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History of Candles Timeline

(c. 3000 BCE–Present)

The history of candles traces how societies developed portable light sources, improved wax and wick technology, and transformed candles from necessities into decorative, religious, and commercial products. Less

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Ancient and medieval origins

Earliest Etruscan candlestick

700 BC - 601 BC

The earliest Etruscan candlestick may date from the 7th century BC, providing early evidence for candle-supporting objects in Italy.

Image source: Candle

Earliest Etruscan candlestick

Etruscan tomb candlestick depiction

700 BC - 601 BC

A picture of a candlestick exists in an Etruscan tomb at Orvieto. This evidence is associated with the belief that wicked candles developed in Italy during the Etruscan period.

Wax candles documented in Spain

200 - 299

Wax candles, recorded by the Latin term candelae cereae at the end of the 3rd century, became part of the documented history of candle use in Europe.

Earthenware candle socket in Luoyang

300 - 399

An excavated earthenware bowl from the 4th century AD, now located at the Luoyang Museum, contains a hollowed socket with traces of wax, providing archaeological evidence associated with early candles.

Easter candles documented

300 - 399

Wax candles were documented as Easter candles in Spain and Italy during the 4th century, linking candle use to Christian religious observance.

Candlemas receives its name

300 - 399

The Christian festival Candlemas was named after the candle, reflecting the central role of candles in its religious ceremonies.

Image source: Candlemas

Candlemas receives its name

Chinese tallow-tree cultivation

600 - 699

The Chinese may have begun cultivating the tallow tree in the Yangtze Delta region during the 7th century. Its waxy material later became relevant to candle production.

Pope Sergius I institutes a candle procession

687

Pope Sergius I instituted a procession of lighted candles, strengthening the ceremonial importance of candles in the Christian church.

Guilds and traditional materials

French candle-making guild documented

1061

A French candle-making guild was documented as early as 1061, showing that the craft had become organized in medieval Europe.

Candle making becomes a guild craft

1200 - 1299

By the 13th century, candle making had become a guild craft in England and France, with guild structures regulating production and the trade.

Tallow Chandlers Company formed

1300

The Tallow Chandlers Company of London was formed at about 1300. It represented makers and sellers of tallow candles in the English capital.

Moulds introduced for candle making

1300 - 1399

The use of moulds was a 14th-century development. Moulds enabled candles to be shaped more consistently than by older hand-forming methods.

First candle mould in Paris

1400 - 1499

The first candle mould comes from 15th-century Paris, providing evidence for the use of mould-based candle production in Europe.

Tallow candles used in street lighting

1415

By 1415, tallow candles were being used in street lighting, extending candles beyond domestic and religious settings into public illumination.

Tallow Chandlers Company receives arms

1456

The Tallow Chandlers Company was granted a coat of arms in 1456, formalizing its status among London's livery companies.

Wax Chandlers Company receives charter

1484

The Wax Chandlers Company acquired its charter in 1484, giving formal legal recognition to the organization.

Birthday cakes emerge in Europe

1600

Cakes with any resemblance to modern Western birthday cakes only arose by around 1600 in Europe. This development later became closely associated with candles placed on cakes.

Image source: Birthday cake

Birthday cakes emerge in Europe

Industrial manufacturing

Spermaceti enters candle making

1700 - 1799

With the growth of the whaling industry in the 18th century, spermaceti—an oil from a cavity in the head of the sperm whale—became widely used for candle making.

Image source: Spermaceti

Spermaceti enters candle making

Spermaceti candle use expands

1700 - 1899

Spermaceti was used in candles during the 18th and 19th centuries, offering an important alternative to traditional tallow and beeswax.

Efficient mould production achieved

1800 - 1899

Although moulds had been used since the 14th century, real improvements in the efficient production of candles in moulds were achieved only in the 19th century.

Cheaper paraffin alternative discovered

1800

By 1800, an even cheaper alternative to established candle materials was discovered. Paraffin wax subsequently became a major material for candle production.

Image source: Paraffin wax

Cheaper paraffin alternative discovered

Chevreul and Gay-Lussac patent stearin

1825

The French chemists Michel Eugène Chevreul and Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac patented stearin in 1825. Purified animal fats such as stearin became important candle materials.

Image source: Stearin

Chevreul and Gay-Lussac patent stearin

Price's Candles traces origins to coconut plantations

1829

Price's Candles traced its origins to 1829, when William Wilson invested in 1,000 acres of coconut plantation in Sri Lanka.

Image source: Price's Candles

Price's Candles traces origins to coconut plantations

Joseph Morgan patents candle machine

1834

In 1834, Manchester pewterer Joseph Morgan patented a machine that revolutionized candle making and supported more efficient production.

First oil refinery established

1848

In 1848, James Young established the world's first oil refinery at the Alfreton Ironworks in Riddings, Derbyshire. Petroleum-derived materials would become important to the candle industry.

Image source: James Young (chemist)

First oil refinery established

Petroleum oil discovery at Price's Candles

1854

In 1854, George Wilson, the son of William Wilson, accidentally distilled the first petroleum oil. The discovery redirected the company's ambitions while contributing to the expanding petroleum industry.

Price's Candles becomes largest manufacturer

1875 - 1899

By the late 19th century, Price's Candles, based in London, was the largest candle manufacturer in the world.

Modern decline and decoration

Kerosene lamps accelerate candle decline

1800 - 1899

Despite advances in candle making, the candle industry declined rapidly after superior lighting methods, including kerosene lamps, were introduced.

Image source: Kerosene lamp

Kerosene lamps accelerate candle decline

Incandescent light bulb accelerates decline

1879

The introduction of the incandescent light bulb from 1879 further reduced the practical importance of candles as a primary source of illumination.

Image source: Incandescent light bulb

Incandescent light bulb accelerates decline

Candles become decorative products

1900 - 1999

In the 20th century, candles came to be marketed increasingly as decorative items rather than chiefly as sources of everyday lighting.

Key Facts

  1. The earliest candle-like lighting devices appeared in ancient Egypt and Crete around 3000 BCE, although they often used reeds or rushes soaked in animal fat rather than true candles.
  2. Romans are credited with developing candles made from papyrus wicks dipped repeatedly in melted tallow or beeswax.
  3. During the Middle Ages, beeswax candles were preferred in churches and wealthy households because they burned more cleanly and smelled better than tallow candles.
  4. The Industrial Revolution introduced cheaper, more consistent candle production through improved molds and the use of stearin and paraffin wax.
  5. Electric lighting reduced the everyday importance of candles, but candles remain popular for religious ceremonies, celebrations, decoration, aromatherapy, and emergency lighting.

Source

This History of Candles timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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