Queen Victoria - 60 Years - Onchan, Isle of Man
Posted by: Mike_bjm
N 54° 10.465 W 004° 27.159
30U E 405181 N 6003902
This street lamp is one of five similar street lamps erected in 1986 on Church Road in Onchan to commemorate the Isle of Man's Heitage Year.
Waymark Code: WM139BZ
Location: Isle of Man
Date Posted: 10/18/2020
Views: 2
This street lamp is one of five similar street lamps erected in 1986 on Church Road in Onchan to commemorate the Isle of Man's Heritage Year.
The street lamps were originally erected at key locations or junctions in Onchan to celebrate Queen Victoria's Silver Jubilee year in 1897.
The cypher '1897' is embossed on the street lamp as a commemoration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1897.
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1937 until her death on 22 January 1901. The Queen became Empress of India on 2 January 1877.
Victoria succeeded her uncle IV, just weeks after her 18th Birthday. Having reigned for 64 years Victoria's reign was the longest of any British Monarch until the reign of the reign of Elizabeth II.
(
visit link)
(
visit link)
In 1897 'the Isle of Man Tramways and Electric Power Company offered to supply free electricity [to the street lights] ‘in perpetuity’.
When that company went bankrupt in 1901, Onchan went dark.
The successor MER company declined to honour any commitments to supply power to the Onchan streetlights so in 1904 one had a gas-lamp hung from it.
Once 20th-century street lighting reached Onchan, the five Jubilee light pillars were redundant and found other uses as vent pipes etc.
In 1986, for Heritage Year, the Jubilee lights were salvaged/restored, painted in the cream and maroon colour scheme of the original Isle of Man Tramways and Electric Power Company, and erected along The Butt [Church Road].'
(
visit link)