On This Day October 1

On October 1, 1881, the southeastern England town of Godalming was the first town in the world to introduce a public electricity supply system, making electricity accessible to its residents.

Introduction of street lighting to Godalming, November 1881 (from The Graphic)

In 1881, Calder and Barrett, a London-based firm, installed a generator powered by two Poncelet waterwheels at Westbrook Mill. This generator provided electricity for three 250 V arc lights at the mill, and overhead cables were extended along Mill Street to the town center. There, an additional four arc lights were installed. Additionally, a second 40 V circuit was set up to supply power for 34 incandescent lamps, seven of which were located at the mill, with the rest distributed throughout the town center.

However, the success of this electrification scheme was mixed, with criticisms emerging. Some found the lights in the town center to be too dim, while those at the mill were considered excessively bright. By the close of 1881, the generator had been relocated to the rear of the White Hart pub, where it was now driven by a steam engine. In April 1882, Siemens took over the operation of this pioneering electrical endeavor.

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