Records of the Oakham Gas and Electricity Company Limited, 1917-1945

This detailed signed minute book records proceedings of the company's directors' meetings. The minutes concentrate on management information such as coal prices and contracts, illicit appropriation of company funds, and shares and accounts. They also provide some insight into more practical matters such as the sale of the company's horse and the connection of private residences and businesses to electricity. The volume has a few items of correspondence received by the company pasted into it.

The gas works in Oakham, Rutland was constructed in Gas Street in 1840. In 1859, the works were purchased by George Bower who in 1868 commenced the construction of a new gas works on land off Braunston Road. In 1874, Bower and others sold out to the Oakham Gas Company Limited. After failed attempts to obtain the contract for supplying gas for street lighting in the town, the company's tender was finally accepted in 1900. An Act of Parliament of 1923 permitted the company to supply electricity and its name changed to the Oakham Gas and Electricity Company Limited. The company's electricity undertaking was vested in the East Midlands Electricity Board in 1948 and its gas undertaking in East Midlands Gas Board in 1949. Gas making ceased in Oakham in 1955 and on conversion to natural gas, the gasholders were demolished in 1972.

No archival arrangement of the collection has been necessary.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

This description is the only finding aid available for the minute book. Copyright in the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of the minute book must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this is often difficult and the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to publish.

LANGUAGE: English

The fate of the bulk of the company's archive is not known. The present collection consists only of minute books, apparently retained by East Midlands Electricity Board, and was given to The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in April 2000 by PowerGen.