Group    From 1888 

Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company

Categories: Industry

This originated in 1882 from the power supply set up by Agostino and Stefano Gatti in the cellars of one of their restaurants.

From Covent Garden: "... established in 1888 to provide lighting for the Adelaide Restaurant on the Strand. The plant, erected in the basement of the building which flanks Bull Inn Court consisted of a pair of multi-tubular Field boilers supplying steam to two Armington & Sims engines, which drove a pair of 150-light Edison dynamos by means of belts, cogs, levers and pulleys."

From National Archive: "Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company Limited was registered in 1889 as the Electricity Supply Corporation Limited and underwent a number of name changes as Charing Cross and Strand Electricity Supply Corporation Limited, then Charing Cross, West End and City Electricity Supply Company Limited. The company had originated with the installation by A and J {should be 'S'}  Gatti of a private plant to supply Adelaide Galleries, which was followed by one of the earliest electricity mains laid in Maiden Lane connecting the Adelphi Theatre. The public company obtained orders to supply from Strand to Holborn, and this was extended to the City of London in 1899. Plants were erected in Bull Inn Court, Lambeth and Saint Martin's Lane, Westminster to meet increasing demands for electricity. In 1902 a generating station was commissioned at Bow to meet further increases, with a capacity of 4,800 kW. Later was the chief one of the six companies which formed Central London Electricity Limited."

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company

Commemorated ati

Gatti family

There is an interesting memorial to the power supply just around the corner.

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Power Station - cogs sculpture

This bronze work, "Powerhouse", was inspired by salvage from the original pow...

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Other Subjects

Ludwig Mond

Ludwig Mond

Born in Germany. Studied chemistry and then worked in factories, coming to England in 1862. Following marriage in 1866 Frida and Ludwig moved to England, had two sons: Robert (see the Infants Hospi...

Person, Industry, Science

1 memorial
Sir Henry Wellcome

Sir Henry Wellcome

Born Wisconsin, USA, moved to London in 1880 for business reasons. Pharmacist, founder of the Wellcome Trust and Foundation. His collection of books & artefacts relating to the history of medic...

Person, Benefactor, Industry, Medicine, Museums / Libraries, USA

1 memorial
Mark Tibbs

Mark Tibbs

Professional boxer from Canning Town who worked in the Royal Docks.

Person, Industry, Sport / Games

1 memorial
Bennet Woodcroft

Bennet Woodcroft

Inventor, industrial archaeologist, leading figure in patent reform and the first clerk to the commissioners of patents. Born Lancashire. Appointed professor of machinery at University College Lond...

Person, History, Industry, Museums / Libraries

1 memorial
J. Arthur Rank

J. Arthur Rank

Flour miller and film-maker. Born Joseph Arthur Rank at Chestnut Villas, Holderness Road, Drypool, Kingston upon Hull. He worked for many years in his (very wealthy) father's flour milling business...

Person, Cinema, Industry

1 memorial