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ollowing the establishment of
gas companies in the major
cities of the country, the interest
in gas lighting soon followed in
F Taylor and Martineau’s home
town of Norwich.
In February 1819, at the general
meeting of the Norwich Paving Act
commissioners, a proposal was
submitted by John Gostling, then of
Birmingham, for lighting the city with gas.
Gostling was responsible for the
construction, in 1817, of the first
gasworks in Birmingham, which made
gas from coal. He was also responsible for
establishing subsequent gas companies
in Canterbury and Maidstone. ONE OF NORWICH’S MEDIEVAL STREETS
The Birmingham gasworks was built
under the guidance of the engineer and so smaller pipes were needed to The preamble to the Norwich
Samuel Clegg, an important figure in the distribute the same illuminating power Parliamentary bill was published and
world of gas engineering and regarded and the total cost of oil gasworks was was clearly meant to show a defiant
as the world’s first gas engineer. less than that of coal gasworks. challenge to coal gas by giving very
Some of the original buildings of Oil gas was a potential threat to the strong support to oil gas:
these gasworks still stand in central coal gas companies and their financial “Whereas the City of Norwich, and
Birmingham’s Gas Street, now used backers who had invested considerable County of the same city, are large and
as a church. sums of money into them. Norwich had populous, and it would be of great benefit
Mr Gostling’s proposal was supported no established public gas companies, so to the Citizens and Inhabitants thereof,
by Mr PM Martineau and agreed by 26 the city was free to choose either oil or and to the Public at large, if the streets
votes to 17. The proposal stated: “It is coal gas to light its streets. and other Public Passages and Places
expedient to light such parts of the city therein were better lighted.
with gas on the plan suggested and that Some of the benefits used to “And whereas Inflammable Air,
the necessary steps be taken to carry Carburetted Hydrogen or Coal Gas, Coke,
the plan into effect”. promote oil gas included its Oil, Tar, Pitch, Asphaltum, Ammoniacal
Following the meeting, a committee brighter flame; it was ‘purer’ Liquor, and essential Oil, may be procured
was appointed to take the project than coal and so did not from coal, and such Inflammable Air and
forward. On 30 September 1819, produce a sulphurous smell Gas may also be obtained from Oil or
a further meeting was held at the other materials.
Guildhall in Norwich, which provided when burnt, it had a higher “And whereas the said Inflammable Air
more information about the proposed calorific value than coal gas and being conveyed by means of Pipes, may be
introduction of gas lighting but, by this so smaller pipes were needed to safely and beneficially used for lighting the
time, oil gas was being proposed. distribute the same illuminating Streets, Squares, Market Places, Courts,
The Norwich Paving Commissioners Yards, Passages, Lanes and other Places
met again on 12 October, when power and the total cost of oil within the said City and County, and
permission was given to dig up the gasworks was less than that of Liberties and Precincts thereof, and for
street to enable the laying of gas pipes. coal gasworks lighting Private Houses, Shops, Counting
This was on the condition that any Houses, Warehouses, and Public Works
damage to the road be repaired to the and Manufactories and other Buildings
satisfaction of the City Surveyor at the A public meeting was held, on 26 May it therefore please your Majesty.”
expense of the gas company. October 1819, that recommended a gas The gas company established in
By 1819, the Chartered Gas Light company be formed to light the city Norwich was known as the Norwich Gas
and Coke Company of London – the with oil gas. To achieve this resolution, Light Company. It constructed its oil
first public gas company – had been it was decided that a sum of at least gasworks on a road known as The Back
in existence for seven years and was £2,500 should be raised in shares of St Stephen’s Street, later renamed
starting to become a stable business of £25. At this point, two separate Malthouse Road. This road ran parallel
producing gas from coal. groups – the Oil Gas Company and to the existing St Stephen’s Road, and
It began to face competition from the Oil Gas Community – came into the site of the former gasworks now
other coal gas companies established existence. They eventually resolved lies under the Chapelfield shopping
in the city and competition from oil gas their differences and on 1 December complex. The only published map
as well. Many prominent figures such 1819, Mr Charles Harvey brought a showing its location is the Millard and
as Humphrey Davy were supportive of bill before the House of Commons for Manning map of Norwich, dating back
oil gas. lighting the city with gas. to 1830. An account of the oil gas plant
Some of the benefits used to promote The bill attained its second reading devised by Taylor and Martineau is
oil gas included its brighter flame; it was on 21 December and on 22 of June given in Frederic Accum’s 1819 treatise
‘purer’ than coal and so did not produce 1820 ‘The Act for Lighting with Gas work on coal gas, which read:
a sulphurous smell when burnt, it had the City of Norwich, and County of the “Messrs J and P Taylor are the first
a higher calorific value than coal gas Same City’ became law. persons who have resorted to oil as a

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