NEW! - A History of Gas Lighting in Southampton

A location was needed for their gas works and gasometer for the storage of the gas produced by distilling coal.
Fear of an explosion so close to the town meant that some sites were opposed until a spot well away from homes was finally agreed in Northam and a the new 84ft gas holder was built.
Pipes were laid and the gas lamps themselves were supported on iron pillars donated to the town by local MP William Chamberlayne of Western Grove. A year later the main streets had gas lamps that gave off a brighter light at night than had ever been seen before.
In August 1821 donations for the purchase of a column with an inscription thanking Chamberlayne, who was to become Chairman of the Gas Company, for his generosity.
Tickell's Foundry - which gave its name to Foundry Lane - made the memorial, which became known as the Gas Column.
It was first erected in 1822 at the junction of New Road and Above Bar, then regarded as the entrance to the town. Originally there were four lamps ("to the four points of the compass"), replaced by a large single lamp in 1825.
However the Hampshire Advertiser reported that the column was neglected so it was moved in 1829 to the Town Quay where it was thought the light would be “...of great utility to shipping on our river”.
The Harbour Commissioners were charged with maintaining the column but found this uneconomical and stopped lighting it with the consequence that it was proposed to move it to the East Marlands where it could illuminate an area frequented by robbers and thus afford the public some protection but in 1865 it was moved again to Houndwell in 1865 before occupying an enduring residency at the middle of the roundabout by Debenham's department store where Palmerston Road and Queensway meet. The monument remained there from 1957 until 2000 when the column was moved yet again to Houndwell Park where it now stands as part of a major parks restoration scheme.
By 1850 gas lighting was adopted by towns and cities across Britain. At first, the lamps were lit by a lamplighter who would set off at dusk and light the lamps using a wick on the end of a long pole, returning at dawn to extinguish the lamp using a small hook. Lamp lighting was an important job and a respected profession - often passed down the family.
In 1823 IN Southampton the gas works were taken over by a private company who ran it until 1848 when the Southampton Gaslight and Coke Company who in 1865 also took over the Shirley and Freemantle Gas Company. The Southampton Gaslight and Coke Company celebrated its centenary in 1948, shortly before the gas industry was nationalized.