Summary
Decorative cast iron memorial gas lamp, 1832, in tribute to Admiral Sir Harry Burrard-Neale (1765-1840).
Reasons for Designation
The Burrard-Neale Memorial Gas Lamp, 1832, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: it commemorates an early introduction of gas street lighting outside the capital, enabled by a nationally important naval Admiral and MP for the town;
* Architectural interest: though only a partial survival, the plinth and column are an architecturally elaborate neoclassical design.
History
Harry Burrard (1765-1840) was the son of William Burrard, Governor of Yarmouth Castle, Isle of Wight. In 1778 he entered the navy and went on to have a distinguished career with notable accomplishments in three major wars; he was awarded high honours, including the KCB, GCB, GCMG, and achieved admiralty in 1830. He succeeded to the baronetcy upon the death of his uncle in 1791, and was married to Grace Elizabeth Neale in 1795, assuming her name. He spent 27 years as MP for Lymington, Hampshire, on five appointments between 1790 and 1835 and was buried at Walhampton, across the Lymington River. An obelisk, the Burrard-Neale Monument listed at Grade II*(National Heritage List entry 1351049) was erected as a memorial to his life and benefaction in the area.
Burrard-Neale gifted Lymington with columns for the installation of gas lamps in 1832; his younger brother, George Burrard, Rector at Yarmouth, presented the town with the completed lamps in September of the same year. A memorial lamp, inscribed with the details of the event was erected at the town hall; it originally had a single lantern on a slender shaft upon the existing column.
When the town hall was demolished in 1858 the lamp was moved to a new site on the High Street outside the Church of St Thomas. It was moved again in 1954 to its present location on the quay and the upper shaft and lantern were replaced.
Details
Memorial gas lamp, 1832, in tribute to Admiral Sir Harry Burrard-Neale (1765-1840) and his brother George Burrard.
The column and plinth are cast iron, the lantern, ladder rest and decorative bracket are cast and wrought iron; all are painted silver.
The plinth is square in plan and has a panel on each side, two of which are inscribed ‘ERECTED BY SUBSCRIPTION / AS A TRIBUTE / OF RESPECT AND GRATITUDE / TO / ADMIRAL SIR HARRY NEALE BGCB / FOR HIS MUNIFICENT GIFT / OF / THE IRON COLUMNS / FOR / THE PUBLIC LAMPS / IN THIS TOWN / 1832’, and the other two: ‘THIS TOWN WAS FIRST LIGHTED / WITH GAS / THE 20TH SEPTEMBER 1832’ and ‘THE WHOLE OF THE PUBLIC LAMPS / WERE PRESENTED TO THIS TOWN / BY / GEORGE BURRARD ESQUIRE’. Above the panels is a band of Greek key decoration. The fluted column terminates with a simple capital upon which a later wrought iron, elaborately scrolled bracket supports two lanterns.
