Christy Brothers and Company Limited
TypePublic company
IndustryElectricity supply
Founded1883
FounderFrank Christy
Defunct31 March 1948
FateNationalisation
Headquarters
Chelmsford Essex
,
England
Area served
North Somerset, West Devon, Culm Valley, Bude, Burnham, Aldeburgh, Holsworthy, Mid Somerset
Key people
Christy family
ServicesElectricity supply
£239,069 (1932)
£29,755 (1932)
Number of employees
500 (1932)
SubsidiariesSee text

Christy Brothers and Company Limited was a UK electricity engineering company which provided equipment, staffing and management to a number of electricity undertakings, worked as subsidiary companies, in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Suffolk.

Background

Christy Brothers was founded in 1883 as an electrical engineering and contracting firm. The company started to provide electric lighting of towns and villages from about 1900.[1] It acquired a controlling interest in eight electric power companies.[2]

The constituent companies:[2]

  • North Somerset Electric Supply Company Limited, originally founded as the Clevedon and District Electric Supply Company Limited on 29 September 1911, changed its name to the Clevedon Portishead and District Electric Supply Company Limited.[3]
  • West Devon Electric Supply Company Limited was registered on 23 December 1931, and formed to acquire and take over the various small undertakings in West Devon.[3] Shares were offered to the value of £250,000 in November 1933. [4]
  • Culm Valley Electric Supply Company Limited (Devon).
  • Bude Electric Supply Company Limited, registered 7 October 1907, formed to adopt an agreement with Christy Brothers to carry on the business of electricity supplier in Bude, Cornwall.[3]
  • Burnham and District Electric Supply Company Limited, registered 17 July 1913, formed to carry on the business of electricity supplier around Burnham, Somerset.[3]
  • Aldeburgh Electric Supply Company Limited, registered 18 July 1911, formed to carry on the business of electricity supplier, Electric Lighting Order 1911 transferred supply responsibilities to Christy Brothers in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.[3]
  • Holsworthy Gas and Electric Supply Company Limited, registered 11 February 1910 to assume responsibility from the Holsworthy Gas company and for electricity from W.H. Harkell of Holsworthy, Devon.[3]
  • Mid Somerset Electric Supply Company Limited

Operations

The generating capacity of the plant at each company was as follows.[5]

Generating capacity 1937
Company Generating plant kW
North Somerset None
West Devon 3 × 225 water, 2 × 500 oil, 3 × 650 water

2 × 350 water,

1 × 75 oil, 1 × 100 oil

Culm Valley 1 × 12 water, 1 × 18 water
Bude 1 × 170 oil, 2 × 150 oil
Burnham None
Aldeburgh 2 × 100 oil
Holsworthy None
Mid Somerset None

Note: oil is oil-fired plant, water is water powered (hydro-electric)

The principal operating parameters of the constituent companies in 1937 is shown in the table.[5]

Electricity supply 1937[5]
Company Electricity MWh Connections kW No. of Consumers
Generated Purchased Sold
North Somerset 0 34,207 29,586 - 20,835
West Devon 5,305 132 4,625 10,778 4,801
Culm Valley 175 1,481 1,403 3,108 1,967
Bude 132 919 858 2,863 1,358
Burnham 0 1,197 1,043 - 1,236
Aldeburgh 200 308 348 1,486 615
Holsworthy 0 237 227 900 308
Mid Somerset 0 797 713 - 1,125

The principal operating parameters of the constituent companies in 1947 is shown in the table.[6]

Electricity supply 1947[6]
Company Electricity MWh Connections kW No. of Consumers
Generated Purchased Sold
North Somerset 0 109,554 96,563 31,459 30,962
West Devon 9,720 7,025 13,991 5,190 7,782
Culm Valley 172 8,437 7,906 2,616 3,015
Bude 91 2,008 1,915 800 1,745
Burnham 0 1,918 1,797 - 1,445
Aldeburgh 62 878 809 367 704
Holsworthy 0 809 777 350 479
Mid Somerset 0 3,155 2,952 - 1,336

Finances

The annual turnover and profit of Christy Brothers 1926-32 was as shown.[1]

Year Turnover £ Profit £
1926 126,720 9,668
1927 169,823 12,826
1928 138,581 17,187
1929 148,731 15,233
1930 163,332 14,233
1931 196,575 17,130
1932 239,069 29,755

In March 1933 Christy company offered £225,000 worth of shares on the Stock Exchange.[1]

Directors

The company directors in 1933 were:[1]

  • Frank Christy (chairman, joint managing director)
  • Leonard Fell Christy (joint managing director)
  • Charles Ernest Smith (director since 1913)
  • Henry Joseph Aylott (director since 1924)
  • Geoffrey Christy (from 1933)

The company's registered address was 171 Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex.[1]

Abolition

The Christy Brothers and Company Limited and all its constituent companies were abolished on 31 March 1948 when the British Electricity Industry was nationalised.[7] The generating plant and transmission systems devolved to the British Electricity Authority and the distribution systems to the appropriate geographical  Electricity Board, for example the Eastern Electricity Board, the Southern Electricity Board, etc.

The company was one of five electricity undertakings that operated over large geographical areas. Its assets were divided between two or more Area Electricity Boards.[8] The five companies were:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Christy Brothers and Company Limited". The Times. 11 March 1933. p. 16.
  2. 1 2 Lamb, Peter (2000). "Christy Brothers in the South West" (PDF). Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Garcke, Emile (1915). Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1914-15 vol. 18. London: Electrical Press Limited.
  4. ↑ "West Devon Electric Supply Company Limited". The Times. 15 November 1933. p. 21.
  5. 1 2 3 Electricity Commission (1939). Electricity Supply 1937-38. London: HMSO.
  6. 1 2 Ministry of Fuel and Power (1949). Electricity Supply 1946-47. London: HMSO.
  7. ↑ Electricity Council (1987). Electricity Supply in the United Kingdom. London: Electricity Council. pp. 45, 60. ISBN 085188105X.
  8. ↑ "Electricity Act 1947". The Times. 10 March 1948. p. 23.
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