Record

NW - NORTH WESTERN GAS BOARD AREA

Ref No	NW/LIG
Acc No	BG/1
Title	LIVERPOOL GAS COMPANY
Description	The Liverpool Gas Light Company was created in 1816 by Jonathan Varty, a coach builder, and the engineer John Hargreaves. It obtained a Charter of Incorporation by A.o.P in 1818. The company whose first works was on Dale St was responsible for lighting the Town Hall. In 1823 the rival Oil Gas Company was created by an AoP to produce gas from oil only. Their initial works were located on Rose Hill but moved to Athol Street in 1834. It was assigned different areas of supply from Liverpool Gas Light Company including Everton, Kirkdale and West Derby. The original Liverpool Gas Light Co opened works at Caryl Street in 1847. In 1834 the restriction on the Oil Gas Company was repealed and it was allowed to make gas from coal. Its name also changed to Liverpool New Gas and Coke Company. For 25 years rivalry between the two companies was bitter and in 1840 the Liverpool Guardian Society for the Protection of Trade launched a campaign to lower gas prices deemed to be excessive. The movement eventually led to the amalgamation of Liverpool Gas Light Company and the New Gas and Coke Company to form the Liverpool United Gas Company in 1848. Works at Wavertree opened in 1856, Linacre in 1867 and Garston in 1895. Areas of supply included Liverpool city and Toxteth Park, West Derby, Everton, Kirkdale, Walton-on-the-Hill, Bootle, Linacre, Litherland, Great Crosby, Wavertree, Allerton and Garston. In 1876 the Liverpool Gas Fitting Company was created to deal with supply, fitting and meter fixing. Further Acts of Parliament extended the Liverpool United Gas Company's area of supply. In 1899 a superannuation scheme was set up and increased in 1920. In 1914 the Company's name changed to the Liverpool Gas Company and its area of supply was further extended. By 1935 the Company had absorbed: Chidwall Gas Company (1914), Fazakerley (Liverpool Corporation, 1915), Hightown Gas Company (1925), Woolton Gas Company (1926), Huyton and Roby Gas Company (1933), Formby Gas Company (1935). The main works were at Garston, Linacre and Athol Street. Records for these sites are listed separately below. On nationalisation in 1949 Liverpool Gas Company vested in NWGB. This is a large collection which has been subdivided by the individual gasworks. The group records of the undertaking are listed at the start and include a small amount of administrative material, mainly correspondence, minutes and annual reports, some estate records including photographs, financial and legal records and a number of personnel records. There is a good series of mains distribution books, photographs and other technical records.
Date	1914 to 1949

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