| Admin History | The Reading Gaslight Company was established in 1818 when the first gasworks was built on the north bank of the River Kennet in Gas Lane, off Bridge Street, Reading. It was formed to provide gas street lighting for the town, which was completed by November 1819. Gas was produced by burning coal, and stored in gasholders.
In 1836 the Reading Union Gas Company Act formed a rival company, the Reading Union Gas Company, which erected gasworks off Kings Road, also adjoining the Kennet. The two companies were merged by the Reading Gas Act 1862, under the name of the Reading Gas Company. Initially they continued to operate both sites, but by 1880 only King’s Road was used. A larger site adjoining this, formerly part of the ancient meadow King’s Mead, was purchased in 1880, and between 1880 and 1887 the Kings Road gasworks were enlarged and Gasworks Road constructed as a means of access.
In 1902 they began to supply domestic customers through prepayment meters, and by 1904 over 5000 houses had been fitted with meters. By 1911 the firm had offices and a showroom in Cross Street.
The gas industry was nationalised in 1949 under the Gas Act 1948, and Reading Gas Company was taken over by the new State-owned British Gas. Records continuing after this date strictly speaking belong to British Gas's Southern Gas Board (for which see D/SG10), but the Superannuation Funds remained separate for employees who had entered service before 1949 even if they had not yet joined either fund by that date.
For an article with many illustrations of the company's premises held at Reading Museum see https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/blog/goodbye-gasholders (accessed online 19/5/2022).
For a contemporary description of the Victorian gasworks and its operation, see John B Jones, Sketches of Reading (Reading, 1870) (copy in BRO library, section B/A-Z/R). |
| Acquisition | Deposited in November 1983 (acc. 3327 part); March 1989 (acc. 4377 part); June 1991 (acc. 4824 part); August 1991 (Acc. 4845); October 1991 (acc. 4864 part); March 1994 (acc. 5473); March 1995 (acc. 5594); June 1995 (acc. 5639); October 1995 (acc. 5688); August 1996 (acc. 5858); January 1999 (acc. 6372); July 2000 (acc.6602 part)
Schedule of accessions:
Acc. 3327 (part): 4/98, 123, 152-153; 5/1-3, 6-9, 11; 6/5; 7/1
Acc. 4377 (part): 4/1-2, 4, 6-30; 4/32/2-6; 4/33-37; 4/38/2-3; 4/39-79, 81-82; 4/83/1; 4/84-95; 4/96/1; 4/99-102, 104-122, 124-125, 127-128, 131-151, 154-155, 157-161
Acc. 4824 (part): 3/1; 13/2
Acc. 4845: 5/10; 7/3-4; 12/1
Acc. 4864 (part): 4/96/2; 5/4-5, 13-17
Acc. 5473: 1/1-6; 2/1; 3/2-3; 5/18; 6/4; 7/2, 5-6
Acc. 5594: 5/12; 6/1-3; 8/8
Acc. 5639: 9/4/1; 10/3/1-2, 4; 11/3/6; 11/4/3; 12/2, 5
Acc. 5688: 4/3; 4/32/1; 4/38/1; 4/80; 4/83/2; 4/129-130, 156; 9/3/1-2; 11/3/1-2, 4; 11/4/1-2; 12/3
Acc. 5858: 1/7; 9/1/1; 9/2/1; 9/3/3; 10/1/1-3;10/2/1-2; 11/1/1-5; 11/2/1-2
Acc. 6372: 4/5, 31, 97, 103, 126
Acc. 6602 (part): 8/1-7; 10/3/3, 5; 11/3/3, 5; 12/4; 13/1
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