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THOMAS GLOVER AND THE REORGANISATION OF THE TWO GASWORKS

THOMAS GLOVER

ON 1 OCTOBER 1901, Thomas Glover
was appointed engineer and manager
of the Norwich Station of the British
Gas Light Company, replacing John
Young, who took over as manager
of the British Gas Light Company’s
Hull station. The Glover name was
famous within the gas industry;
brother Samuel was the engineer at
the St Helen’s Corporation Gasworks
in Lancashire, where he was born
and had grown up. Both Thomas and
his brother would become Presidents
of the Institution of Gas Engineers.
Thomas’ notable positions in the gas
industry are listed in the table below.
Thomas Glover’s appointment came
at a crucial point in the time for the
gas undertaking, as further extensions
were essential to meet rising demand.
The following September, Glover
submitted a scheme to the company
for reorganising its operations in
Norwich, continuing the work of his Bridge works, around half a mile away. have been proud.
predecessor, John Young. In order to carry the gas across Bishop This reorganisation allowed the
Glover’s scheme proposed Bridge, a special square section gas manufacturing capacity of the gasworks
converting the works at Bishop Bridge main was fabricated to fit within the to double within practically the same
into a gas purification, storage and bridge structure. While the tar and area and also lowered the cost of
distribution station, and then to liquor were removed at the St Martin’s production. The Bishop Bridge site was
concentrate gas manufacture at the St site, the gas was transported unpurified, filled with obsolete plant and derelict
Martin at Palace site. His scheme was and purification undertaken at Bishop buildings; those structures surplus to
approved. Alterations began in 1903 Bridge, where it was then stored and requirements were cleared and the
and were completed two years later. subsequently distributed. To undertake retort house was converted to a purifier
From then on, gas was manufactured such a major reconfiguration without house. The site also contained the
at the St Martin at Palace site and interrupting the gas supply was a major stores, workshops, exhauster, meter and
conveyed via a pipeline to the Bishop feat of which any gas engineer would governor. Following the construction of
a gasholder with a capacity of 1,000,000
cubic feet in 1909, the Bishop Bridge
POSITION GAS UNDERTAKING DATE gasworks had a storage capacity of
ASSISTANT ENGINEER CARLISLE GAS AND WATER 1892-95 2,384,000 cubic feet.
ENGINEER AND MANAGER WEST BROMWICH CORPORATION GAS DEPARTMENT 1895-1901 Removing the purifiers to Bishop
Bridge and the removal of an old
ENGINEER AND MANAGER BRITISH GAS LIGHT CO LTD, NORWICH STATION 1901-29 gasholder freed up space on the St
CONSULTANT WELLS (NORFOLK) URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL GAS DEPARTMENT WHILE AT NORWICH Martin site, which could then be used
AND EAST DEREHAM GAS WORKS for manufacturing gas and storing coal

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