Page 19 - Jigsaw February 2019

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curb our activities at times so we used to go around the backs of the houses and find a clothes prop and turn them all off again.”
At the beginning of May 1915 the Parish Council arranged for a notice to be circulated to all householders:-
“The Council consider it advisable to inform the householders of the town that should there be any sign of AIR RAIDS, or other disturbances, the Supply of Gas will be turned off at the Gas Works. It is consequently most important that All Gas Meters and also Burner Taps should be turned off each night. It is recommended that a small supply of candles be kept in readiness. BY ORDER”.
On Christmas Eve 1918, Mary Sanderson was summoned for a breach of the Lighting Heating and Power Order, 1918, for using gas after 10.30pm at a dance held in town on 4th December at the Temperance Hall. The event was a fund-raiser for St. Dunstan’s Hospital for blind servicemen. Superintendent Tebbey advised the Court that the Order was to be revoked and requested to withdraw the
case - the Bench agreed.
In 1939 the river again broke its banks and
the gasworks was inundated by the worst flood for 30 years.
Northampton Records Office holds the minutes of the Thrapston Gas Company Ltd board meetings up to 1949. The local gas works ceased work in the 1950’s although the gasholder remained into the 1960’s, as shown towards the bottom right of the aerial picture of town taken in the early 1960’s.
Since mentioning this as a possible
article I have had a number of people
tell me various stories revolving around
the gasworks: collecting meter money;
the managers’ house being flooded and manager carried to work by the workforce etc. Please let me have any memories for
a future longer article in Strapetona. Also, if you have a picture of the front of the works I would be pleased to have a copy.
(Thrapston District Historical Society archives)
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