Gas Column
Gas Column In 1819 a gas company was founded in Northam. In 1820 William Chamberlayne MP presented the town with all the gas lighting columns it required. In 1823 he was Chair of a group of shareholders who bought the gas company. The town erected the Gas Column to thank him. It was at Town Quay until 1865 with a light on top to guide ships. It is currently in Houndwell Park.
Gordon of Khartoum
Gordon of Khartoum General Gordon was born in London. He served in the Crimea in 1855 but made his name in China with a British expeditionary force that fought its way to Peking. He was Governor of the Sudan from 1873 to 1880 and went back in 1884 to put down a revolt led by the Mahdi, a religious leader. He became trapped in Khartoum and a relief force arrived two days after his death. Victorian Britain saw ‘Chinese Gordon’ as a popular hero and his loss was deeply felt. When in Britain he stayed in Southampton with his sister at 5, Rockstone Place. A monument in Queens Park commemorates him. Interestingly, it does not have a statue of him on it as he disapproved of such displays of vanity.