Over a hundred and forty years ago, in early September 1881, the local paper reported that the borough's Lighting Committee
were considering "the desirability of lighting the borough by electricity, and with this view have made arrangements
with a London firm of electricians to fix two or three lamps as an experiment". The experimental
lights were to be installed over the following fortnight[1].
Mr. Mellersch, a local auctioneer, sold shares in the Godalming
Gas and Coke Company (Limited) on the 9th and reassured potential
purchasers at the outset that "the property was not
affected in the slightest by the announcement that Godalming
would be illuminated very shortly with the electric light"[2].
Mr. Thomas Wood, Chairman of Dorking's Local Board, visited
Godalming on the 13th and afterwards reported his findings
to his own Board, saying that "the electric light was
about to be tried as an experiment, with the view of its adoption
for the street lighting of that town, and that arrangements
had been made by some company with the proprietors of a mill
for the supply of the requisite water power"[3].
The mill he referred to was R. and J. Pullman's Westbrook
Mill.
At the end of the month, one of the London papers was full
of praise: "... little Godalming to turn its river, the
slender and rippling Wey, into a piece of machinery, and set
it, just like any other mechanical servant, to the task of
lighting its streets. There will come a time when history surveys
the achievements ... pages will be dedicated to how the ordinary
forces of nature were first utilised for the production of electricity.
Godalming wins the prize of being first in the field, and to
it and its enterprising citizens the honour must for ever be due
of showing the country how to generate its own electricity
without the adventitious aid of steam engines and huge, expensive
furnaces of coal"[4].
Surrey Advertiser, Saturday, 1 October 1881
ELECTRIC LIGHTING BY WATER POWER.
"On Monday evening [26th Sept] the upper portion
of the Borough of Godalming was lighted by electricity
for a few hours as an experiment, and continued each
night since, the motive power to generate the current
being an auxiliary face water-wheel at the Westbrook
Mills, of Messrs. Pulman Brothers, the skin dressers,
who have made arrangements for lighting their mills
with the Swan lights, and for the larger opens spaces
with Siemans' differential lamps of 300 candle power
each. Three of the latter have been erected in the
town, on iron poles 22 feet high, opposite the Vicarage,
another on the south side of the Town Hall, to light Ockford-road,
and the third opposite the Town Clerk's office. The lighting
has so far been most satisfactory, eliciting the high praise
of the hundreds of persons who have nightly congregated in
the street, including a good contingent from Guildford. On
Wednesday the Mayor (Alderman Eager, Mr. Alderman Enticknap,
Mr. Alderman Rea, and nearly all the members of the Council
— Messrs. H. Bridger, S. Challen, and W. Hoar alone being
absent — visited Pulman's Mills, to see the machinery at
work, when a lucid explanation of the same was given by Mr.
Barrett, of the firm of Calder and Barrett, who are the electricians
carrying out this work. The Council have hitherto been divided
upon the question of adopting the electric light in place
of gas for the lighting of the town, but they were expected
to arrive at some definitive conclusion last evening (Friday)
when they met in committee. It is a somewhat singular fact
that the contract with the Gas Company expired last evening,
so that it was essential some new contract should be made,
as the arrangements at Westbrook are not nearly forward enough
to light the whole town from the present time. A section
of the Council would have liked the contract with the Gas
Company from month till month until the question was settled,
but the Gas Company - who are for the time being still masters
of the situation - decline to enter into any contract for
a period less than three months, but have named a considerably
lower price for the year's lighting of the public lamps than
they received last year. No definitive price had, we understand,
been named up to yesterday for the electric light although
2l. per. lamp per. hour was suggested as being near
the mark. Godalming has the honour of being the first place
where water has been adopted as the motive power for electrical
purposes, a fact that has been made the most of in a glowing
leader in the Daily Telegraph of yesterday, and the
town is fully deserving of the honourable position therein
accorded to it". |
It was not until 12 November 1881 that the "Graphic" published
its now famous black and white image of the event, shown above.
Unfortunately, in mid December the local paper reported that:
"The adoption of the electric light for the lighting of the town has been attended with only partial success.
The larger lamps have given satisfaction, but the smaller lamps have been anything but successful, as admitted by
the contractors, the streets out of the High street being almost in total darkness night after night.—The
Town Council have held special meetings to consider what steps to take in the matter, and last evening a
sub-committee, consisting of the Mayor (Mr. E. Stedman), Mr. Alderman Rea, Alderman Entincknap, Dr. La Fargue,
and Mr. Henry Moon was appointed to confer with Messrs. Pullman, who had supplied the water power for the electric
light as to the probability of a more effective lighting system being early obtained. The sub-committee are to present
their report to the General Purposes Committee on Monday, when it is expected that some definitive action will be taken.
It is pretty generally anticipated that the town with soon have to be partially, if not entirely, lighted with gas
again[5]."
Two weeks later the followed notice was published:
"The lighting of the town of Godalming by electric light, owing to its unsatisfactory working under the present
arrangement, has been abandoned. At the last meeing of the Borough Council, sitting as the General Purposes Committee,
it was reported that the Gas Company were willing to still undertake the lighting of the town from New Year's Day upon
the old footing, or with the addition of six patent lamps, or others equally good, fitted with double or triple burners.
Some new details remain to be arranged with the Gas Company, but there is no doubt that the new contract will provide
for six, if not more, superior lamps to be used in the lighting of the town[6]."
After so much promise, it must have been a bitter disappointment for those involved unless they held shares in Godalming Gas
and Coke Company.
Nevertheless, Godalming's enthusiasm for electricity had not abated. In 1890 another experiment saw the High Street once again
lit by electricity. "The lights were of 200 candle power, and everyone was full of admiration at the brilliancy of the
new illuminant. There is every reason to expect that the town will go in for electric lighting[7]."
This was followed by a report that the Town Council had adopted a scheme for "electric light which is estimated to cost
£7,000 for plant, building and site. The estimated working expenses are £900 per annum, and the revenue
£1,250[8]."
The London Gazette, 8 November 1895
Board of Trade. Session 1896. Godalming Corporation Electric Lighting. The Production, Storage, and
Supply of Electricity by the Corporation of Godalming within the Borough of Godalming ...
It included
"The names of the streets and public places repairable by the Corporation in which it is proposed that electric lines
shall be laid down within a period to be specified in the Order are as follows :-
High-street, Bridge-street, Bridge-road, Church-street, Ockford-road from its junction with High-street to its junction with
Holloway-hill,and Brighton-road from its junction with High-street to its junction with Wharf-street.
Dated 1 November 1895
Signed by T. P. Whatley, Town Clerk and their Parliamentary Agents.". |
In 1981 Godalming was to mark the centenary one of its more celebrated achievements. A Godalming Electricity Centenary Celebrations
Committee was formed and they published a sepia postcard, using another copy of the above image, to mark the event. Their version
was printed by Craddock's of Godalming. On the back of the 1981 cards is the following statement:
"On 26th September 1881 Godalming became the first place in the world to have a public and private electricity
supply. This illustration appeared in "The Graphic" on 12th November 1881".
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