Show on mapThe original Five Lamps were gas lights built at the junction of George Street and Mandale Road in 1874, comissioned by local Justices of the Peace, Joseph Richardson, William Whitewell, Charles Arthur Head and William Anderson.
A less than inspiring 1970’s electric version.
In 1983 Head Wrightson apprentices erected this replica of the original which stood on Westbury Street due to the building of the A66 (although it doesn’t include the drinking fountain originally below the lamps)
It was unveiled by Mayor Pragnell on 1st September 1983
It carries the Stockton-on-Tees coat of arms with the motto “Forward As One”
Also the Thornaby coat of arms with the motto “Always Advancing”
It was renovated and moved to its current position in 2010.
The origin of the five lamps is linked to the legend that Robert de Thormodbi (Thornaby) created a shrine to the Virgin Mary in St Peter’s Church lit by five lamps.
The Stockton-on-Tees motto has no place on the five lamps of Thornaby-on-Tees, it just goes to show where Thornaby Town Councils loyalty’s lie.
Even though Thornaby originally wasn’t part of Stockton , it now is – so i believe that Stockton’s coat of arms SHOULD be on this “monument”.
The five lamps of THORNABY have been a symbol of Thornaby-on-Tees since long before we were undemocratically forced into the Stockton Borough for Parliamentary purposes on April 1 1974.
Stockton-on-Tees play no part whatsoever in Thornaby’s Yorkshire heritage, so no, it SHOULD NOT, just as Stockton have no right including the Yorkshire towns they took over in 1974 in their “Heritage Stockton” website, it’s just wrong, and shameless…
I write a blog about cast iron drinking fountains and would like permission to use the photos of this drinking fountain. I will, of course, credit and link back to your site. You can view my blog at http://memorialdrinkingfountains.wordpress.com