During one of these investigations Sir Humphrey Davy was examined by a committee from the House of Commons in 1809.  He refuted Winsor’s claims for a superior coke as a by-product and stated that the production of gas by the distillation of coal had been well known for thirty or forty years and the production of tar as long.  He stated that it was the opinion of the Council of the Royal Society that Murdock was the first person to apply coal-gas to lighting in actual practice.  As secretary of the Society, Sir Humphrey Davy stated that at the last session it had bestowed the Count Rumford medal upon Murdock for “his economical application of the gas light.”

Winsor proceeded to float his company without awaiting the Act of Parliament and in 1807 lighted a street in Pall Mall.  Through the opposition which he aroused, and owing to the just claims of priority on the part of Murdock, the bill to incorporate the National Heat and Light Co. with a capital of 200,000 pounds sterling was thrown out.  However, he succeeded in 1812 in receiving a charter very much modified in form, for the Chartered Gas Light and Coke Co. which was the forerunner of the present London Gas Light and Coke Co.

The conditions imposed upon this company as presented in an early treatise on gas-lighting (by Accum in 1818) were as follows: 

The power and authorities granted to this corporate body are very restricted and moderate.  The individuals composing it have no exclusive privilege; their charter does not prevent other persons from entering into competition with them.  Their operations are confined to the metropolis, where they are bound to furnish not only a stronger and better light to such streets and parishes as chuse to be lighted with gas, but also at a cheaper price than shall be paid for lighting the said streets with oil in the usual manner.  The corporation is not permitted to traffic in machinery for manufacturing or conveying the gas into private houses, their capital or joint stock is limited to L200,000, and his Majesty has the power of declaring the gas-light charter void if the company fail to fulfil the terms of it.

The progress of this early company was slow at first, but with the appointment of Samuel Clegg as engineer in 1813 an era of technical developments began.  New stations were built and many improvements were introduced.  By improving the methods of purifying the gas a great advance was made.  The utility of gas-lighting grew apace as the prejudices disappeared, but for a long time the stock of the company sold at a price far below par.  About this time the first gas explosion took place and the members of the Royal Society set a precedent which has lived and thrived:  they appointed a committee to make an inquiry.  But apparently the inquiry was of some value, for it led “to some useful alterations and new modifications in its apparatus and machinery.”

Many improvements were being introduced during these years and one of them in 1816 increased the gaseous product from coal by distilling the tar which was obtained during the first distillation.  In 1816 Clegg obtained a patent for a horizontal rotating retort; for an apparatus for purifying coal-gas with “cream of lime”; and for a rotative gas-meter.