Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know of an index, or trade list thingy for carriage lamp makers? My gt,gt,gt,gt grandfather is on the 1871 and 1881 cesus as a carriage lamp maker. I'm guessing this would have been for trains? He lived in Birmingham. I have looked in the historical directories, but he is not in there. Maybe he worked for someone else? How would I find out?

He may have had nothing to do with the Railways, at that time cars had only just been invented so most folk travelled by Horse & Carriage. Have you asked the Birmingham Library?

Indeed, cars had not yet been invented at that time - not till 1885ish I think. Lights in railway carriages at that time would have been gas mantles, just the same as used in houses. I think the lamps would be for horse-drawn carriages (as suggested by Jim). Something like this perhaps- www.summitview.on.ca/lamps.htm

I am not sure when acetylene lamps were invented. They had a piece of sodium carbide in the bottom and a water tank above. open the tap and drops of water on the carbide caused the production of acetylene which was then burnt in front of a convex mirror inside a closed lamp. Prior to that they used a candle.

It seems the first acetylene lamp was patented 1902. Oil lamps were in common use before then (photo's in the link I posted before).

Thank you so much. This info will be very useful for me. Mandy XX

As it is Birmingham could well be Joseph Lucas Co. Joseph Lucas' name appeared in the Birmingham Directory of 1869 as a lamp and oil dealer with a turnover of around £500 a year.