Electricity

John Clark owned the brick works in Wellingborough Road where the famous "Rushden brick" was made, which was used for the construction of houses and factories that were being built in Rushden at that time.          

He owned a local transport business, and considerable land in and around Rushden.

He became a director of South Hill Ironstone Mines, and a Director of Barratt Co. Boot Manufacturers of Northampton.

In 1913 Mr Clark was elected on to the Rushden and District Urban Council. He was also one of the directors of The Rushden and District Electric Supply Co.

Electricity

On the 3^rd May 1912 The Board of Trade made a provisional order to be included in a bill to be introduced into parliament for F. H. Thompson, Brook Sampson and John Clark to authorise them to supply electrical energy for public and private purposes within the Urban District of Rushden, the Borough of Higham Ferrers, the Urban District of Irthlingborough and the rural District of Thrapston.

DC cable laying in High Street about 1913 Note: It was not cable as we know it today. It was known as V. B. and consisted of two boards laid to form a V, three copper conductors were laid, with spacers, in the trough which was then filled with bitumen, hence the boiler in the picture, and a red tile placed on top of the two boards.

In August 1912 the Rushden and District Electric Supply Co. was registered with a capital of £25,000 in one pound shares to produce and supply electrical energy.In January 1913 the Rushden Urban Council passed plans for a new Electricity Works to be built in Shirley Road for the R.D.E.S.C.O. 

Once the necessary capital was subscribed steps were taken to construct the generating station in Shirley Road and for the laying of nearly three miles of mains cables in Rushden and Higham Ferrers. The works included an engine room with two diesel powered generators of 125 Kilowatts each, a battery room, workshops and offices.

The engine room had space for a third generator when required and the battery could be doubled without increasing the size of the building. The proximity of the railway station enabled the diesel fuel to be pumped directly from the railway waggons into storage tanks.

The Company commenced a public supply of electricity on 15th October 1913.

The formal opening took place on 27th November 1913, when shareholders together with members of the Rushden District Council and Higham Ferrers Town Council were entertained by the director of the works Mr J. H. Thornton J.P., C.C.

The machinery was started up and the visitors made a thorough inspection of the works under the supervision of Mr G. H. Jackson M.I.E.E.  M.I.T.E. chief engineer, being subsequently entertained to tea, and consumables baked by electricity.

Wages Sheet 1913
Week ending	Name	Dept.	Rate	Hours	Total	Insurance			Unemployment
Dec 18th 1913						Emd.	Work	Stamd	Emd.	Work.	Stamd
	Peck	Office	12s		12s
	A.C.Pratt	Fitter	45s	56	£2- 5- 0	3d	4d	7d	2½	2½	5
	G. Gillett	Driver	30s	56	£1- 10- 0	3d	4d	7d
	A.E. Jenkinson	S & W	8½d	53	£1- 17- 7	3d	4d	7d	2½	2½	5
	F Wilkins	S & W	1d	53	4s- 5d
	W. Ekins	S & W	5d	50	£1- 0- 10	3d	4d	7d	2½	2½	5
	R. Armstrong	S & W	1d	36	3s
	A Wildman	S & W	1d	14	1s- 2d
	G Hughes	Mains	40s	52	£2- 0- 0	3d	4d	7d	2½	2½	5
	J Gates	"	5d	51	£1- 1s- 3d	3d	4d	7d	2½	2½	5
	J Dickens	"	5d	36	15s	3d	4d	7d	2½	2½	5
	G Knight	"	5d	16½	6s- 11d	3d	4d	7d	2	2	4
	Hall	"	5d	16½	6s- 11d	3d	4d	7d	2	2	4
	G Bird	"	5d	16½	6s- 11d	3d	4d	7d	2	2	4
	E Knight	"	5d	16½	6s- 11d	3d	4d	7d	2	2	4
	G Britchford	"	5d	16½	6s- 11d	3d	4d	7d	2	2	4
					£13- 4s- 10d	3s	4s	7s	2s 1d	2s 1d	4s 2d

The 5^th annual report showed that the number of consumers had increased to 151 and that the revenue from sale of current was £3060, a dividend of 5% was recommended.

Original 125 K W dc generators

The above photograph shows the two original Willans Robinson diesel powered 125kw DC generators together with a third set in the background, which was subsequently installed to cope with increased demand. The output from the generators was 420 volts between positive and negative for industrial power and 210 volts to what was known as the third wire (earth), for domestic use.

DC Switchboard

The output from the generators was fed on to the DC switchboard, shown above, with feeder cables eventually radiating out to High Street, Hayway, Wellingborough Road, Newton Road and Queen Street.

The generators were run throughout the day until the load decreased in the evening which enabled the town to be switched over to the battery, the generators then being shut down and the attendant went home.

500 kw Rotary Converter

Around 1935 as consumers were changed over to alternating current the demand for direct current reduced which enabled the diesel and steam generators to be removed, the d.c. being supplied by the rotary converters. Eventually the battery would not hold its charge and a rotary converter had to be run day and night.

Around 1960 all remaining d.c. consumers were changed over to a.c. supply and the rotary converters were removed.

With the introduction of alternating current into  the Rushden area cables were laid and overhead lines built to make supply available to surrounding villages including Oundle, Thrapston, Raunds and out as far as Harrold.

Shirley Road works

This photograph shows the Shirley Road works which originally consisted of the engine room, battery room, offices, meter test room, showroom and resident engineers house. Eventually the showroom and offices moved into the High Street.

On 1^st April 1948 the industry was nationalised and became known as the East Midlands Electricity Board.

On 1^st April 1990 the industry was privatised and was then known as East Midlands Electricity plc., which became Power Gen. and was eventually taken over by E.ON.

In 1999 the Shirley Road engine room, battery room, offices and house were sold.
                                                                                                                 

	Notices rescued from the building when it closed in 1999
	Regulations for safe working and information for first aid should the need arise.

Memories of Engineering by H Packwood written in 1988: Another phase of Rushden history was the building of the Local Electric Light Co. in Shirley Road. Mr. Sammy Scragg and Mr. Sam Bailey arrived in Rushden in 1903 being qualified to do the wiring necessary to wire the factories. The wiring used was known as capping and casing, the wire being in wood casing. Mr. Sam Bailey on finishing the wiring etc. at B. Dentons, High Street (now demolished) was offered the position of engineer, which he accepted. This entailed looking after the Gas plant etc. and engines and the small tannery they owned in Rectory Road. Mr. Sam Scragg then started the Central Electric Co in High Street South, he soon had plenty of work especially Government contracts. On his death the business was transfered to W. Timson and W. Ekins and is now owned by W. Timson junior.

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