n of the Council of the Royal Society that Murdock was the first
person to apply coal-gas to lighting in actual practice. As secretary of
the Society, Sir Humphrey Davy stated that at the last session it had
bestowed the Count Rumford medal upon Murdock for "his economical
application of the gas light."

Winsor proceeded to float his company without awaiting the Act of
Parliament and in 1807 lighted a street in Pall Mall. Through the
opposition which he aroused, and owing to the just claims of priority on
the part of Murdock, the bill to incorporate the National Heat and Light
Co. with a capital of 200,000 pounds sterling was thrown out. However,
he succeeded in 1812 in receiving a charter very much modified in form,
for the Chartered Gas Light and Coke Co. which was the forerunner of the
present London Gas Light and Coke Co.

The conditions imposed upon this company as presented in an early
treatise on gas-lighting (by Accum in 1818) were as follows:

The power and authorities granted to this corporate body are
very restricted and moderate. The individuals composing it have
no exclusive privilege; their charter does not prevent other
persons from entering into competition with them. Their
operations are confined to the metropolis, where they are bound
to furnish not only a stronger and better light to such streets
and parishes as chuse to be lighted with gas, but also at a
cheaper price than shall be paid for lighting the said streets
with oil in the usual manner. The corporation is not permitted
to traffic in machinery for manufacturing or conveying the gas
into private houses, their capital or joint stock is limited to
L200,000, and his Majesty has the power of declaring the
gas-light charter void if the company fail to fulfil the terms
of it.

The progress of this early company was slow at first, but with the
appointment of Samuel Clegg as engineer in 1813 an era of technical
developments began. New stations were built and many improvements were
introduced. By improving the methods of purifying the gas a great
advance was made. The utility of gas-lighting grew apace as the
prejudices disappeared, but for a long time the stock of the company
sold at a price far below par. About this time the first gas explosion
took place and the members of the Royal Society set a precedent which
has lived and thrived: they appointed a committee to make an inqu