[emeritus]

GEC offered sockets with switches in their 1893 catalogue, as these were recommended by the Home Office electrical regulations then in force. My understanding is that their switch designs gave satisfactory service with the 120V max mains voltages then in use. No switched sockets were offered in their 1911 catalogue. I remember reading somewhere that the original designs of switches were found to be unreliable with the up to 240V mains then in use, which probably accounts for their absence. I guess switched sockets must have been re-introduced later when better switch designs were invented.