You just read a Regency romance novel featuring gas street lighting. “Anachronistic!” you cried, pointing an accusatory finger at the page. But is it anachronistic?

Prepare to be surprised that gas streetlamps were first introduced by William Murdoch in 1792. Yup. You read that correctly. 1792! Before you get too terribly excited by that date, know Murdoch only invented gas lighting, so they weren’t on the streets… yet. It was Murdoch’s assistant, young engineer Samuel Clegg, who turned the invention into the main lighting marvel of their Soho Foundry in 1798.

January 28, 1807 marked the grand unveiling of the new public street lighting on Pall Mall—gas streetlamps! Engineer Frederick Winsor was hired to light up Pall Mall in celebration of King George III’s birthday. Since it would be another two decades before gas lines were laid, guess how they powered these beauties: each gas lamp was fueled by gas pipes made from upcycled barrels of musket guns (yikes!).

While the rest of London still used whale oil lamp lighting, there were a few pockets throughout the city that introduced gas lighting following Pall Mall’s grand display. It began in 1812 when Parliament granted a charter to the world’s first gas company, London and Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company. By the next year, Westminster Bridge was lit by gas.  By 1817, the streetlamps had spread to other areas of London and to other cities, but still only limited usage. We certainly wouldn’t see this in rural areas, not yet anyway, making London that much more exotic for the country mice.

Slowly but surely, we reach 1823, when approximately 40,000  lamps lit the streets of London. Finally, in 1834, gas lines were laid throughout London to light up the town. Aside from the lights being able to continuously burn, unlike the whale oil lamps, and that they eliminated the need for lamplighters, the gaslight also cost 75% less than oil lamps.

Prior to gas lamps, oil burning streetlamps, hand lit by lamplighters, lined the city streets and even several miles along the main roads going into London. Our gas-powered streetlamps wouldn’t last for long, though, for by the late 19th century, electric street lighting stole the show.

For a little more of the history, such as what sort of street lighting was had in the 18th century, check out this post from Jane Austen's World on Georgian Street Lights:

https://janeaustensworld.com/tag/georgian-street-lights/

For a wonderful detailing of the history of gas lamps, how the gas worked, fun facts about the lamps, and more, absolutely do not miss this post from The London Gasketeers:

https://thelondongasketeers.com/a-brief-history