far be it from me to blow my own trumpet - but I am very very chuffed to have got the British Library to substitute the following for the ridiculous page they had previously for the picture.
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/topdrawings/g/005add000031331u00087000.html
without being a lawyer - mandamus is a means by which local authorities are forced to levy a rate. The deal which the gas company promoters gave to the vestry was claimed by protestors to be on the lines of - £5,000 down and everyone in Greenwich get free gas for ever and ever.........................
5 comments:
Terry Mitchell has written from the North West Gas Historical Society:
"A little more information about the artist Luke Clennell who died in February 1840 (Born in Morpeth, Northumberland in 1781) in Newcastle upon Tyne. He left London in the early 1820s "suffering from" insanity.
The date of the picture - 1841 - would seem to be based upon his death viz could not be any later (nor later than 1840)- could well have been an actual picture of the gasworks as a gasworks or as just closed c.1828 - there is just visible the notice board stating premises available to be let. It os also titled Greenwich Old Gas Works
The BL Online Gallery seems to specialise in ludicrous captions. One of their illustrations of St Paul, Deptford is clearly of St Bride, Fleet Street. A nice picture of St Nicholas, Deptford (exterior)carries a caption for the interior which is full of howlers. Could go on; won't.
Brian Sturt writes:
I have had a look at the caption for the Greenwich gas works water colour - very much better than the original.
I have looked up the artist, Clennel, in the O.D.N.B. and possibly found a reason to the posthumous date for the painting. For various reasons the artist returned from London to his native heath in Northumberland to live with relatives. Deteriorating mental health resulted in him being committed to an asylum in 1827 with has career at an end. If this is correct then the date of the water colour is more likely 1824 -7 when the works was still in operation.
Hi There. I am researching someone called James John Symons who is alleged to have invented a device to "Prevent Gas explosions". He apparently appeared in an article connected with the gas works (a magazin) on a front page around 1950-1964. If you have any information or further advice for searching please contact me at Garysmiling@live.co.uk. - Thankyou. I am all in favour of keeping accurate history information alive-good blog-5 stars.
The gas works picture is not by Luke Clennell. This picture and others in the series are done by an amateur and have nothing whatsoever to suggest Luke Clennell. The gas works picture appears to be one of a series (tap in 'clennell' on the BL search box). This will bring up the rest. One of which shows the Duke of Wellington sketched in 1841 "on the spot"! A year after Luke Clennell died.
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