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Lamp lighting in Wheatley 1883
The first mention of the lighting of the lamps in Wheatley in the (UDC) minute book is as follows:
‘Mr James Munt junior’s tender for lighting the street lamps at 2 1/2d per lamp was accepted .Mr Welbys bill for lighting the lamps up to this time to be paid, also Mr Harriss’ bill for disinfectant.’
‘Munts bill for lighting returned for correction .The clerk undertook to clean and store the lamps on the sum of five shillings’
Henry Munts tender for lighting at 2 ¼d per lamp accepted.’
(Already we can see that the lamp lighting contract is obviously worth having as two members of the same family are in open competition with each other .We move on to 1885.)
‘The clerk to publish a notice inviting tenders for lighting the street lamps, and the chairman moves that this meeting be adjourned until Monday next in order to examine and let the lamp lighting by tender of the contract.’
‘There being two tenders for lamp lighting, Mr Henry Munt and Mr James Munt junior. Mr James Munt junior was accepted at two pence per lamp for lighting.’
(Henry has been usurped by young James, who thinks he is on to a good thing by putting in a lower price, but this is not set to last!)
‘The board considered that James Munt junior had failed to fulfil his contract as to the lighting of the street lamps. It was resolved that the clerk inform him as soon as convenient to discontinue and to give Henry Munt the offer of lighting the lamps at 21/2d per lamp, that being his tender’.
(Young James un- daunted by this setback was to once again enter fray, the following February.)
‘Mr James Munt tenders his bill for lighting the street lamps for the months of October and November £2:6:0. The board considered as the lamps were not lighted according to contract and considerable inconvenience was caused thereby, that J Munt was not entitled to the full amount of the bill and thereupon ordered that 6/- be deducted from the bill and two pounds instead of two pounds six shillings, ordered to be paid’.
(Clearly Henry Munt didn’t take up the offer to fulfil his tender, either he found other employment or else he took offence at being turned down in the first instance. Either way James was left to carry on, but under close scrutiny)
‘The clerk was instructed t publish a notice inviting persons to tender for the supply of oil and to light the street lamps, at per night per lamp and this meeting to be adjourned until Monday 18th October for the purpose of examining the tenders’.
‘Mr James Munt sending the only tender at three pence per lamp per night, this was accepted for the quarter ending Dec – 31 March’.
(James was on a role now, not only had he upped his price but had no competition.)
Mr James Munts bill for lamp lighting £4:1:9, to be paid’.
(The bill being paid in full this time, James must have settled to the terms of his contract and been somewhat more expedient, so much so that he doesn’t appear in the minutes again until October1887.)
‘Ordered that the clerk have the six street lamps repaired and painted’ ‘The clerk to publish a notice for persons to tender for lighting the street lamps for Wednesday 12th October next, and this meeting be adjourned until the said 12th Oct for the purpose of recovering the tenders and letting the same’.
‘The only tender being that of James Munt tender at the rate of Three pence per lamp per night’
‘Proposed by Mr Fowler, seconded by Mr Pike, that James Munt tender at 3d per lamp per night be accepted’.
‘James Munts bill £1:8:6 to be paid’.
(The good times were coming to an end, there was competition on the horizon, another party was about to muscle in on the act.)
‘There being two tenders for lighting the lamps, that of James Munt at 3d per lamp and Joseph Shepherd at 2 ½ per lamp.
Joseph Shepherds tender at 2 pence half penny was accepted’.
‘The clerk informed the board that Joseph Shepherd the lamp contractor stated the lamps burner was quite worn out’.
‘Mr Stallworthy (surveyor) was ordered to purchase six new burners as soon as possible,
(James had lost his job as Wheatley lamplighter, a position he had held for the best part of six years. Not a glamorous position, not very high profile, probably only noticed by his absence, if through ill health and the lamps were not lit. Never the less he had made his mark on the History of Wheatley in the 1880’s.)
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