Page 18 - Jigsaw February 2019

Glance at the past.......................................................................................
What a gas! Eric Franklin reports on the gas and coke company
The Thrapston Gas and Coke Company was formed on 4th June 1857 at a meeting held in the White Hart Hotel. The works in Midland Road were registered a few weeks later on 25th July 1857. They are outlined in red on the map, an area now covered by The Willows development.
On 23rd March 1871 the directors of the company advertised in the Northampton Mercury for tenders for the construction of a gasholder and tank at their works.
On Thursday 24th July 1875, the works were submerged during the “Great Flood” and took some days before the mains and pipes were pumped dry.
The works were not very efficient at maintaining a constant supply and on Friday 1st November 1878 the Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury reported that new gasworks were nearly completed, the old ones having been demolished. The site now had “a Korting’s steam jet exhauster and other modern improvements”.
On Saturday 19th October 1889 the Directors announced they were prepared to receive tenders for the supply and laying of about 200 yards of two inch gas main.
At the 48th Ordinary General Meeting of the shareholders on 6th June 1905 the above revenue statement for the year ending 5th May 1905 was included in the annual report showing
a balance of over
£500 (Eric Franklin
collection).
Floods once again affected the gas works in 1908; they can be seen in the background of this postcard produced by Frederick Knighton from Woodford (opposite page – Eric Franklin collection).
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Wally Jacques, the “Wireless Wizard” whose business was in the High Street wrote some of his early memories of life in town before 1914. “The street lamps were gas in those days and the Lamp Lighter had a long pole with an oil lamp at the top. He used to come along the street and turn the gas on with the aid of the pole and light the gas from the oil lamp. This, of course, would
.