| Company type | Public limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electricity supply |
| Founded | 4 February 1902 |
| Defunct | 31 March 1948 |
| Fate | Nationalization |
| Successor | British Electricity Authority and the Midland Electricity Board. |
| Headquarters | Market Drayton, Shropshire |
Key people | R. C. Donaldson-Hudson (chairman), C. W. Clifford and A. E. Wycherley (1915) |
| Products | Electricity generation and supply |
| Revenue | see text |
The Market Drayton Electric Light and Power Company Limited was established in 1902 to provide electricity to Market Drayton, Shropshire, England and the surrounding area. It was abolished upon nationalization of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.
The Market Drayton Electric Light and Power Company Limited was registered on 4 February 1902. [1] Its legal powers were derived from an Electric Lighting Order dated 1903. The company's offices were in Cheshire Street, Market Drayton and the power station was in Great Hales Street, Market Drayton (52°54'10.1"N 2°28'51.6"W). [2] [3] In 1915 the Directors were R. C. Donaldson-Hudson (chairman), C. W. Clifford and A. E. Wycherley.
In 1915 electricity was produced by two 90 kW Belliss-Parker 2-pole generators. Batteries of 360 Amp-Hours capacity maintained supplies of current. There was a three-wire Direct Current system operating at 480-240 Volts. [1] The maximum load on the system was 81.5 kW. The company had 240 consumers and 41 shareholders. [1]
Operating parameters are summarised in the table.
| Year | Electricity sold MWh | Revenue £ | Working costs £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 57.22 | 1,218 | 802 |
| 1909 | 57.26 | 1,198 | 791 |
| 1910 | 59.05 | 1,234 | 839 |
| 1911 | 60.47 | 1,247 | 914 |
| 1912 | 64.60 | 1,282 | 785 |
In 1923 the plant comprised: [4]
The amount of electricity sold was 145.38 MWh. The maximum load on the system was 124 kW. There were 1037 connections on the system. The population of the area of the area of supply was 4,700. The surplus of revenue over costs was £2,840. [4]
In 1937 the plant comprised a single 88 kW oil engine. This generated 20.31 MWh that year. [5] The maximum load on the system was 392 kW. There were 2,293 connections on the system and 1,080 consumers. The population of the area of the area of supply was 5,000.
The company now purchased the majority of its electricity in bulk from the North West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority. In 1937 this amounted to 822.7 MWh. There was an operating surplus in 1923 of £3,710. [5]
In 1950 the plant comprised a 132 Horse-Power (98.4 kW) diesel engine driving an 88 kW 500 Volt generator. The electricity supplied is shown in the table. [2]
| Year | Electricity supplied MWh |
|---|---|
| 1946 | 0.175 |
| 1947 | 2.29 |
| 1948 | 36.46 |
| 1950 | 31.00 |
The Market Drayton Electric Light and Power Company Limited was abolished on 31 March 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 which nationalized the electricity supply industry. The generating plant was vested in the British Electricity Authority and the distribution infrastructure in the Midlands Electricity Board (North Staffordshire sub-area). [2]
Generation of electricity at the Market Drayton site ceased in about 1954. [3]
Berwick Power Station was a small coal-fired power station situated at the mouth of the River Tweed, at Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, North East England. It operated from 1903 until the early 1940s.
Bath power station supplied electricity to the City of Bath and the wider area from 1890. The station was originally built and operated by the City of Bath Electric Lighting and Engineering Company Limited. The power station was on a site in Dorchester Street adjacent to the Old Bridge over the River Avon. The City of Bath Corporation assumed ownership in 1897. The power station was redeveloped several times: including a major rebuilding with new equipment in the 1920s. The station was closed in the late 1960s and was subsequently demolished.
Stafford power station supplied electricity to the town of Stafford, England and the surrounding area from 1895 to 1958. It was initially owned and operated by Stafford Corporation, then by the North West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped in the 1920s, but after 1935 it was a standby plant used at times of peak demand. Stafford power station was decommissioned in 1958.
South Shields power station supplied electricity to the borough of South Shields and the surrounding area from 1896 to 1958. It was owned and operated by South Shields Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped several times to meet increasing demand It was decommissioned in 1958.
The Macclesfield group power stations are three relatively small electric power stations at Alderley Edge, Buxton, and Macclesfield, England. They supplied electricity to their respective towns from 1890s to the 1960s. The oil-engine stations were operated by a succession of private and public owners prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. The power stations were redeveloped as a group in the 1950s as demand for electricity grew and old plant was replaced.
Burnley power station supplied electricity to the town of Burnley, Lancashire from 1893 to 1958. The electricity station was owned and operated by Burnley Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was redeveloped as demand for electricity grew and old plant was replaced, and had an ultimate generating capacity of 8 MW in the 1920s. The station closed in 1958.
Sutton Coldfield power station supplied electricity to the town of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham from 1901 to 1959. The electricity generating station was owned and operated by Sutton Coldfield Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was closed in 1959 when it had a generating capacity of 1.0 MW.
Nelson power station supplied electricity to the town of Nelson, Lancashire and the surrounding area from 1892 to 1960. The power station was owned and operated by Nelson Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped in 1922 to 1925 to meet the increased demand for electricity.
Warrington power station supplied electricity to the town of Warrington, Lancashire and the surrounding area from about 1900 to 1979. The power station was initially developed by the Warrington and District Electric Light and Power Company Limited, this was taken over by Warrington Corporation, which operated the power station prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped several times to meet the increased demand for electricity.
Thanet power station, also known as St. Peter's power station, supplied electricity to the towns of Broadstairs and Margate and other locations on the Isle of Thanet, Kent, England from 1901 to 1964. The station was owned and operated by the Isle of Thanet Electric Supply Company Limited until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The coal-fired power station had an ultimate electricity generating capacity of 6 MW.
Ramsgate power station supplied electricity to the town of Ramsgate, Kent, England and the surrounding area from 1905 to 1958. The station was operated by the Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company Limited until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The coal-fired power station had a maximum electricity generating capacity of 2 MW.
St Helens power station supplied electricity to the Borough of St Helens and the surrounding area from 1896 to the late 1960s. The power station was developed by the St Helens Corporation which operated it up to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped several times to meet the increased demand for electricity.
Folkestone power station supplied electricity to the Borough of Folkestone and the surrounding area from 1898 to 1960. The power station was built by the Folkestone Electricity Supply Company Limited which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was redeveloped in the 1920s to meet the increased demand for electricity.
Southport power station supplied electricity to the town of Southport and the surrounding area from 1894 to the late 1960s. The power station was built by the Southport Corporation which operated it up to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. Birkdale power station was operated by the Birkdale District Electric Supply Company Limited and originally supplied Birkdale Urban District until the district was incorporated into the Borough of Southport in 1911.
Woking power station supplied electricity to the Borough of Woking and the surrounding area from 1890 to 1960. The power station was operated by the Woking Electric Supply Company Limited until the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was redeveloped after the First World War to meet the increased demand for electricity.
Bristol power stations supplied electricity to the City of Bristol and the surrounding area from 1893 to 1959. Temple Back and Avonbank power stations were built by the Bristol Corporation which operated them up to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.
Guildford power station supplied electricity to the town of Guildford and the surrounding area from 1896 to 1967. The power station was built and operated by the Guildford Electricity Supply Company Limited. In 1921 it was acquired by the Guildford Corporation which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.
Uxbridge power station supplied electricity to the District of Uxbridge and the surrounding area from 1902 to 1962. The power station was built by the Uxbridge and District Electric Supply Company Limited which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.
The Midland Electric Light and Power Company Limited was established in 1881 to build and operate an electric lighting installation in Leamington Spa and Birmingham, England. It was abolished upon nationalization of the electricity supply industry in 1948.
Hinckley power station supplied electricity to the town of Hinckley and the wider Leicestershire area from 1913. It was operated by the Leicestershire and Warwickshire Electric Power Company Limited until nationalization of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station continued operation until the early 1950s.