Edmundsons Electricity Corporation

Edmundsons Electricity Corporation Limited
Company type	Public company
Industry	Electricity supply
Founded	1897
Defunct	31 March 1948
Fate	Nationalisation under the Electricity Act 1947
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Area served	England and Wales
Key people	John R. Wigham (chairman, 1897), Francis E. Gripper (managing director, 1897), Sir Thomas Royden (chairman, 1938–1948)
Products	Electricity generation and distribution

The Edmundsons Electricity Corporation Limited operated as a publicly traded electricity holding company, founded in 1897, overseeing more than 60 electricity providers throughout England and Wales. Its existence concluded on 31 March 1948 following the nationalisation of the UK's electricity supply sector.

History

Formed to broaden the scope of J. Edmundsons Company Limited—an electrical engineering enterprise established in 1888—Edmundsons secured £200,000 in capital in 1897 to develop power stations and distribution networks in areas such as Folkestone, Winchester, Salisbury, Ventnor, and Shrewsbury.

By 1908, the company had stakes in nearly fifty local electricity businesses. By 1923, it had gained control over significant operations including Cromer, Dorking, and Frome.

In 1925, the Greater London and Counties Trust (GLCT) was established with American investment to acquire financially unstable electricity firms and facilitate a more efficient supply through an interconnected grid. By 1928, GLCT had purchased 95% of Edmundsons’ shares, which then held direct or indirect control over 29 supply companies.

Throughout the 1930s, Edmundsons streamlined and upgraded its holdings, decreasing the number of undertakings from 64 in 1932 to just 23 by 1939.

Principal subsidiaries

The corporation was structured into major regional groups:

The Shropshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire Electric Power Company, operating power stations at Dudley, Kidderminster, Smethwick, and Stourport. This group oversaw:
- The South Wales Electric Power Distribution Company, with facilities at Llynfi and Upper Boat.
The Urban Electric Supply Company, responsible for services in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Caterham, Dartmouth and Kingswear, Glossop, Godalming, Grantham, Hawick, Illogan, Newbury, Newton Abbot, Redruth, Stamford, Walton and Weybridge. It also controlled:
- The East Anglian Electric Supply Company, managing assets at Cromer and Southwold.
- The Cornwall Electric Power Company, operating Hayle and Carn Brea.
The Western Electricity Supply Company Limited, which included the Stroud undertaking.
The Wessex Electricity Company, with operations at Amesbury, Andover, Chipping Norton, Downton, Frome, Lymington, Newbury, and Yeovil.
The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire Electricity Company, leasing the Little Barford power station—built and funded by the B. C. and H. Power Station Company Limited—under a 99-year agreement.

Growth

By July 1947, Edmundsons consisted of six principal subsidiaries along with ownership of twelve additional companies. Its supply area covered nearly 15,000 square miles (38,850 km²), representing approximately one-quarter of England and Wales. Key financial and operational data from 1932 through to 1946/7 illustrate significant expansion:

Parameter	1932	1946/7
Capital expenditure	£17 million	£41.5 million
Mains constructed	5,200 miles	15,500 miles
Receipts from electricity sales	£2 million	£12 million
Electricity price	2.7d./kWh	1.7d./kWh
Return on capital expenditure	4.5%	2.8%
Coal price	13s 8d. per ton	44s per ton

Nationalisation

Edmundson Electricity Corporation resisted the nationalisation of the electricity sector, contending that it would lead to increased expenses, impose financial strain on taxpayers, and reduce options available to consumers. The company allocated £70,000 towards a promotional campaign opposing the move to nationalise.

Following the enactment of the Electricity Act 1947, which brought the British electricity supply industry under state control, the corporation was formally wound up on 31 March 1948. Its generation facilities and transmission infrastructure were transferred to the British Electricity Authority, while responsibility for local distribution networks was assigned to regional electricity boards.

As one of five principal electricity enterprises operating across extensive territories, its holdings were apportioned among several area electricity boards. The other major companies in this group included:

British Power and Light Corporation
Christy Brothers and Company Limited
Edmundsons Electricity Corporation
Electrical Finance and Securities Company Limited
Midland Counties Electric Supply Company Limited (refer to Midland Electric Light and Power Company Limited)

Corporation profits

The following table presents a summary of Edmundsons Electricity Corporation’s net earnings from 1905 through 1946:

Net profits of Edmundsons Corporation
Year	Net profit (£)
1905	58,823
1906	59,993
1907	35,588
1911	47,649
1912	54,264
1913	61,684
1914	65,666
1915	65,311
1916	61,772
1917	64,521
1918	59,920
1919	55,604
1920	86,685
1921	95,562
1922	122,006
1926	125,417
1927	141,696
1928	164,180
1929	163,046
1930	222,570
1933	470,521
1934	537,099
1935	597,016
1946	647,362

Company directors

At its inception in 1897, the board comprised chairman John R. Wigham and managing director Francis E. Gripper. Other founding directors included W. R. Davies, Joshua W. Edmundson, Walter B. Hopkins, and Henry Wigham. The company’s registered office was situated at 19 Great George Street in Westminster.

By 1935, the board had evolved to include deputy chairman Wade H. Hayes alongside Lord Eltisley, Lord Meston, Sir Holberry Mensforth, R. P. Sloan, and A. Winterbottom. The registered office had relocated to Thames House on Millbank.

Sir Thomas Royden held the position of chairman from 1938 until the company’s nationalisation.

References