You can contact me initially through the Comment box at the bottom of any page. Alternatively use the Contact Form at the end before the Comment Box if you wish to send a file – limited to 2mb.
The email address that your comments are sent to is
ch***@wi****************.uk
if you prefer to write direct.
PLEASE NOTE: I am now out of No.2 galleries so can no longer produce the small swan neck fixture that I have made since 2006. I do have some No.3 galleries. (JULY 2015)
Three years later (LATE 2018) I have to advise that I am really retiring from production largely because of the inability to obtain certain specialist parts in the tiny quantities I would need. I am happy to answer queries. I have made a handful of No.3 gallery brass swan necks should anyone be desperate for a working gas bracket. I have 2 or 3 original part obscured globes but no ‘bell’ shaped glass since my supplier has decided that it is not worth his while making the small quantities and no-one else is interested.
At this moment I have just 2 clear and 2 obscured No.2 bell shaped glass as shown mounted on the lamp below. (All gone 2020!)
This is the original note:
I have been known to manufacture or refurbish small quantities of real gas interior fixtures which are no longer made by Sugg Lighting. Mostly, however, I see my task as providing spare parts and components – especially glassware and mantles for instance – to keep traditional interior gas lighting alive in the 21st C!
Top is my small brass swan neck with No.2 gallery and clear borosilicate ‘bell’ glass manufactured for either natural gas or LPG. On the right are three sizes of glass with their respective galleries, left to right, 4.1/4″ as used for large swan necks at Sugg Lighting, No.3 (or ‘Universal’) that is a common size from the 1930’s and No.2 as used on the small swan necks. The tiny No.1 (or ‘Bijou’) gallery glassware has also been reproduced in borosilicate in a matching ‘bell’ shape in 2009. A matching gallery is not currently available. All the bell glassware is produced in clear, obscured or part obscured finish.
I do have plenty of brass No.3 galleries so would consider making a No.3 wall bracket with a No.2 OR a No.3 burner. This would traditionally use a 1/2″ diameter tube bend so is somewhat larger than the ‘small’ swan neck and takes the larger No.3 glass. 2018 Note See above.
FEEDBACK
I would be happy to hear from anyone who can add to the story of William Sugg & Co either from personal recollection or through pictures of Sugg products still in use or in collections anywhere in the world. The aim will be to add these to this site as and when possible with suitable acknowledgement. When you send information please let me know if I may publish it on this site and if you wish your name to be included with the data or even added to this ‘Contacts’ section.
Now that the Other Manufacturers section is live do help to populate it by sending any information that can be added. Use the Leave a Comment space at the end of the section to ensure I see it.
SUGG FAMILY GENEALOGY
Whilst I have collected a huge amount of Sugg family data myself, by coincidence my namesake Christopher (M) Sugg has been building a family website using his own researches and that of other Sugg researchers – including my own. We are convinced that there must be a link between our two lines principally because they both lead back to a small part of Somerset at the end of the 17th century but have so far not been able to close the loop.
Although this information may not refer directly to ‘our’ William Sugg those of you interested in genealogy will find it a good source of how to collect data and his booklet on a one name family is an inspiring work that is far too good to waste. With Chris’ agreement I have added his Sugg genealogy information on this site under a new heading “Sugg Name Story”.
July 2020.
USEFUL ADDRESSES:
After moving to a new address as Sugg Lighting Ltd in 2009, following the re-formation of the company with the original name of William Sugg & Co in 2019 the new address and contact information is as follows:
William Sugg & Company Ltd.,
23 Blatchford Close, Horsham
West Sussex, RH13 5RG
T: +44 (0)1293 540111 (As Sugg Lighting – also fax 01293 540114)
E:
sa***@wi*********.uk
Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers. NEW ADDRESS 2009 IGEM House, 26 & 28 High Street, Kegworth, Derbyshire, DE74 2DA Tel +44 (0)844 375 4436 Fax 01509 678198 .
ge*****@ig**.uk
| www.igem.org.uk
HISTORIC GAS TIMES. (PHI – PANEL FOR THE HISTORY OF THE INDUSTRY). Now – 2017 – generally known as the Gas History Panel
Following the retirement of Barry Wilkinson from the Panel and Editorship of Historic Gas Times in early 2017, The Institution Of Gas Engineers and Managers has taken on much of the production and mailing duties and the Editorship is being shared between John Horne and Russell Thomas and the latter has now taken on the Chairmanship of what is now simply called the History Panel.
Subsequent to this note Barry Wilkinson sadly died in 2019
The HISTORIC GAS TIMES 2023
After many years as an independent publication The Historic Gas Times (HGT) has now been integrated into the IGEM publication GI (Gas International) with its much larger readership. Whilst GI is published monthly, the Historic Gas Times will continue as a quarterly integrated publication.
For non-members of IGEM who have previously subscribed to receive HGT, there remains an annual subscription. Please contact
Subscriptions, IGEM Membership Dept., IGEM House, 28 High Street, Kegworth, Derbyshire DE74 2DA. Payment is now available by Direct Debit. Subscription enquiries telephone +44(0) 1509 678 150, during office hours.
As stated in the first issue of GI to include HGT, We are always looking for new content from our readers in the form of pictures, plans and stories about the gas industry. These can be sent to hg*@ig**.uk or via post to History Panel, IGEM House, 26 & 28 High Street, Kegworth, Derby, DE74 2DA United Kingdom.
SPECIALIST INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE ENGINEER FOR GAS LIGHTING AND FLAMBEAUX
ADDED 2014 Chris Warren whose business name is WG Consultants has worked with both Sugg Lighting and myself since my retirement on many specialist projects. Contact through his email address
wg***********@ho*****.uk
Note 2018 that Chris Warren has now retired although his son – also called Chris – is attempting to continue the work but I am told that he is no longer covering the wide area of the country that his father did. There are a few specialist gas engineers and it is perfectly acceptable for any ‘conventional’ gas installer to work on gas lighting. If you find someone who says that he knows nothing about gas lamps ask him to contact me and I will attempt to give him confidence!
In 2023 I find that Chris Warren is still ‘amusing himself’ in the gas lighting world so do make contact through the email address above if you have an installation or service required!
GAS MUSEUMS AND PRESERVED GAS WORKS:
The National Gas Museum, Aylestone Road, Leicester, LE2 7QH.Tel 0116 250 3190. Check opening times prior to visit, currently Tues, Wed, Thurs 10:00 – 3:00 email address, in*********@ga*******.uk https://www.gasmuseum.co.uk/
Fakenham Museum of Gas and Local History UPDATED NOVEMBER 2008 Hempton Road Fakenham Norfolk NR21 7LA NEW WEBSITE AND EMAIL General enquiries: (01328) 863150 Enquiries for group visits: (01328) 863507 email: en*******@fa***************.com Website offers link to Location Map and Route Finder. Web: https://www.fakenhamgasmuseum.com
Flame – The Gasworks Museum, 44 Irish Quarter West, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland BT38 8AT Tel: 028 93 369575 email: in**@fl***********.uk https://www.flamegasworks.co.uk/
Gas Works Museum, Gas Works Road, Biggar, South Lanarkshire. The website carries latitude, longitude and grid reference and a multi map connection which provides a complete route itinerary from any post code to the site from the website: https://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst236.html Contact Tel: 01899 221050
NATIONAL GAS ARCHIVE HELD BY THE NATIONAL GRID
CIBSE – BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEERING – HERITAGE GROUP
A wide range of historic information on building services, companies and people involved in them – including gas equipment – with an active heritage group at: Heritage Group of CIBSE www.hevac-heritage.org
GAS LIGHTING SHOP IN PARIS – & ‘GAZETTE AFEGAZ’
The ‘must visit’ gas lighting shop in Paris mentioned in the ‘collectors’ section and owned by Monsieur Ara is: Lumiere de l’Oeil, 4, rue Flatters, 75005, Paris, France Huge amount of information in 3 languages on his website: https://lumiara.perso.neuf.fr/lumiara/ NEW WEBSITE ADDRESS NOV 2008
The website for Gazette AFEGAZ is: https://members.aol.com/Afegaz/Page1.html
Series of videos about gas lighting on You Tube NEW YOU TUBE ENTRY 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmw4jJY0iXs&feature=youtu.be. And others.
STREET LIGHTING ENTHUSIASTS AND COLLECTORS WITH WEBSITES FULL OF INFORMATION – INCLUDING REFERENCES TO SUGG.
Bob Cookson. Specialist on street lighting in Eastbourne with major collection of lanterns and street lighting equipment. www.cooksonr.freeserve.co.uk
Simon Cornwall. Another major collection including catalogues and advertisements from many trade sources. www.simoncornwell.com/lighting/
(Many more to add! Several can be found via the sites above)
SPECIALIST BOOKLET “WHEN THE STREETS WERE LIT BY GAS” by Philip Tordoff. (See ‘Other Manufacturers‘)
YEOVIL HISTORY website by Robert Osborn with a section on Sugg Lamps
https://www.yeovilhistory.info/sugglamps.htm
OPEN AIR MUSEUMS.
Ironbridge Gorge Museum www.ironbridge.org.uk
Black Country Museum www.bclm.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/bclivingmuseum
Beamish – The Living Museum of the North Visit: www.beamish.org.uk beamishtransportonline.co.uk/ 2012 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence – Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Sandford Award for Heritage Education Beamish Museum Limited, Beamish, County Durham DH9 0RG Main Switchboard – Tel. 0191 370 4000
HERITAGE RAILWAYS – FREQUENTLY WITH WORKING GAS LIGHTS
The Bluebell Railway Preservation Society, Sheffield Park, East Sussex has gas lighting on the platforms and access roads and walkways, much of it with Sugg connections. Lots of detail on their multi lingual website: www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway in Yorkshire has a first class website at: www.kwvr.co.uk/ They have some 75 gas lamps of which about half are of Sugg manufacture.
Severn Valley Railway has lots of information on their website: www.svr.co.uk/
West Somerset Railway. www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/
GAS LIT PUBS AND OTHER BUILDINGS
(Please check before visiting to avoid disappointment)
The Craven Arms, Appletreewick, Nr Skipton, North Yorks BD23 6BN. (Inverted mantle burners)
The Hat and Feathers, 2 Clerkenwell Road, London,EC1M 5PQ. (Open flame)
Gas Lit Churches
St Johns Methodist Church, Ashbrooke Road, Sunderland, SR2 7HQ
Copyright © Chris Sugg 2006-13 Top of page
83 responses
Hi
Looking at the Lamp Post Church Street/East Street Petworth.
This is a Grade 2 listed structure accredited to Charles Barry. I guess Suggs would be the most likely maker. Sadley it does not have the original lantern, these were remove prior 1947 pictures. I have seen an early image of it with four lanterns. The side ones may well have been to easily hit with vehicles.
Any comments on this?
Hello Simon. I have driven past this post many times over the years and also noticed the handsome cradle bracket that needs a lamp on a house nearby! This post group worries me from several points of view! It appears to have a central post which is plain with 3 ‘barley sugar’ posts equi-spaced around it. All the posts appear to have been extended with decorative sections that have been added on top of the classic spigot point above the twist so my first thought is that the additions are much later than the original posts. Early posts were always short because the lamps were often only single open flames. To get more light they had to use larger burners requiring larger lanterns, however one other possibility would be to add extra lanterns to the same location which may be what, unusually, has happened here. I would really like to see the picture with 4 lamps as it could explain a lot. If you go to ‘Location Pictures’ and wind down you will eventually come to the Barry designed posts and Globe lanterns along the front of the House of Lords that we made at Sugg Lighting to an original Barry illustration. I think the original had 3 flames but we were asked for a 6 lt burner which was quite a challenge! If you can provide more information, particularly the early photo, I would be happy to comment further.
Hi Chris
Thank you for the comments. The picture I found was on this site;
(https://www.gravelroots.net/history/83.html#571)
It is not the main first picture you see, but the one featured in the right hand column.
Regards
Simon
The 3 extra lamps are mounted projecting sideways so your guess that they were removed because of the increase in physically larger traffic is almost certainly correct. The lamp on the top looks similar to those in the garden at the Brighton Pavilion which were originally top glazed later filled in with metal panels in order to reflect the light downwards and mount an electric conversion. The side lamps do not look like gas lamps as they do not have typical chimneys. If you want to research this fixture you need to search local documentation and even newspapers for more photos and somebody, sometime will have recorded its purchase and maybe its conversion to electricity.
Chris
Thank you for the comments, I will do some digging and see what come up. Any news I let you know.
Best regards
Simon
Hi
I am about to start a restoration/conversion of a Littleton 2/3 lt lamp and would like to source a replacement glass dome. It is 7 1/2″ diameter.
Can you please offer any advice?
Regards
Chris
Hello Chris,
I can provide a globe for the 2/3 lt Littleton or, indeed, any of the Rochester or Littleton sizes. These globes are all made using high temperature borosilicate glass which is of course ideal for the application. If you go to the ‘Market Place’ section you will see my comment about these globes and an illustration of a few. They are usually made to order. The dimensions are included on the Rochester & Littleton section.
Hi there, my grandfather was Walter Clarence Sugg. I knew him for 25 years but not a lot about him. He owned his own shop, grocers i think in London, have you heard of him please
Hi Kerri,
I thought I replied to this before so apologies if it appears elsewhere! I don’t have a Walter Clarence on my tree list although I do have two Walters! I suggest that you look at my namesake Chris Sugg’s family information that you can find by going to the ‘contacts’ section of my website and wind down a short way to the information headed Sugg Family Genealogy. Good luck.
Hi Chris,
I work with antique lighting and we are having a significant tidy up at our workshop, we have come across some Sugg gas lights and I wondered if you had any interest in them. They are 5 twin swan neck wall lights with number 3 galleries. They are in good original condition but lack shades and some of the thumb bolts for the galleries. If you are interested, contact me via my email and I will send photos.
Many thanks,
Rono
We’ve just published an article about Sugg’s gas lighting. Our Town Hall was converted to the Sugg system in 1907 and you can read the article on out site here:
https://www.picturepenzance.com/threads/new-gas-lamps-and-redecorated-st-johns-hall-1907.1910/
I’m researching where else in the town of Penzance in Cornwall we utilised the Sugg system during the 1900s
Dear Steff, thank you for letting me know about your article and providing a link back to this site. I would be delighted to hear about any historic Sugg lighting – or any other product you come across in your researches. If you have any photos I would be happy to add them to the site. Chris
Hello, I found in my loft an old poster showing different gas lamps and columns in London. It is same as the top image on this page. https://williamsugghistory.co.uk/?page_id=63
Do you know if Sugg company produced the poster, and how much it would be worth?
Thank you
Hello Rick. When we started making gas lamps again after the original company had been taken over, we found an old acetate of this poster and used it to reproduce many for promotional purposes at exhibitions etc. It was printed more than once with the earlier ones being on lighter and better paper compared to a second run. They are lovely things although quite large if anyone wishes to frame them and hang them up. I don’t actually know if and when they were printed originally as I have never seen one older than ours which must date to around 1980 – so not exactly old! Like all these things it is worth what anyone is prepared to pay for it! You will find out by offering it on eBay I guess. Don’t forget to put the size! Chris
Hello Chris
I am restoring a Mercury Gas Lighting system just now which produced gas from petrol back around 1910. I was just wondering if you or any of your members would be interested in seeing some pictures. I am nearly at the stage of producing the first Gas/vapour to try on my gas mantle lights so quite excited and apprehensive. This system I found on the farm where I live and had been left to the elements for a hundred years or so but I have managed to bring it back to life using probably 95% of the original equipment. I have lots of photos and a bit of information about the design and renovation, I think this will be the only working example left in the world to my knowledge as most of them would have been scrapped when electricity came in. Let me know if you are interested and we can take it from there. I expect some of the lights used back then for this contraption would have been Suggs but not sure.
Best wishes
John
Hello John,
How exciting! I am sure everyone would like to see your pictures if you would send them to me. If you have lots you could use dropbox or send me small versions to choose from. I can build a new section if it doesn’t obviously fit in an existing one! Do you have some lights to use the gas on? Look forward to seeing them. Many thanks, Chris
Good Morning – while researching something I stumbled upon this website due to it’s reference to Henry Greene & Sons. Can you tell me what “JOGL” and a year citing stands for. Example: JOGL 8th March 1892
Although I know this does not really apply to the purpose of your web-site, which is quite informative, it would help me to know.
Many thanks
Paula this is a reference to the Journal of Gas Lighting (JOGL) and the date of issue. If you need to see the issue you can go to the library of the Institution of Gas Engineers where they have a full set. Information on the site under ‘contacts’
Hi,
I’m trying to find out more about the Windsor Confectioner’s Ovens – very specific stuff, including installation date, any records of where they were originally installed, whether the gas main needed changing etc. The Royal and National Archives have very little on it. It’s for a book, A Greedy Queen, due out with Profile Books in 2017 and looking at Queen Victoria and her food. I’ll contact Tim Martin as well, but all and info would be very gratefully received!
Cheers,
annie
Hello Annie, I have sent by separate email a larger version of the “Royal Confectioner” catalogue page plus the specification and several other pages from the same catalogue. I am afraid there are no records extant of sales or installations although it does appear that the Company did do installation work. The picture of the Works foreman on Tower Bridge indicates this. Go to section 4 of the History pages and wind back up past the Buckingham Palace pictures to arrive at the Tower Bridge pictures. It looks like the installation will date from 1907.
I visited the main Buckingham Palace kitchen at the time of gas conversion to natural gas because they were having trouble with the burners on a low stock pot cooker. The kitchen had a whole range of massive Sugg appliances including I think 2 ovens, one of which may have been a ‘Confectioner’. The chef said that he really liked the old ovens because they held the heat – I guess a bit like an AGA these days. The equipment included a huge spit driven by a fan rotated by the hot air going up the chimney.
Many years later I attempted to arrange a visit only to discover to my horror that all the old equipment had been scrapped. The Windsor Castle unit was also scrapped at some point but the front of it was rescued and set up in the Gas Museum which itself was pulled down when the Industry lost its gas Regions. It just may have been transported to the one remaining Gas Museum at Leicester but it is not on show there. I will find out if it is in the large store and let you know.
Dear Sir,
I have a working Winsor gas lamp working on natural gas with three mantles. Currently I light the lamp using a street lamp lighters pole. However this tends to be a little tricky from time and damages mantles.
Do you know of any remote control lighter that would fit this lamp please? I do not have electricity at the post so it would need to be battery operated or similar.
If you have no electricity you have two possibilities. Firstly to use a second hand original clockwork ‘controller’ such as the Horstmann 3aUni which runs for 15 days between windings or to ask Sugg Lighting for their latest electronic ignition system which is either battery operated or makes use of solar power. Look in contacts for their number.
Dear Chris
We were in contact some years ago and you confirmed that we are related – both of us being great grandsons of William Sugg.
You have done a fabulous job of preserving – and indeed celebrating – the achievements of a remarkable man through your websites. My son is moving to the UK soon and I will be in London between 18 and 28 June. I would like to give him a sense of belonging in your country by showing him some Sugg street lights. Please be so kind and send me a list of sites that we can visit in a day or two. I would be most grateful.
Yours, Chris
Telephone +2721 762 2739 – Cape Town South Africa
Hello Chris, Good to hear from you and that you are coming to London. The most obvious places to see original William Sugg lamps are in the area known as New Palace Yard in front of Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament and on the front wall of Buckingham Palace and in the garden round the side of the Palace. These are original and around 100 years old but you can also see gas lamps that we made at Sugg Lighting running down the front of the House of Lords at the opposite end of the Houses of Parliament from Big Ben. (There are some identical but electric versions so see if you can spot them!) There are also many gas lamps in the Royal Parks many of which have now had electronic ignition systems added by Sugg Lighting. Westminster has many gas lamps as probably the oldest area of London that was gaslit and of course was the home of William Sugg & Co. I am hoping to archive all the information I have collected in the Westminster archive in due course. If you would like to meet I will send you contact details by email. Regards, Chris
Demonstration of Flatt Flame Burners
Hi Chris
You can add this to the news page as a modern demonstration of slit union, union and batswing gas burners using a gas mixture, to give a bright steady light that lit the Victorian world for most of the nineteenth century.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMRFUiuVJrk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueJUVpD9W_k
Hi Martin, Nice little demonstration but you are using a special gas make up that not many people will be able to obtain. We spent quite some time at Sugg Lighting obtaining an open flame that worked realistically on natural gas. It required a small amount of primary air introduced to prevent lift-off and provide a bit of colour for a gas that has no carbon particles that added colour in town gas.It does, however, show the difference in flame shape very nicely.
Dear Chris,
I stumbled across your web site while doing a Google search for gas lantern burners. Very nice!
Can you tell me where I can buy open flame and mantle burners in the UK?
I’ve made my own lantern and need to buy the gas workings. I need LPG and we are located rurally.
I’m in Australia so I need a supplier that’s prepared to ship down here.
Kind Regards,
Frank
Hello Frank. I guess I have to start by asking what sort of size lantern you have made. Traditional gas street lamps like the Windsor are surprisingly big when you see them at ground level and there are all sorts of features to make them wind and weatherproof and provide access to the interior. If you look at the section on the Windsor lamp it will give you a lot of clues as to how it works and you will also see that the inverted mantle burners are mounted close to the reflector. If you want to replicate the much earlier open flame burner the flame will normally be roughly central on the height of the side panels and of course central on the chimney. Many early open flame will not have a reflector and the top of the lamp may well be glazed with clear or opaque glass. There is lots of detail about how lamps developed on the site and it would pay to run through information on the development to make sure your lamp operates properly. The size of the lamp would determine the size of the burner and you have to decide how you want to control it. My old company, Sugg Lighting,(contact details in Contacts) would be able to supply you with a burner for operation on LPG and I think they have a fully automated solar ignition and control system for mantle burners – but don’t forget I am 10 years out of involvement now so they would need to ask you all the questions and probably suggest a drawing and photo. If you want to send me the information I will do my best to help. Regards, Chris
Hi Chris I sent you a photo of my Littleton lamp mounted on a swan neck lamp post a couple of years ago I have a collection of interior gas fittings I wonder if you would like pictures of these as well
Phil
Hello Phil, always interested in gas lighting fixtures so do send your pictures. Are any of them in use, in which case let’s see them lit!, Chris
Hello Chris,
I have 6 Windsor street lamps which I secured when working for British Gas.
I am trying to polish them up before using an Everbrite sealer.
I have tried to polish using brasso and brasso mesh wool, but the tops remain resolutely black.
Can you give me any idea what to do or where to get a product that might work?
I have photos but cannot get the Sugg lighting website to open, it seems broken.
Can you help please.
I can send photos if you can send me an email address.
Regards
Ray.
Hello Ray, Are these full size 16″ street lamps? Not that it makes any difference from the point of view of the material from which they are manufactured unless they are very old ones made in the 30’s when they were made from both copper and tinned steel, the latter being more economical at the time and of course all lamps were painted – usually green – with a long lasting oil paint. When we made Windsor lamps at Sugg Lighting – and I guess still these days, we had them polished and then they were high temperature lacquered which is a tough surface.
Have you tried working on an area that would not have been lacquered – say the inside of the tent? If there is a lacquer you will have to try a strong paint stripper to tart with. When I get polishing done for the odd fixture I make I am always surprised at how much energy is required to get the surface bright and shiny. The polishing mops used are several horsepower and they use an abrasive compound to cut through the oxide layer. If they apply the mop to a lacquered part it takes even more pressure and you can see the lacquer heat up and almost ripple as it is removed.
I would be very happy to look at your pictures and you can send them to the
ch***@wi****************.uk
email address.
In response to receipt of photos from Ray Tilney, I replied:
Ray,
It sounds as if you have the 14” and 9” Windsors and they are definitely ones we made at Sugg Lighting so they are copper for sure. I said in my last email that it requires a lot of energy and if they have been in your garden for 20 years this has given plenty of time for weathering. However, I suspect these were high temperature lacquered as that was the norm at the time. Did you try applying yourself to the inside of the tent? Of course you could take the lamps to a polisher and let him have a go. Apart from finding one with sufficient knowledge and suitable equipment it would probably cost a lot. I use a polisher south of Haywards Heath if you wish to go down this route! (I imagine that you are still in the Sheffield area so not very practical but you could doubtless find a closer workshop)
Kind regards, Chris
Hello Chris – I have just discovered your website and wonder if you would be able to help me regarding a railway hand lamp in my possession. It is made by the Lamp Maunfacturing & Railway Supplies Co. and has a brass label stamped LNER Initial research would suggest that it is to their Welch design but I would be interested to find out some further information. If I were to send you a photo of the lamp would you be able to provide me with any additional detail as to its original function and perhaps its period of use?
Kind regards
Reg
Hello Reg. If I cannot help, I know a man who can so please send your photo to the email address
ch***@wi****************.uk
Hello Chris
I have recently aquired a Suggs Station lamp that like many others is minus the glassware part (not sure what the correct name is). Is it possibe you could supply the missing ‘part’?
Hello Bob, unfortunately my previous supplier has decided that they cannot justify making the tiny volume of quite a wide range of glass that I have asked for over the years. Not only that I suspect their older glass blowers have retired and the skills have been lost. I am hopeful of finding an alternative supplier but all of this means that the price may possibly be prohibitive.
Chris hi, Thank you for your reply. Would you please let me know if and when you find an alternative supplier. To an extent, without the glass, the lamp appears half empty. 🙂
Within reason, the cost isn’t a major issue for me.
kind regards, Bob
PS: if you wish you are welcome to use my private email address. I’m more likely to pick up any news from you there.
Hi,
Not sure if you have managed to find an alternative glass blower, if so could you tell me if you are able to supply a replacement glass for one of these station type lamps? I will try and send on a picture as I can’t see the option to attach one here. If you need measurements for the fitting let me know.
Regards
Jay
Just attach your picture to my email address
ch***@wi****************.uk
Regards, CS
Hi.
Any advice with using lpg with older lamps? I used to use 6 lamps still in my house – 2 of which are ceiling drops. They all have the regulating pin on the injectors to adjust the gas flow to the air chamber. Also,what to use… butane or propane? Cheers…
Hello Art, In essence you can use any gas so long as you can adjust the flow and aeration. Propane is used more commonly when the bottles are outside as butane freezes at low temperatures so must be kept indoors. Don’t forget to regulate the gas bottle pressure with a proper regulator – you cannot use one of those small canisters as they rely on needle valves to control the pressure/flow. All these lamps will have been made for coal gas which was supplied at very low pressure and a modest calorific value whereas natural gas is 4 times the pressure and double the calorific value and propane is several times this so you can see why the injector size is so much smaller to achieve the same heating effect to make the mantle incandesce. Watch out for leaks when using higher pressures too. Really you should have the fixtures checked out and the whole system pressure checked. A gas engineer would do it for you.
Hi.
I have acquired two “Botogas Bray” gas lights but the ceramic parts that holds the mantles are missing. Could you please let me know what the part is called so I can search for them. Thank you
Brian, Bottogas – note spelling – is a cylinder brand of Flogas. Bray was a famous manufacturer at similar time to William Sugg. The ceramic part that holds or suspends a mantle is known as a nozzle. Most bottled gas lamps which are of course hand held require a nozzle/mantle arrangement that holds together under movement unlike fixed lamps including street lamps in which the mantle is suspended from a ring that has three lugs that sit in matching locations on the nozzle but is not fixed. If you would like to send a photo of the lights I will see if I can make further suggestions.
Hi,
I am trying to assemble 5 fake gas lamps for use in an old, wooden railway carriage of 1890. We know that this carriage had gas lamps as the tanks & regulator still survive underneath. As it is all timber the fire risk is too high (just one spark..) but we don’t run in the dark or have a tunnel so I am trying to “fake” these lamps. I have manufactured some near miss reflectors, bought some acetate half-globes and found some mantles but cannot find any nozzles of the 3 lug type to fit. I know this type was used on railways as I once found a sample.
The mantles I have are “Veritas Alpha M.3772 Bijou Fitting”. You don’t know where I might find 5 of these ceramic nozzles do you, please?
Hi Tony, we have been communicating by email already but, for the record here I can supply a suitable nozzle for the No.1 mantle.
Hello Chris,
I am trying to put a date on an old Foster & Pullen lantern that once graced the streets of Scarborough.
On the brass plate that runs across the bottom of the lantern is the number 35 would this give any indication of the date of manufacture ?
It is almost coming to the end of the restoration and have tested the gas burners. Can supply of photos if interested.
Regards
Barry Close
HULL
Hi Barry, Please do send a photo or more! I have one or two knowledgeable lamp men who can help if it is outside my own area! Just attach them to
ch***@wi****************.uk
and I will let you know. Regards.
Hello Chris
We’ve corresponded before on the subject of my collection of vintage gas lighting ephemera. I added to it this morning with a porch lamp from the local boot fair! I think these were manufactured in the 1960s – on the inside top of the lamp are two brass labels – one says ‘Rowan Porch Lamp; and the other ‘Metal Units’ and three diamonds with the letters U-D-I in them. It has a single No.2 burner. All is complete (needs the steel bracket repainting and a good clean) but I suspect the jet is for towns gas, so wondered if you still had any jets for No. 2? I once purchased some from you – if I remember correctly I visited your works… Kindest regards, Steve
Hello Steve, the Rowan Lamp was manufactured in the late 1960’s for sale through the British Gas showrooms by UGI, United Gas Industries. At Sugg Lighting we made a 9″ version of the iconic Windsor lamp which is similar in size to the Rowan. If it was installed at the time of conversion it would have been converted to natural gas. If not, I can probably find you a suitable injector from my retired position! You can send me a picture or a note direct to
ch***@wi****************.uk
Hello, I’m looking for a bit of advise if possible.
We have in our garden what appear to be two old Bradford Cooperation AVIL, naylor, Foster & Pullen gas lamps.
What to do with them is the question, are their collectors intersted in such things?
The easiest thing to do is contact your nearest architectural salvage company and ask them if they are interested. If the posts are original they are very heavy cast iron and 2 or 3 feet in the ground so not something to play with. Of course the lanterns can be taken off the posts and sold separately but they will advise the best approach. If you have a nice photo or two send them to me and I will see if anyone I know is interested. It is unlikely that you will be able to sell them installed!
Dear Chris Sugg
For years we have been trying unsuccessfully to find somebody to rebuild our gas lanterns. (The London gas people who look after Hyde Park etc. were very interested but it came to nothing.) We have five traditional street lamps, only one of which still has the original gas fittings. It was working in my previous garden, and it has a prominent place at the top of our drive now, but would need fixing up again. The four others were converted to electricity or simply stripped out and I would like them rebuilt with the traditional swan neck from which the mantles hung. (The ones in this part of the country were like the one in this link: https://www.google.co.uk/searchq=glasgow+gas+street+lamp&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO367sj4HdAhWIXsAKHfxkCgQ_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=759#imgrc=fnDdUbRBiW2fDM:
I have good close up pictures of our original one. Two of our lamps (also on lampposts) are at our gate, one is over an archway in the grounds, and the other one will probably go over another archway. We also have a small indoor lamp which we’d like to put above the AGA mantelpiece – the gas is already laid in for it, but the lamp would need sorted out.
Are you able to help or advise? Many thanks.
Tommy, Your link does not work but do send me the pictures to my
ch***@wi****************.uk
email address and I will respond.
Hi.
I’ve just found the globe for an exterior pub lamp, advertising the Unity Inn, Canterbury.
It has a small aperture at the bottom, with some clear marks that something was attached (screwed?) and a larger aperture at the top.
Probably impossible to answer this Q with certainty but would you have any idea what would’ve been the likely configuration of the entire lamp when it was installed, which I guess would have been in the late 19th
century?
Hi Rory,
Send me a picture or two and I may be able to help.
Hello Chris
From an early age (about 6, and I’m now 39) I have had a fascination with Ascot water heaters, due mainly to the large NEA 32/6 in the boys loos at school, eventually when I was 14 in around 1994 it was condemned and found its way into the skip and from there via my very patient mothers car boot home where I attempted but failed to blow up the shed firing it on calor gas – over the years it has moved house and gained a few flueless friends. I have amassed a good selection of Ascot publications, including a few books signed by the cmpanies founder (I think un signed copies are rarer, he liked signing books!!). The one thing I have little information on and can find virtually no reference to is the Circulator, they don’t seem to have marketed them very heavily – can you shed any light on when they came into production and when they disappeared? I have seen ones still in use with gas council number plates on that look to be late 60’s early 70’s.
Best Tony
Hello Tony,
Suggs did of course fit an Ascot water heater into the Halcyon warm air appliance. It was a standard circulator without the external casing fitted into a front compartment and flued back through a common flue with the air heater. The Halcyon development was enormously long by comparison to anything today taking at least 10 years moving from an individual single outlet warm air appliance via single and multiple commercial appliances to the beginnings of ducted warm air to the inversion of the airflow so that the warm air could be distributed under floors and eventually adding water heating via the Ascot Circulator and the Maxol version. I am sure you are right with your 60’s into 70’s date. I was working in the factory in Crawley around then and the water heater versions (that use a letter ‘W’ in their name) were being made in quantity.
It was the circulator that led directly to the development of the first low water content boiler by Suggs known as the Supaheat 50/15 and everyone followed.
Hope that helps a bit, regards, Chris
Hi I am trying to find a suitable mantel for an old ceiling mounted single gas light, it has a ceramic nozzle with 3 lugs to hold the mantel and is 16mm diameter at the tip, could someone tell me what mantel would be suitable for Propane
Thanks
The nearest nozzle size in Imperial dimensions is No.3 which is 5/8″ = 15.875mm.
The type of gas doesn’t make any difference, you just want a No.3, hard inverted, mantle.
Just handle carefully and do not touch the material. Hold the ceramic ring when fitting and do not turn on the gas. Simply apply a match to burn off the handling fluid – it smokes a lot but don’t worry. When it has stopped burning then turn on the gas and light the mantle being very careful not to touch what is just a mesh of ash.
Many thanks Chris your help and advice is very much appreciated
Hi thanks for your help, but my next question has to be where can you buy them from, I have trawled the internet, and e.mailed various people but as yet with no success
It has become a real problem since both the UK (Veritas) & European (Welsbach/Auer) manufacturers gave up and sold their machinery to the only remaining manufacturer in India whose name is Indo International. You could try contacting them and ask if they have any suppliers left in the UK. I believe they are in Mumbai so may have Covid problems. There will be some No.3 mantles somewhere. I would try all the established LPG gas suppliers as they might have some left over. If you find any, please let me know for future enquiries! Thankyou.
Thanks Chris I will give it a try and let you know how I get on
Regards Chris Bee
Hi Chris
Managed to get a mantle from Amazon USA, as Wilmonds are no longer stocking them and Basecamp are out of stock for at least 2 months, unfortunately I think the mantle may have got damaged in transit, when I tried to burn it in before turning on the gas it immediately fell to pieces, I tried to put a soft tie on mantle to the remaining ceramic ring, but was unable to get a stable flame, not sure if I need to change the jet for LPG, unfortunately I don’t know anyone with experience with gas lights for advice
Hi Chris,
I’m looking for an electronic ignition system for use with internal gas lights. I see they’re quite common in America, but I’m having trouble finding them over here. Could you offer me a word of advice or point me in the right direction please?
Many thanks.
Hello Dafydd, The problem generally is that equipment for ignition is physically too large for typical small swan neck or pendant fittings. We used the simple push-button piezo igniter that pre-dates the electronic systems quite successfully for some of our larger interior fixtures. You do have to get the spark in the right place at the top of the mantle which often means that you need an electrode with an earth path. There are battery operated systems but you still need somewhere to hide the equipment. We used permanent pilot systems on the majority of our swan neck fixtures with a separate pilot supply which remained on whilst the mantle supply could be turned off and on. This arrangement could be operated using manual gas cocks or ultimately an electric solenoid. Being somewhat out of date with current technology it might pay to contact the current William Sugg company and ask if they have anything that would apply. Otherwise ask the American companies as they are helpful. Do make it clear, however, that you have a mantle fixture as the Americans often think of ‘gas lamps’ as having flickering open flames just for effect. Chris
Thanks for your useful advice Chris.
Hello Chris Sugg
I’d like to send you drawings for two new copper lanterns we would like to have made and installed at Broughton Hall in Yorkshire. If you can reply to my email address I can correspond more personally.
Many thanks
Gary
Replied by email, passing the message on to Mark Jones at the factory. Thanks for the enquiry.
Hi Chris,
I was wondering whether it was you having a mini jeep being repaired on ‘Christmas Repair Shop’ on tv in last couple days.
Thought I recognised you?
I worked at Suggs back in the day in Manor Royal labs, and then over in Priestly Way. Before they moved ‘up North’
My whole career followed on from Crawford Sugg, Tom Blench days.
71 now.
Let me know please if it was you
Regards
Richard
Hi Richard, Oh yes, that was me and of course my Dad, although somewhat younger than you would have known him! You have obviously had a look at my William Sugg History website and you must have worked with Keith Bouracier who started our follow-on business with me and appears in this site of course. Good of you to make contact and great that you still remember your time at Suggs!
If you have any pictures or anything Sugg historic for me to add to the site or know anyone who has, I would be delighted to include them.
The site is included in the British Library Web Archive which holds a regularly updated copy to ensure its longevity.
Regards, Chris
Hi! I am looking for to buy a gift for a good friend who would love an original lamp with gas fittings. I can find many lamps but no fittings and wonder if anyone could possibly point me in the direction of where I may find these please. Thank you kindly
I am afraid it is not as easy as that because the majority of so called ‘antique’ street lamps are modern copies without the facility to take a gas burner. The only real alternative is to contact the current Sugg company and have them build you a complete gas lamp complete with wall bracket or post. Contact Mark Jones on 01293 540111. Don’t forget that these lamps are much larger than you might expect and a post will be 8ft tall with the lamp another 3 ft.
Thank you kindly for the reply. I was hoping for one to go on the wall, I will contact the number provided and go from there.
Good afternoon I’ll trying to source some spare parts for a foster and Pullen Gas Street them the two parts that I’m after the two top sections On the very top I’m not sure whether you can help me or send me in the right direction many thanks Andrew
Forwarded your enquiry to Dorron Harper who has since replied I understand.
hello i have a gwr oil lamp base.
It is 6 and three quaters inch tall.( overall).
square base- 4 sided. tapering to top.
has a sheet metal handle to one side,
Base itself is 4 and a quater inch high,
brass fitting at top is 2 and a quater inch tall,
top brass part has fitting for wick and clips for glass funnel( chimmney).
which is missing.
front of base is stamped-gwr.
brass part is also stamped the same.
i cant find any reference to this model.
Base is tin with copper base.
any ideas?
Julian, I have passed your query onto Kevin George who you will have seen has a vast knowledge of railway oil lamps and a great collection.
Regards, Chris
Hi Chris
I sent you some pics and words on 27th June – just wondered if they got through?
If not, let me know and I’ll resend.
Kind regards
Steve Sidaway
Hi Steve, just sent you a quick reply. Great pictures and I will get back on the other items a.s.a.p.
Dear Chris, my web-site moved some years ago to a new address, which is lumieredeloeil.com
Another up-to-date information is that once passed the 70-year mark, I discontinued my natural gas supply and cannot make large gas-lit demonstrations any more. Nevertheless, I can show my visitors 3 or 4 gas lamps with various types of burners using propane. All other antique lights (colza oil, paraffin, etc) can be seen in operation with explanations about technical details, daily use, importance in the industrial History in Western Europe.
Best regards to everybody…
Dear Ara, I have only just found this comment on my website because I seem to get many spurious comments that are trying to get me to respond so that they can then send more rubbish. I really don’t understand why they bother! Because there are so many sections on my site it is easy to see which comments are rubbish because they pick sections that are totally irrelevant. Anyway, apologies for missing your note. I do know that you have a new website. Also congratulations for reaching another round number birthday! I managed it a year ago but one more round number than yours!