier launched at Burntisland in January 1943 and completed in May. On 4 November 1943 an E-boat torpedoed her in the North Sea off the coast of
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...
. The torpedo blew off ''Firelight''s bow but she remained afloat and put into
Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...
the next day. Later she was taken to
South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...
, 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, Limited was a shipbuilder based in Aberdeen, Scotland. 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 boile ...
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 ( Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a 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; Galw ...
in Ireland. In 1968 she was refloated, taken to
Passage West Passage West (locally known as "Passage"; ) is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour, some 10 km south-east of Cork city. The town has many services, amenities and social outlets. Passage West was ...
near
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
and broken up.


References


Sources and further reading

* * * *


External links

* {{Coord, 51.4952, -0.1301, display=title Industrial history of the United Kingdom Oil and gas companies of the United Kingdom Defunct shipping companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in the City of Westminster Defunct energy companies of the United Kingdom 1812 establishments in England British companies established in 1812 Energy companies established in 1812 History of the City of Westminster History of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Former buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham