Highgrove House in Eastcote, Ruislip, was constructed in 1881 for to designs Sir Hugh and Lady Juliana Hume-Campbell after the existing house was ruined by fire. The house was designed by E S Prior in an early Georgian style. It is now Grade II listed. Winston Churchill is believed to have honeymooned there. The house was later used by the Middlesex County Council to accommodate homeless families.
The origins of the Justices of the Peace lie in the temporary appointments of 'conservators' or 'keepers' of the peace made at various times of unrest between the late twelfth century and the fourteenth century. In 1361 the 'Custodis Pacis' were merged with the Justices of Labourers, and given the title Justices of the Peace and a commission (see MJP). The Commission (of the Peace) gave them the power to try offences in their courts of Quarter Sessions, appointed them to conserve the peace within a stated area, and to enquire on the oaths of "good and lawfull men" into "all manner of poisonings, enchantments, forestallings, disturbances, abuses of weights and measures" and many other things, and to "chastise and punish" anyone who had offended against laws made in order to keep the peace.
During the sixteenth century the work of the Quarter Sessions and the justices was extended to include administrative functions for the counties. These were wide ranging and included maintenance of structures such as bridges, gaols and asylums; regulating weights, measures, prices and wages, and, probably one of their biggest tasks, enforcing the Poor Law. The bulk of the administrative work was carried out on one specific day during the court's sitting known as the County Day (see MJ/O, MJ/SP and MA). By the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was clear that the Quarter Session's structure was unable to cope with the administrative demands on it, and it lost a lot of functions to bodies set up specifically to deal with particular areas - the most important of these was the Poor Law, reformed in 1834. By the end of the century, when the Local Government Act of 1889 established county councils, the sessions had lost all their administrative functions. The judicial role of the Quarter Sessions continued until 1971, when with the Assize courts they were replaced by the Crown Courts.
According to the History of the County of Middlesex: "Small areas of the waste and village greens were inclosed from the early 16th century onwards. By 1700 there is evidence that the old pattern of open-field arable cultivation was being replaced by inclosure for pasture and hay farming. ... A further 700 acres were inclosed in 1835 under an Act of 1825, and the transition to large-scale hay farming continued slowly".
From: 'Northolt: Introduction', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 109-113. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22426&strquery=clos. Date accessed: 25 August 2010.
The coronership is an ancient county office concerned originally with pleas of the crown within the county. By 1689 the Coroner's duties had been reduced to the holding of inquests in cases of death under circumstances of suspicion and committing to trial persons against whom verdicts of murder or manslaughter had been returned by the inquest jury. Coroners were also empowered to hold inquests over 'treasure trove' and wrecks.
Under an Act of 1752 (26 Geo II c29) coroners were paid 20/- for every inquisition held and 9d for every mile travelled to view a body. These fees were paid out of the County rates by order of the justices. Coroners returned accounts of inquests held, usually in the form of a list, giving also the mileage travelled and total sum due, which were approved for payment, in Middlesex, by an Accounts Committee. Sometimes inquisitions and witnesses' depositions were returned instead of or in addition to the account.
Coroners were elected by county freeholders (except in certain liberties) and held the office for life. By the Local Government Act 1888 the power to appoint Coroners was transferred to the new County Councils.
Counties were usually divided into districts with a Coroner assigned to each. Sometimes, however, Coroners did act in the district of another Coroner. Coroner's districts changed in size and extent over time, often due to increased population and changes in local government boundaries.
Middlesex: From the 18th century the ancient county of Middlesex was divided into two main Coroner's districts - the Western and the Eastern. There were in addition two liberties having their own Coroner: the City and Liberty of Westminster, and the Liberty of the Duchy of Lancaster.
In 1862 a new district was formed, the Central District, by taking 23 parishes and liberties from the Western District. The Western District was further reduced in size in 1892, losing four parishes to the new County of London, and again in 1915 when six parishes were transferred to the Central District.
This Central District formed in 1862 was greatly reduced in size in 1892 by the transfer of most of its area to the new County of London. The situation was partly reversed in 1915 when it received six parishes from the Western District of Middlesex. The Central District vanished entirely in 1926 when it was amalgamated with the Eastern District of Middlesex.
The Eastern District of Middlesex remained intact until 1888 when it was divided into two separate districts - the South Eastern and the North Eastern Districts. Very shortly afterwards, in 1892, both districts were transferred to the new County of London, apart from the parishes of Wood Green and Tottenham. These were then formed into a new Eastern District of Middlesex which absorbed the Central District in 1926.
The City and Liberty of Westminster was a franchise Coroner's District and remained separate with its own Coroner until 1930, when it was merged with the Central District of the County of London.
The Liberty of the Duchy of Lancaster was likewise a franchise Coroner's District with two parts in Middlesex: the Liberty of the Savoy, and Edmonton with Enfield. In 1889 the Liberty of the Savoy was transferred to the County of London where it joined the Duchy of Lancaster (Clapham) remaining as a franchise district until 1930 when Clapham was merged with the Southern District of the County of London, and the Savoy with Westminster in the Central District. The Edmonton and Enfield part of the Duchy of Lancaster in Middlesex remained separate until 1932 when it was merged with the Eastern District of Middlesex.
These Acts of Parliament were collected for their general or antiquarian interest and relevance to the local history of London and Middlesex.
A deed is any document affecting title, that is, proof of ownership, of the land in question. The land may or may not have buildings upon it. Common types of deed include conveyances, mortgages, bonds, grants of easements, wills and administrations.
Probate (also called proving a will) is the process of establishing the validity of a will, which was recorded in the grant of probate.
Abstract of title is a summary of prior ownership of a property, drawn up by solicitors. Such an abstract may go back several hundred years or just a few months, and was usually drawn up just prior to a sale.
Source: British Records Association Guidelines 3: How to interpret deeds (available online).
The Wood family settled at Littleton in Middlesex c 1663 and remained there until 1873/4, when the original mansion (built by Edward Wood 1663-5) was largely burnt down and Thomas Wood built a new one at Gwernyfed, Brecon, Wales. The present mansion was partially rebuilt on the same site by Richard Burbidge, who purchased the property from the Wood family.
A manuscript Pedigree Book of the Wood family was drawn up in the nineteenth century and this traces the family back to the fifteenth century, when they were living in Fulbourne, Cambridgeshire. Sir John Wood (1536-1633) sold the family estates in Fulbourne and settled in Beeston, Yorkshire, while his brother Nicholas settled in Norfolk.
Nicholas' son, Edward Wood, (c 1604-1667), was born in Suffolk and moved to London some time before 1634. The baptisms of several children are recorded in the registers of St. Dunstan's in the East, but only Thomas (1641-1723) survived infancy. Edward Wood described himself as a "Citizen and Grocer", and it seems that he had a house in Thames Street. He moved to Littleton around 1663 and set up as a gentleman farmer, while continuing to run his London business through his agent John Pack. Collection ACC/0262 includes many letters from Edward Wood to his agents discussing business matters.
Edward's son Thomas Wood married Dorothy Dicer in June 1666 at Saint Dunstan's in the East, and moved into the house at Littleton. Edward Wood died in March, 1667 and was buried at St. Dunstan's in the East on March 20th. Thomas and Dorothy had two sons, Robert and Edward, who both went to Eton and Oxford.
When Thomas died in 1723 Robert took over the Littleton house. He extended the family land holdings in the area, but it was his son, Thomas, who finally purchased the Manor of Littleton itself from Gilbert Lambell in 1749. It then remained in the hands of the Wood family until 1873.
The Manor of Osterley in Heston was purchased by property developer Nicholas Barbon in 1683. Barbon conveyed the Manor to two co-mortgagees including the banker Sir Francis Child the elder (1642-1718). Child took possession of the Manor on Barbon's death in 1698, while his son Robert Child (d 1721) bought out the co-mortgagee, so that the Child family owned the whole estate. The family expanded the estates by purchasing nearby Manors and commissioned Robert Adam to redesign the house.
The estates and Child's Bank were inherited by Sarah Anne (1764-1793), daughter and sole heir of Robert Child (d 1782). Under the terms of Robert Child's will the estates passed to Sarah Anne's daughter Lady Sarah Sophia Fane (1785-1867), who was said to have an income of £60,000 a year. Lady Sarah married George Villiers, the fifth Earl of Jersey (1773-1859) who took the name Child-Villiers in 1812. Osterley Park stayed in the Jersey family until 1949 when it was sold to the National Trust.
In 1800 the Manor of Hayes was sold to the executors of Robert Child's will and was therefore added to Osterley and passed to Lady Sarah Sophia Fane and her husband the Earl of Jersey. They sold the Manor in 1829 to Robert Willis Blencowe.
The Manors of Norwood and Southall were united in 1547. In 1754 they were sold to Agatha Child who left them to her son Francis Child. They were united with the Manor of Hayes and followed the same descent-passing to the Jersey family and then sold to Robert Willis Blencowe.
The Manor of Wick (or Wyke) was sold to the Earl of Jersey in 1802 and incorporated into the Osterley estates.
For more information about Osterley Park and Manor see 'Heston and Isleworth: Osterley Park', and 'Heston and Isleworth: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 100-111 (available online).
See also 'Hayes: Manors and other estates' and 'Norwood, including Southall: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 26-29 and pp. 43-45.
An estate in Mill Hill known as Belmont Farm was acquired by Peter Hammond between 1768 and 1792. He left the estate to his daughter, wife of Somerset Davies. Davies coveyed 83 acres to Robert Anderson in 1801, but when Anderson went bankrupt in 1803 the estate was bought by Captain Robert Williams. He conveyed the estate to David Prior in 1812. Prior's widow sold the estate to Sir Charles Flower in 1820. Flower was a mill owner and had been Lord Mayor of London. He purchased more land from Robert Finch and Michael Coomes in 1821 and 1826, so that by 1828 his estate comprised 441 acres and stretched from the Hale to the Totteridge boundary, including Lawrence Street, Uphill and Bittacy farms. Flower left the estate to his son James, who died in 1850. By 1889 the estate had been split up.
From: 'Hendon: Other estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 21-23 (available online).
According to an entry in "Dickens's Dictionary of London", by Charles Dickens, Junior, (1879): "So many of the poorer among the working classes of London are absolutely compelled to live within easy distance of their work, that a serious problem is added to the many difficulties which arise when great metropolitan improvements are in contemplation. The destruction of whole quarters of the town, which house, however inadequately, many families, is not an enterprise to be undertaken without due regard being had to the requirements of those whose little homes are taken from them, and who, if matters are left to take their own course, have no choice but to seek refuge in the already over-crowded streets and alleys which remain untouched. Fortunately this is a question that early attracted the attention of practical philanthropists, and several associations now exist which have its solution for their object ... THE ARTIZANS, LABOURERS, AND GENERAL DWELLINGS COMPANY-In the words of its prospectus, "this company was established for the erection of improved dwellings near to the great centres of industry, but free from the annoyances arising from the proximity of manufactures." Large estates have been secured near Clapham Junction and the Harrow-road the former, called Shaftesbury-park, is now covered with about 1,150 houses whilst the partially developed Queen's-park Estate, Harrow-road, contains nearly 800 houses. The estates have been laid out with every regard to the latest sanitary improvements. The Shaftesbury-park Estate is readily accessible from Kensington, Victoria, Waterloo, Ludgate-hill, and London-bridge, at low fares; while the Westbourne-park Station on the Metropolitan District and Great Western Railways, and the Kensal-green Station on the Hampstead Junction and North London Railway, and the new station on the London and North-Western main line, with a good service of omnibuses, make the Queen's-park Estate at Harrow-road almost equally accessible. The sale of intoxicating liquor is altogether excluded. The company reserves the right to prohibit sub-letting, or to limit the number of lodgers. There is a co-operative store on the Shaftesbury-park Estate as well as a handsome hall for public gatherings and society meetings; and on both estates the School Board for London has provided ample school accommodation. The houses are divided into four classes, according to accommodation and position. The smallest - the fourth-class - contains five rooms on two floors. A third-class house has an additional bed-room. In the second-class house there is an extra parlour, making in all seven rooms; while a house of the first-class has eight rooms - a bath-room being the additional accommodation. The present weekly rental, which includes rates and taxes, except in the case of the first-class houses, is as follows:
an ordinary fourth-class house, 7s. 6d.
third-class, 8s. 6d.
second-class, 10s.
first-class, 10s. and 11s.
The shops, corner houses, those with larger gardens than ordinary, and some other exceptional houses, are subject to special arrangements both as to rental and purchase. The company is also prepared to sell the houses on lease for 99 years, and on easy terms, subject to a moderate ground-rent; the object being to encourage the personal acquisition of the house by payment of a slightly increased rental. All applications to rent or purchase houses must be made in the first instance to the sub-managers on the estates, and all letters must contain a stamped envelope for reply."
Source: http://www.victorianlondon.org/dickens/dickens-mus.htm (accessed July 2009).
Albion Lodge was a large house, constructed in 1815, and situated in what was once the rural outskirts of Tottenham parish. In 1861 the new Saint Ann's church, with its schools and model cottages, brought development to the area. The area is now known as Fortis Green and the Lodge has been converted into a residential care home for the elderly.
Mill Hill did not always have an Anglican church. Until the 1820s parishioners had to go to St Mary's Hendon to worship, some miles away, but in the 1820s it was clear that the district would require a chapel of ease. Local resident William Wilberforce, the anti-slavery campaigner, became the central benefactor in 1827. Saint Paul's was completed in 1830, and consecrated in 1833. It became a parish church in 1926.
Fysh Coppinger was a London merchant who married into the de Burgh family of West Drayton and took the surname of Burgh.
The Ashburnham family lived at Ashburnham Place, East Sussex, from the 12th century onwards. The family rose to a position of prominence during the reign of Charles I, and supported the monarchy in the Civil War. They lost their estates during the Interregnum but regained Ashburnham Place during the Restoration. John Ashburnham was made the 1st Baron Ashburnham in 1689. The line became extinct on the death of Thomas Ashburnham, the 6th Earl, and the estate was broken up and sold.
The family had extensive estates across England and Wales, including a house in Dean's Yard, Westminster, and at Dover Street, Piccadilly (both known as Ashburnham House), and property in Chiswick and Chelsea. The Dean's Yard property is now part of Westminster School. The Dover Street property was constructed by the 2nd Earl, John Ashburnham (1724-1812).
These papers were collected for their general or antiquarian interest and relevance to the local history of Middlesex, rather than having a united provenance (that is, being produced by the same institution or business).
'Viscount Melbourne' is probably Peniston Lamb (1745-1828), a substantial landowner in Derbyshire and Hertfordshire, for many years an MP, and from 1770 an Irish peer as first Baron Melbourne (Viscount Melbourne from 1781). His son William Lamb became Prime Minister as the second Viscount Melborne.
A field club is for those interested in local natural history and wildlife.
These papers relating to cultural events were collected for their general or antiquarian interest and relevance to the subject, rather than having a united provenance (that is, being produced by the same institution or business).
The old parish of Ickenham was situated between the River Pinn and the Yeading Brook, adjacent to Hillingdon parish. It covered around 1,458 acres. In 1937 the civil parish merged with Uxbridge and since 1965 the are has been part of the borough of Hillingdon. The parish comprised farmland and fields until the construction of the Metropolitan Line extension in 1904, which encouraged the construction of residential houses.
The Victoria County History of Middlesex notes: "at the inclosure of 1780 the open fields of Ickenham amounted to 683 acres. They began near the junction of Glebe and Austin lanes and covered the south of the parish. To the north of the Yeading Brook were Tipper Hill and Woe Acres. Two meadows in the parish were called Brook Mead. One was on the Ickenham bank of the Pinn near Beeton Wood, the other lay along the southern bank of the Yeading Brook where it entered the parish north of the modern airfield. Adjoining this Brook Mead was Ickenham Marsh. Middle Field and Bleak or Black Hill were inside the loop of the Yeading Brook on the banks of which were also Tottingworth Field, Swillingtons, Further Field, and Down Barnes Hill, which lay further to the south. Many of these fields are visible from the point where Western Avenue crosses the Yeading Brook. Bleak Hill, mentioned as early as 1367, rises gradually to about 8 feet above the level of the road and is topped by a clump of trees." From: 'Ickenham: Introduction', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 100-102 (available online).
The Bedfont Road Act made provision for repairing the road from Powder Mills on Hounslow Heath to Twenty-milestone at Egham Hill, Surrey.
The Manor of Sunbury originated in a grant of land from King Edgar to his relative Earl Aelfheath, in 692. It was purchased from Aelfheath by St Dunstan, who gave it to Westminster Abbey. In 1222 it was transferred to the Bishop of London and remained in their control until 1559 when it passed to the Crown. It was leased by the Crown to Nicasius Yetswiert and was later leased to his widow.
In 1603 the Crown granted the manor to Robert Stratford, who conveyed it to Thomas Lake. Lake's son Lancelot sold it to George Bunyan in 1663. By 1674 it was held by Francis Phelips and then by his three daughters, one of whom was married to Sir John Tyrwhitt. Tyrwhitt is recorded as sole lord in 1693, but sold the manor to Isaac Guiquet St Eloy in 1698.
The manor was sold to Sir Roger Hudson in 1718, and was then held by his daughter Martha, married to Edmund Boehm. The Boehm family were lords until 1820. It changed hands several times between 1820 and 1909. In 1925 the manor virtually lapsed and the exact ownership was unknown in 1957.
Source of information: 'Sunbury: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 53-57 (available online).
In 1086 Stanwell Manor was held by William fitz Other and in the time of King Edward it had belonged to Azor. The estate recorded in Domesday Book probably comprises most of the ancient parish except the manor of West Bedfont, which was already separate. In 1796 there were 539 acres copyhold of the manor, nearly all lying east of Stanwellmoor. By 1844 the lord of the manor owned Hammonds farm, Merricks farm (later known as Southern farm), and Park farm (later Stanhope farm), as well as about 84 acres around his house and a few other small areas. The manorial rights, house, and lands were separated in 1933.
William fitz Other, the Domesday tenant, was constable of Windsor castle and his descendants took the name of Windsor. They held Stanwell of Windsor castle for over four centuries, together with lands principally in Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. In 1485 Thomas Windsor left a widow, Elizabeth, who held Stanwell with her second husband Sir Robert Lytton. Thomas's son Andrew was summoned to parliament as Lord Windsor from 1529. The story of his loss of Stanwell has often been told: in spite of Windsor's previous favours from the Crown, Henry VIII compelled him in 1542 to surrender Stanwell in exchange for monastic lands in Gloucestershire and elsewhere. Sir Philip Hobby was made chief steward of the manor in 1545. Sir Thomas Paston was granted a 50-year lease during Edward VI's reign, and Edward Fitzgarret in 1588 secured a lease to run for 30 years from the end of Paston's term. In fact Fitzgarret was in possession when he died before 1590. His estate was much embarrassed and after litigation Stanwell passed to his son Garret subject to certain rent-charges to his daughter. In 1603 the freehold was granted to Sir Thomas Knyvett, who became Lord Knyvett in 1607. Knyvett and his wife both died in 1622, leaving their property to be shared between John Cary, the grandson of one of Knyvett's sisters, and Elizabeth Leigh, the granddaughter of another. Elizabeth married Sir Humphrey Tracy, and she and Cary held Stanwell jointly until her death. In 1678 the Knyvett estates were divided between Cary and Sir Francis Leigh, who was apparently Elizabeth's heir. Cary retained Stanwell, which he left to his great-niece Elizabeth Willoughby on condition that she married Lord Guildford; otherwise it was to pass to Lord Falkland. After Elizabeth's marriage to James Bertie she held the manor under a chancery decree until her death in 1715.
It then passed to Lucius Cary, Viscount Falkland (d. 1730), who sold it in 1720 to John, Earl of Dunmore (d. 1752). His trustees sold it in 1754 to Sir John Gibbons. It descended in the Gibbons family with the baronetcy until 1933, when the manorial rights were sold to H. Scott Freeman, clerk of Staines urban district council, who still held them in 1956.
Source: 'Stanwell: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 36-41 (available online).
Lloyds Register began in 1760, as a Register Society taking its name from it initial sphere of operation - Lloyd's Coffee House, Tower Street, London and the New Lloyd's Coffee House, at No 5 Pope's Head Alley, to which it moved in 1769. The Society was mainly controlled by underwriters, and had a Committee of eleven members chaired by John Julius Angerstein, to manage the affairs of the Society. (In 1771, the leading underwriters and brokers joined forces to establish Lloyd's of London - not to be confused with Lloyd's Register).
The first Register of Ships (the Green Book) was printed by the Society in 1764, in order to give underwriters and merchants an idea of the condition of vessels they insured and chartered. The Register contained details of the vessel's owner, master, tonnage, date of build, where built, and number of guns. It also gave a classification for condition of hull and equipment. The Society employed nautical men to undertake inspections of vessels. These inspectors were not necessarily experts in the field, and there were no clearly defined standards or rules for them to use. Over time practices developed whereby vessels could only hold the highest class for a limited period of time regardless of the quality of maintenance. This gradually led to the establishment of a rival register by the ship owners, in 1799 - The New Register Book of Shipping (also known as the Shipowners' Register or Red Book).
In the early 19th century, with both parties were on the verge of bankruptcy, and eventually agreed to joined forces. The Society was reconstituted in 1834 as the Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping. A General Committee was formed to take responsibility for running the Society and for the standardisation of rules regarding ship construction and maintenance. Their aim was to survey and classify both British ships and any foreign vessels calling at British ports.
The Register has recorded numerous developments in the history of shipping, including the first classification of a steamer, 1818, and of an iron vessel, 1837. The Rules for Iron Ships were first published in the 1855 Register.
Lloyd's Register gradually established a number of offices throughout Britain and the world. In 1851, Captain Thomas Menzies, a ship builder from Leith, posted as their surveyor to Quebec, and the St Lawrence River, 1851. In 1856, Samuel Pretious was sent to the Netherlands and Belgium as a surveyor, but later recalled due to lack of business, and it was not until 1868, that an office was again opened there. The next year the first surveyor, Joseph Tucker, was sent to Shanghai. Other surveyors established Lloyd's offices in Austria, Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Australia.
In 1890 a Technical Committee was formed under the guidance of Benjamin Martell, chief ship surveyor, 1872-1900. This Committee was responsible for recommending amendments to existing rules, and the adoption of new rules.
As the Register expanded, new premises were needed and the head office was moved to a new building in Fenchurch St in 1901, designed by Thomas Collcutt.
Lloyd's Register expanded into other fields during World War 1 when the French Government asked them to inspect steel that was to be used for armaments. This was followed by requests during the 1920s and 1930s, investigated cases of welding fractures in oil storage tanks in the Middle East. This was the beginning of what is today a large Energy and Transportation business stream. Following World War 1, the Register was approached by the Society of British Aircraft Constructors to undertake aircraft inspection. In 1930, the General Committee appointed an Aviation Committee and aviation surveyors. This work was eventually transferred to the Civil Aviation Authority.
During World War 2, the headquarters moved from London to Wokingham, with only a skeleton staff remaining in Fenchurch St. Their surveyors, which were classed as a reserved occupation, were involved in all sorts of projects, including secondment to the Admiralty, advising on construction of floating docks, and advising the army on refrigeration units for tanks to be used in the North Africa campaign. Following the end of the War, they were involved in many rebuilding projects, including the management and clearance of wrecks form harbours.
In 1986, moved into management system certification, and Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) was the first of its numerous quality and environmental systems certification programmes to gain accreditation.
The Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB) was formed on in 1904 by a number of disaffected members who spilt from the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) (founded 1881). The inaugural meeting was attended by about 140 people. The object of the Party was `the establishment of a system of society based upon the common ownership and democratic control of the means and instruments for producing and distributing wealth by and in the interest of the whole community'. An Executive Committee was established to manage the day-to-day affairs of the party, all binding policy decisions were to be determined at the Party's Annual Conference, and party meetings were to be open to the public. A declaration of principles was adopted which stated the working class position in a capitalist society and a guide to working class action for as long as capitalism lasted.
As an 'impossibilist' organisation it opposed social transformation by means of reform of the existing capitalist system and stressed the importance of socialist education and knowledge of Marx's economic and political writings.
Its immediate task were to arrange meetings and arranged the sale of literature to advertise their cause. The Party approved the use of a number of brochures including 'Socialism and the Worker' by F A Sorge, 'Wage labour and Capital', K Marx, 'Socialism and Radicalism', Edward Aveling, No compromise', W Liebknecht;The Socialist revolution', K Kautsky, and 'How I became a Socialist, William Morris. It also began a journal - The Socialist Standard, in 1904. The SPGB opposed the outbreak of World War 1, and was hostile to what it perceived as a capitalist quarrel for which governments were sending workers to their deaths in battle. It opposed conscription, but made allowances for men with families who could not accept the consequences of resisting conscription (and its economic compulsion). Its members who did appear before conscription tribunals generally had their applications dismissed.
They were also opposed to World War 2, when they again opposed conscription. This time however they were more successful at tribunal hearings, often winning their case on humanitarian grounds, though some members did receive prison sentences. An SPGB parliamentary candidate ran for the first time in the 1945 General Election. Clifford Groves stood for the seat of Paddington North. He was unsuccessful, but did receive 472 votes, and despite the cost of the campaign - £900 - the party was not discouraged. It has continued to field candidates in successive General Elections. Its membership peaked in 1949 with 1100 members, then declined to about 600 by 1955.
The Party met initially at private homes, with the first meetings of the Executive being held at the Communist Club, Charlotte St. It had no permanent home until 1909 when it rented premises at 10 Sandland St, Bedford Row. In 1912, it moved to 193 Grays Inn Rd, then to 28 Union St in 1918, it occupied various premises until 1951 when it made its final move from Rugby Chambers to Clapham High St, where it remains today.
Throughout its history, the party has been characterised by various controversies and debates about socialist theory. In 1991, two branches were expelled - they are also known as The Socialist Party of Great Britain.
The Party maintains links with overseas organisations of the World Socialist Movement, located in Canada, New Zealand and the USA.
Over the years, the British Paediatric Association and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have developed links with various individuals who have provided funds to enable them to Award fellowships, medals and other prizes.
The Central School of Arts and Crafts was established in 1896 by London County Council to provide specialist art teaching for workers in craft industries. The school was intended to be a centre at which art scholars and students from local schools could be brought under the influence of established artists in close relation with employers, and was a direct outcome of the Arts and Crafts movement sponsored by William Morris and John Ruskin. The architect, educationalist and conservationist William Richard Lethaby was a key figure in the foundation and joint principal of the school with George Frampton from 1896 to 1911. It was decided that teaching should be limited to definite crafts and so cover different ground to existing schools rather than compete with them. London County Council rented Morley Hall from the governors of the Regent Street Polytechnic and in 1896 part-time classes in architecture, drawing and design, modelling, stained glass, cabinet design, silversmithing, lead work, enamelling, structural mechanics and masonry for people engaged in trade began. The curriculum was soon extended and additional accommodation in the adjacent house and in Union Street taken. Under Lethaby the Central School was innovatory in both its educational objectives and teaching methods. The majority of teachers were part time and successful practitioners of their crafts, and provided the school with a variety of practical skills and valuable contacts with the professional world of the designer and craftsman.
In 1903 it was decided to purchase a site for the school in Southampton Row, Holborn, and at the same time classes were organised into schools in preparation for the move to the new building. The schools comprised architecture and building crafts, silversmiths' work and allied crafts, book production, cabinet work and furniture, drawing design and modelling, needlework and stained glass. The work of the Drawing, Designing and Modelling school, which included life drawing and modelling, was regarded as ancillary to the work of the other sections. Emphasis was always firmly on the craft basis of subjects taught, with mural painting or sculptural decoration preferred to painting or sculpture. It was not until 1941 that a School of Painting and Sculpture was formed. In 1908 the school moved to the new building in Southampton Row, which was designed and built to be shared with the London Day Training College. Most classes were held in the evening, with students working by day in their professions. Workshops were open during the day to those who could use them. Day art and crafts classes were held and day technical schools established for silversmiths' and jewellers' work and book production. The Royal Female School of Art (established 1842) was transferred to the London County Council and incorporated into the Central School in 1908. In 1912 the London Day Training College moved from the premises, and day classes were reorganised on lines suitable for building a scheme of advanced and specialised work.
Teachers at the Central School included the architect Halsey Ricardo and Eric Gill, a former student at the Central School who taught stone carving. Douglas Cockerell, J H Mason, Edward Johnston and Noel Rooke, innovators of the private press movement, were employed for book production training, which encompassed bookbinding, typography, calligraphy, letterform and illustration. Embroidery and Needlework were taught and, also in this area of study, costume design. In 1919 ceramic design became part of the syllabus under Dora Billington. By 1920 students ranged from trade apprentices to professional artists and advanced students of design, with nearly 1800 students in eight departments comprising silversmiths' work and allied crafts, textiles (including tapestry, stained glass and mosaic), painted, sculptural and architectural decoration, book production, furniture, dress design, engraving and ancillary study in drawing, and painting, design, modelling and architecture. In 1926-7 the Central School encompassed the School of Arts and Crafts with 1791 'ordinary' students and 31 University of London students, a Junior Day Technical School of Silversmithing and Book Production with 128 students, and Art classes at Upper Hornsey Road with 96 students. In 1930 the School of Textiles and Costume, which had grown out of the Embroidery and Needlework section, was divided. The design of theatrical settings became as important as costume, whilst printed and woven fabric were developed in the Textile section. Subjects previously taught in the school of Architecture and Building Crafts were absorbed by other sections. A course of Design for Light Industry, the forerunner to the Department of Industrial Design, was established in 1938. A post-war reorganisation of the Central School took place under the innovative principal William Johnston, who introduced the concept of basic design taught by Fine Artists to all students and developed the design elements in subjects such as ceramics, textiles, theatre and industrial design.
The school continued to develop and expand during the 1960s, with a programme of reorganisation begun in 1960 prior to the school receiving recognition as a centre for the new Diploma in Art and Design by the National Council for Diplomas in Art and Design (NCDAD). The reorganisation led to the transfer of some purely craft courses to other colleges in order to make way for a greater concentration on approaches more in line with modern industrial methods. On May 1 1966 the school was renamed the Central School of Art and Design. In 1967 the National Council for Diplomas in Art and Design designated a joint centre for postgraduate studies composed of Chelsea School of Art, for Fine Art, and the Central School, for design subjects. The school continued to expand, with the move of the Textile and Ceramic Design Departments into new premises in Red Lion Square in 1962 and the opening of the Jeanetta Cochrane theatre, named after the founder of the Theatre Design course. In 1973 the library and Department of Liberal Studies were re-housed in a bridge in the school's main complex which was built to link the Southampton Row and Red Lion Square buildings. In 1974 the Weaving and Knitting sections of the Textile Department moved into an annexe in Proctor Street. Responsibility for the validation of diplomas was passed to the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) in 1974. In January 1986 the school became a constituent college of the London Institute, formed by the Inner London Education Authority associating its art schools and specialist colleges of printing, fashion and distributive trades into a collegiate structure. St Martin's School of Art, another constituent college of the London Institute, merged with the Central School of Art and Design in 1989 to form Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design.
The Barclay Home and School for Blind and Partially Girls was founded in Brighton in 1893, by Gertrude Campion, to provide industrial training for blind women. By 1905, there were nearly 40 residents.
The Barclay Workshops for Blind Women, a weaving industry began in 1905, in premises in Praed St London, in order to give employment to women trained in the Barclay Home, Brighton, who wished to live in London. The Workshops occupied a number of premises before moving to 19-21 Crawford St in 1919. In 1921, a Technical Training Department was established. Eyes to the Blind merged with the workshops in 1922. By 1930, the workshop had a staff of 62 women.
A joint committee was formed of members of the Barclay Home (Brighton) Committee, and the Barclay Workshops (London) Committee for dealing with matters of general policy. Mr. Godfrey F Mowatt, elected Chairman of this Committee.
The Barclay Workshop was taken over by the London Association for the Blind in 1941.
The membership or freedom of the Company could be obtained in one of three ways: by apprenticeship (also called service or servitude) on completion of a term of apprenticeship to a freeman of the company, by patrimony, by being the legitimate child of a male freeman born after his admission to the freedom, or by redemption, which entailed the payment of a fee. The consent of the Masters and Wardens of the Company was required to become an apprentice carpenter, and the 1455 Ordinances stated the cost of becoming bound was to be 1 shilling. In 1508 this was increased to 3 shillings. If a carpenter had been apprenticed to a master carpenter of the City of London he could join the Carpenters' Company by servitude. Some apprentices did join the Company, but many did not. Once a member of the Company, freemen could be promoted to the livery, the next level of Company membership, which in turn could lead to membership of the Court of Assistants and the offices of wardens and Master. During the sixteenth century, the freemen of the Company not promoted to the livery were termed 'yeomen', being the less prosperous journeymen who worked for wealthier craftsmen (or members of the livery) for wages, but the term had fallen into disuse by the eighteenth century. Members of the livery were required to pay quarterly membership dues, known as 'quarterage', to the Company. Membership of the Company through patrimony no longer exists, having been removed as a method of admission in 2003.
The ordinances and charters of the Carpenters' Company gave the Court of Assistants power to regulate the carpentry trade by inspecting workshops and punishing carpenters who infringed Company regulations. The earliest references to the Company's regulation of the trade appear in the Court minute books (dating from 1533), and cases range from Company members employing "forrens" (carpenters from outside London), to the Court appointing "daysmen" and umpires to adjudicate where serious breaches of workmanship were claimed. The relationship between the Company and organisations representing related trades was also at times difficult, as craftsmen from other trades occasionally took on work reserved for carpenters. The seventeenth century in particular saw rivalries flourishing, and a lengthy and expensive legal dispute between the Carpenters' and Joiners' Companies concerning delimitation of their respective trades continued for over fifty years, until settled in 1672. In 1670 the Carpenters', Joiners' and Shipwrights' Companies all objected to the incorporation of the Sawyers, and the Guild did not establish itself beyond the preliminary stages.
From the 19th century the Company has worked to promote the carpentry trade, through the support of educational ventures and competitions. The Company's Building Crafts Training School was founded in 1893, and technical examinations, lectures and exhibitions on woodworking and joinery were regularly held at Carpenters' Hall. The Company also helped fund a joint School for Woodcarving with King's College, London under the auspices of Professor Banister Fletcher (Master of the Company in 1893). After the Second World War, interest in the technical examinations declined, and in 1955 the Company launched an annual Carpenters Craft competition "to encourage excellence in practical craftsmanship". A challenging set piece was offered and efforts made to attract high-quality applications from craftsmen in Great Britain and Australia. In 1972, the award was amalgamated with the competitions run by the Incorporated British Institute of Certified Carpenters, later the Institute of Carpenters, and continues today. The Carpenters' Award was first presented in 1971, as 'an annual award for the very best work in joinery or other woodworking'. Run by Liveryman Terence Mallinson, the Company gave its support to raise the profile of the award and provided a venue for the award ceremony. In 2001 the awards were renamed the 'Timber Industry Awards', reflecting the increasing number of industry related sponsors, and in 2003 were re-launched and renamed the 'Wood Awards'. A Master Certificate Scheme was also launched in 2003 by the Company in conjunction with City & Guilds of London Institute, the Joiners & Ceilers' Company and the Institute of Carpenters. The Scheme awards the titles of Master Carpenter, Master Shopfitter and Master Joiner as part of a continued effort to raise and acknowledge the level of skill of craftsmen in the construction industry.
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Security National Insurance Company of Toronto, Canada was acquired by Eagle, Star and British Dominions in 1934.
Star Life Assurance Society Limited was founded in 1843 to provide insurance for Wesleyan Methodists. The Society offices were on Moorgate. The directorship always contained at least seven Wesleyan Methodists. They conducted much overseas business in Canada, Europe and South Africa. The name was changed to Star Assurance Society in 1911 when they started offering general insurance. The company was acquired by Eagle and British Dominions in 1917.
Star Life Assurance Society Limited was founded in 1843 to provide insurance for Wesleyan Methodists. The Society offices were on Moorgate. The directorship always contained at least seven Wesleyan Methodists. They conducted much overseas business in Canada, Europe and South Africa. The name was changed to Star Assurance Society in 1911 when they started offering general insurance. The company was acquired by Eagle and British Dominions in 1917.
Star Assurance Society was reconstituted in 1934 as a subsidiary of Eagle Star.
Administration, minute taking, correspondence and general record keeping were the responsibility of the Town Clerk. The office of Town Clerk can be traced back to 1274, when it was referred to as the office of Common Clerk.
The office of Alderman (like that of Sheriff) predates the Norman Conquest but the first mention of an Alderman of London by name is not until 1111 while the place-name Aldermanbury appears in 1128. Each Alderman was responsible for administration of a Ward, and was elected by their Ward. The position of Alderman was held for life. In the 12th and 13th centuries the Wards in the City of London are still mainly identified by the name of their Alderman although the first full list of Wards under permanent names such as Dowgate or Cornhill is dated 1285. The roots of municipal government in the City of London are thus found in the activities of the Aldermen in their Wards which in the medieval period provided such public services as existed. Working individually, or in co-operation, the power of the Aldermen grew as the corporate unity of the City of London developed and they exercised both administrative and judicial functions in what became the Court of Aldermen.
The main administrative work of the City is recorded in the proceedings of the Court of Aldermen until the latter half of the 17th century. Civic control of trade and industry, of the police and prisons, of hospitals and poor relief, of citizenship, the companies and the Freedom, of markets and the Thames, and of water supply, sanitation and building, was exercised largely by the Aldermen. In modern times the activities of the Court have been confined mainly to the regulation of the City Livery Companies, Freedom through the Companies, and the administration of justice and elections.
The Aldermen were responsible for the administration of Wards, and were elected by their Ward. The position of Alderman was held for life. In the 12th and 13th centuries the Wards in the City of London are still mainly identified by the name of their Alderman although the first full list of Wards under permanent names such as Dowgate or Cornhill is dated 1285. The roots of municipal government in the City of London are thus found in the activities of the Aldermen in their Wards which in the medieval period provided such public services as existed. Working individually, or in co-operation, the power of the Aldermen grew as the corporate unity of the City of London developed and they exercised both administrative and judicial functions in what became the Court of Aldermen.
The Administration of Justice Committee of the Court of Aldermen was formed in 1781 to enquire into the complaint put forward by the Lord Mayor against Thomas Woodbridge, Alderman, concerning the public administration of justice and the supposed maladministration and misuse of his powers by the Alderman in the matter of the arrest of an alleged French spy.
The Aldermen were responsible for the administration of Wards, and were elected by their Ward. The position of Alderman was held for life. In the 12th and 13th centuries the Wards in the City of London are still mainly identified by the name of their Alderman although the first full list of Wards under permanent names such as Dowgate or Cornhill is dated 1285. The roots of municipal government in the City of London are thus found in the activities of the Aldermen in their Wards which in the medieval period provided such public services as existed. Working individually, or in co-operation, the power of the Aldermen grew as the corporate unity of the City of London developed and they exercised both administrative and judicial functions in what became the Court of Aldermen.
The Finance Committee regulated and passed all expenditure of the Court of Aldermen.
The Aldermen were responsible for the administration of Wards, and were elected by their Ward. The position of Alderman was held for life. In the 12th and 13th centuries the Wards in the City of London are still mainly identified by the name of their Alderman although the first full list of Wards under permanent names such as Dowgate or Cornhill is dated 1285. The roots of municipal government in the City of London are thus found in the activities of the Aldermen in their Wards which in the medieval period provided such public services as existed. Working individually, or in co-operation, the power of the Aldermen grew as the corporate unity of the City of London developed and they exercised both administrative and judicial functions in what became the Court of Aldermen.
The Bunhill Fields Committee is responsible for the administration of Bunhill Fields cemetery, under the supervision of the City Lands Committee. In 1665 part of the Finsbury and Halliwell estates were set aside to create the burial ground, which was closed in 1852. The Corporation undertook to continue maintaining the grounds.
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
The Barbican Arts Centre Joint Working Party was established in 1968 following a resolution of the Court of Common Council of 25 April 1968 which referred the report of Chamberlin, Powell and Bon on the proposed Barbican Arts Centre to the Barbican, Music, Library and Policy and Parliamentary Committees. The Music Committee already had its own Working Party to consider the proposals to create a theatre and concert hall in the newly developed Barbican, particularly with reference to the Royal Shakespeare Company and the London Symphony Orchestra being resident there, as agreed with the Corporation in February 1965 and March 1966 respectively: this Working Party seems first to have been appointed in July 1964, and then re-appointed in July 1967. In addition to members from the Barbican, Library, Music and Policy and Parliamentary Committees, the Chairman of the Library Committee and the Deputy Chairman of the Barbican Committee were added, and this newly constituted Barbican Arts Centre Joint Working Party held its first meeting on 7 June 1968. Its latest extant minutes are for 6 July 1970, and it appears to have ceased to exist then or shortly thereafter.
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
The Coal and Corn Committee was concerned with the finances of the Corporation and the proceeds of the coal and corn duties. The coal duties, apart from the ancient right of metage (the duty paid for the official measuring of dry or liquid goods) were imposed in 1667 for rebuilding the City after the Great Fire, and were continued in order to repay the Corporation's debt to its orphans and other creditors. The duties were also used for various improvements and other purposes under Acts of Parliament. After 1834 the Coal and Corn Committee was amalgamated with the Finance Committee to form the Coal, Corn and Finance Committee.
The Coal, Corn and Rates Finance Committee was established on 21 Mar 1968 by the amalgamation of the Coal, Corn and Finance Committee and the Rates Committee. It was renamed the Finance Committee in 1992.
The Coal, Corn and Finance Committee developed from numerous earlier committees concerned with the finances of the Corporation and the proceeds of the coal and corn duties. The coal duties, apart from the ancient right of metage (the duty paid for the official measuring of dry or liquid goods) were imposed in 1667 for rebuilding the City after the Great Fire, and were continued in order to repay the Corporation's debt to its orphans and other creditors. The duties were also used for various improvements and other purposes under Acts of Parliament. They were then transferred to the Metropolitan Board of Works and finally extinguished on the creation of the London County Council in 1889. The corn duties were surrendered in 1872 on consolidation that a similar duty was continued for thirty years to be applied solely for the preservation of open spaces. In consequence the Coal, Corn and Finance committee still manages certain open spaces such as Burnham Beeches. Its main responsibility, however, is to examine the income and expenditure of the City's Cash and to prepare estimates.
The Rates Committee was concerned with the income and expenditure of the rates and was responsible for preparing estimates.
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
The City Lands Committee was first appointed in 1592 and is responsible for the management of the corporate estates of the City, for maintaining properties, granting leases and enforcing covenants. The Bridge House Committee was responsible for the maintenance and letting of properties held by the Corporation for the upkeep of London Bridge and other bridges. In 1968 the City Lands Committee took over the investments part of the Bridge House Committee, while the responsibility for control and maintenance of bridges was transferred at the same time to the new Planning and Communications Committee. The City Lands Committee was therefore re-designated the City and Bridge House Estates Committee. In 1969 this was changed to "The City Lands and Bridge House Estates Committee".
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
The City of London Freemen's School was established in Brixton in 1854 as the Freemen's Orphan School. It was run by the Orphans School Committee until 1926 when the name was changed to the Freemen's School Committee. This amalgamated with the City of London Schools Committee in 1970 as the City of London Education Committee. In April 1973 this Committee was replaced by the Schools Committee and the Board of Governors took over the running of the school. The Freemen's School Committee also administered the Freemen's Houses, also known as the Reform or London Almshouses, and Rogers Almshouses.
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
The City of London School was founded as a result of a bequest of John Carpenter, Town Clerk, for the education of poor boys born in the City of London, and established at Honey Lane Market in 1837. It was moved to the Victoria Embankment in 1882. It was administered by the City of London Schools Committee. In January 1970 the City of London Schools and Freemen's School Committees were amalgamated as the City of London Education Committee. In April 1973 this Committee was replaced by the Schools Committee and the Board of Governors took over the administration of the school.
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
The Computer Steering Group grew out of the Computer Facilities Steering Committee. It became the Information Technology Co-ordinating Group. Its role was to actively promote the introduction of computing facilities, review the progress of computer projects, the equipment needs of the Corporation and the cost of computer systems, and ensure staff training.
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
The Elementary Education Committee was formed in 1907. It was renamed the Primary Education Committee in 1951. From 1957 the work was transferred to the City of London Schools Committee. The Committee consisted of the managers of primary [elementary] schools in the City, which were not under the control of the Corporation.
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
Emanuel Hospital was founded in 1600 after a bequest by Lady Anne Dacre who directed her executors to buy land at Tothill Fields, Westminster, and build a hospital or almshouse for 20 poor people and 20 poor children. The hospital would be supported by revenue from Brandburton manor and estates in Yorkshire. The executors were to appoint the governors of the hospital during their lifetimes, after which the responsibility would fall to the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London. The hospital was rebuilt in 1701 and extended in 1728. In 1794 an Act of Parliament was obtained by the Lord Mayor to increase the number of people who could benefit from the hospital, and in that year 10 pensioners were selected for the hospital and the number of children was increased. In 1873 the educational part of the hospital was separated and joined other Westminster schools under the title 'United Westminster Schools'.
John David Towse, of Fishmongers' Hall, was an attorney-at-law and (1809-39) clerk to the Fishmongers' Company and also to the Cooks' Company. He was born in 1760, the son of John Towse, deputy clerk to the Fishmongers' Company.
William Hippisley, attorney, was clerk to the Fishmongers' Company 1758-1766. John Towse was deputy clerk to the Fishmongers' Company and previously law clerk to Hippisley.