Conveyances are transfers of land from one party to another, usually for money. Early forms of conveyance include feoffments, surrenders and admissions at manor courts (if the property was copyhold), final concords, common recoveries, bargains and sales and leases and releases.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
The rectory and advowson of Harrow came into the hands of Christ Church, Oxford, by a grant from the Crown in 1546. The College subsequently made a practice of leasing the tithes out for a substantial rent and they were in turn sub-let by the main lessor. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the main lease was usually for 21 years at an annual rent of £74. 17s. 8d. renewable every 7 years for a substantial fine. The lease was held by the Conyers family, the first of whom was an executor of Sir Francis Gerard, from 1709-1772, then by the Hernes until 1793 and by Richard Page from 1793 to 1803. All tithes were extinguished by the Inclosure Act of 1803.
In medieval times Saint Mary's was one of the most important churches in Middlesex. There is a twelfth-century tower with tall octagonal lead spires. The nave was re-built in the thirteenth-century when the rector was Elias de Dereham, the canon of Salisbury. Various additions and embellishments took place under John Byrkhead, rector from 1437 to 1468, then restored heavily in the nineteenth century. Many brasses including a small brass of John Lyons, founder of Harrow School.
The Victoria County History of Middlesex notes that "the ancient parish of Greenford lay to the northwest of Ealing. It covered approximately 2½ miles from north to south, and 1½ from east to west, and in the 1860's comprised an area of 2,078 acres north and west of the River Brent, which formed part of the southern and western boundaries. Elsewhere the boundaries crossed former open-field country and were defined only by artificial boundary marks. In 1775 a detached area of Northolt lay inside the parish, in a rectangle of 46½ acres immediately north of the Ruislip Road and west of Oldfield Lane. It had become part of Greenford by 1871. Another detached area of Northolt in the parish in the 1860's lay along the southern field boundary. This was called Mill Field in 1775 and was owned by Daniel Larrimore of Greenford, but the tithes were being claimed by Northolt. This 2½-acre piece of land remained detached at least until the end of the 19th century. There were no detached areas of Greenford parish. In 1894, when the urban district was set up, the civil parish of Greenford covered 2,127 acres, which remained unaltered until 1926, when the parish was dissolved and became part of the municipal borough and civil parish of Ealing."
From: 'Greenford: Introduction', 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. 206-209 (available online).
If a person died intestate (without a valid will) their money, goods and possessions passed to their next of kin through an administration (or letters of administration) which had the same form in law as a will.
Green Lanes is a main road in North London which runs through several postcodes. The section of road which runs through Harringay and Hornsey includes late Victorian terraced mansion houses and shops such as that owned by the Seckers. 555 Green Lanes is now an estate agent.
The roads alongside Tottenham Green were a popular location for building large houses and saw increased growth from the 1700s onwards.
The Church Commissioners were formed in 1948 by joining together two bodies - Queen Anne's Bounty and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The Church Commissioners are based at Church House, Great Smith Street, London. They moved there in March 2007 to work under one roof with the Archbishops' Council and the Church of England Pensions Board.
The Commissioners' role is to manage the Church's historic assets, today invested in stock market shares and property, to produce money to support the Church's ministry. The Church Commissioners meet some 18% of the Church's total running costs.
The Church Commissioners' main responsibilities are: to obtain the best possible long term return from a diversified investment portfolio in order (1) to meet their pension commitments and (2) to provide the maximum sustainable funding for their other purposes such as support for the work of bishops, cathedrals and parish ministry; in doing so, to pay particular regard to making 'additional provision for the cure of souls in parishes where such assistance is most required'; to administer the legal framework for pastoral reorganisation and settle the future of redundant churches.
Source: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchcommissioners/ (accessed June 2009).
On 17th November 1967 the British Airports Authority unveiled a plaque at Heathrow Airport to commemorate the start of scientific mapping of Great Britain in 1784, the first baseline of the triangulation of Great Britain being situated close by.
From its inception until January 1930 this organization was known as the Middlesex Territorial Force Association. It then became known as the Middlesex Territorial Army and Air Force Association. In 1948 its name was changed to the Middlesex Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association.
Dr. Edward Whitaker Gray (1748-1806) was a doctor who was also appointed curator of the natural history collections at the British Museum.
An extensive search in Ruskin's Diaries and in various Lives has failed to reveal the identity or place of residence of 'Dr. Gray'; he is presumably related to the Dr. Gray of the diploma, and is perhaps a relation of Ruskin's wife, Euphemia Gray.
Probate (also known as proving a will) was the process of establishing the validity of a will.
A declaration of trust named trustees to hold monies for an individual until that person came of age; at which time the control of the monies would revert to them.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
James Charles lived at Kennet House, a large residence situated where Sudbury joins Harrow on the Hill. He was married to Julia Forrester. He was a Justice of the Peace.
The West Middlesex Water Works were established in 1806 to supply the Western Suburbs. They were originally proposed by Robert Dodd, a civil engineer, to supply the area around Hammersmith and Kensington. The company was incorporated in 1806 with a capital of £80,000. After a disagreement over the location of the works, Dodd resigned and William Nicholson took over in 1807 to oversee the establishment of a works at Hammersmith. Under an act designed to increase the capital of the company by £160,000, the area covered by the West Middlesex Water Company was extended to include the parishes of St James Westminster, St Anne's Soho, St Mary-le-Strand, St Clement Danes, St Paul's Covent Garden, Paddington, Marylebone, St Pancras, St George Bloomsbury and St Giles in the Fields.
In 1825 a pump was built to channel water to a new resevoir at Barrow Hill, near Primrose Hill. New resevoirs were constructed at Barnes in 1838 and in 1866 the company entered into an agreement with the Thames Conservancy which allowed it to draw an extra 4 million gallons of water from the river per day.
The company was taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board under the Metropolitan Water Act, 1902 (2 Edward VII, c.41).
An estreat was a true extract or copy of an original writing or record, in particular of fines, entered on the rolls of a court, which were to be collected by the bailiff or other court officer.
The Court of Common Pleas was founded by King Henry II to hear common pleas (matters between subject and subject). It was the only Court where personal actions of account, covenant, debt and detinue could be heard. The Court also had jurisdiction to review and change the decisions of older courts. From 1187 the Court sat at Westminster. The Court was headed by a Chief Justice, working with a team of lesser justices (between three and eight in number at various times) and a large number of clerks. The Court was abolished in 1875.
The firm of Howards and Sons, noted as manufacturers of pharmaceutical chemicals, especially quinine and aspirin had its origin in the partnership entered into by Luke Howard and William Allen in 1798 (ACC/1037/1). Many printed works give the date as 1797 and it may be that the two men began working together after the dissolution of Allen's partnership with Samuel Mildred but before the formal deed of partnership was signed. Allen and Howard had their pharmacy at Plough Court, Lombard Street, City of London, under the management of Allen, and a laboratory at Plaistow, directed by Luke Howard, with the assistance of Joseph Jewell. The laboratory moved from Plaistow to Stratford around 1805, and on the dissolution of the partnership in 1807 (ACC/1037/2) Luke Howard and Joseph Jewell continued their manufacturing activity there. After a series of name changes reflecting the changes of partners (for which see ACC/1037/801/20/1) the style of Howards and Sons was adopted in 1856 (see ACC/1037/17) and used continuously from then on. The firm became a limited company in 1903. It was purchased by Laporte in March 1961.
Stratford remained the company's headquarters until 1898, when land was purchased in Ilford and new premises were gradually constructed. The first transfer there was of the work done at Hopkin and Williams' works in Wandsworth and other processes followed as buildings were erected until the final move to Ilford was made in 1923. The firm of Hopkin and Williams, manufacturers of fine laboratory and photographic chemicals had been purchased in May 1888 (for which see ACC/1037/92). They had offices and warehouses in Cross Street, Hatton Garden, and a manufactory in Wandsworth. In 1906 Howards set up the British Camphor Corporation for the synthesis of camphor from turpentine by Behal's process and the factory was built at Ilford (ACC/1037/743-753). Changes in world prices for raw materials and other factors led to the company going into liquidation in 1909. In the meantime Edmund White, general manager of Hopkin and Williams, had been working on the development of thorium and in 1914 a separate company, Thorium Ltd., was established to process the raw materials (ACC/1037/730-731). In 1915 Hopkin and Williams (Travancore) Ltd. was set up to mine monazite sand at a site in Travancore to secure supplies of the raw material to Thorium Ltd. (ACC/1037/732-735). A later successful development overseas was the purchase of the Sadarehe planatation in Java which was intended to secure supplies of cinchona bark for the production of quinine. Another company, James Anthony and Co. Ltd. (ACC/1037/790) was set up to run it, which it did until the planation was seized by the Japanese in 1943. War-time and post-war conditions made it impossible to revive production. In contrast the purchase of the Agatash plantation in British Guiana to grow limes for citric acid (ACC/1037/739-740) was a short-lived and unsuccessful venture.
The company had a long history of uninterrupted production and its products developed and changed over the years in large measure as the result of experimental work done by members of the Howard family and by their employees. It began by producing fine chemicals, many for the pharmaceutical industry, and by the 1830's Howard and Jewell's work on quinine was beginning to expand. For most of the remainder of the nineteenth century quinine production was the greatest profitable enterprise of the company (for which see ACC/1037/316-364 and especially B.F. Howard's treatise "Howards 1847-1947"). After the First World War it became clear, despite the success of Howards' Aspirin, that the company no longer led the market in chemicals for pharmacy, and a research laboratory was set up in 1919 to explore new fields. This resulted in the development of Howards' solvents and technical chemicals which became the mainstay of the company.
Charles Brown was a builder. He lived in Old Ford, and then Edmonton and Enfield Highway.
Charles James Sanderson lived at No. 4, Hornsey Lane.
The Court of King's Bench was founded circa 1200 to hear common pleas, although it came to specialise in pleas of special interest and concern to the king, such as those which involved his own property interests, or breach of his peace, or an error of judgment by another royal court. By 1675 the King's Bench was the highest court of common law in England and Wales, with jurisdiction over both civil and criminal actions. Civil business was conducted on the 'Plea Side' and criminal business on the 'Crown Side'. It was absorbed into the High Court in 1875.
Source: The National Archives Research Guides "Legal Records Information 34" and "Legal Records Information 36"
Probate (also called proving a will) is the process of establishing the validity of a will, which was recorded in the grant of probate.
Burleigh House, Enfield, was built circa 1700 west of the market-place. It was replaced soon after 1913 by a cinema, with shops along the street frontage of the grounds.
From: 'Enfield: Growth before 1850', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 212-218 (available online).
The sales particulars detail properties in various locations including Mill Hill, Harrow, Hendon, Hampton, Wealdstone, Chiswick, Northolt, Chadwell Heath, Southall, Lampton, Twickenham, Teddington, Yeading, West Drayton, Yiewsley, Golders Green, Eastcote, Wembley, Ruislip Manor, Edgware, Staines, and Cranford.
Probate (also called proving a will) is the process of establishing the validity of a will, which was recorded in the grant of probate.
If a person died intestate (without a valid will) their money, goods and possessions passed to their next of kin through an administration (or letters of administration) which had the same form in law as a will.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
The documents are concerned with 69, later 73, Cambridge Road and 71, later 75, Cambridge Road.
Thomas Duffus Hardy was born in 1804, the son of Major Hardy, obtaining a junior clerkship in the Record Office at the Tower of London in 1819, with the assistance of Samuel Lysons. Several publications of the Record Commission were edited by him, while working at the Tower, including the Close Rolls from AD 1204-12 and The Patent Rolls for the reign of King John. Lord Langdale, Master of the Rolls, appointed him as Deputy-Keeper of the Public Record Office in 1861. During this period he was responsible for important reports on documents and a number of publications, writing a biography of Lord Langdale and editing several works for the Rolls Series of Chronicles and Memorials. The establishment of the Historical Manuscripts Commission was largely the result of Thomas's effort. The value of his work was acknowledged by a Knighthood in 1873, five years before his death.
William Hardy, the younger brother of Thomas Duffus Hardy, was born in 1807. Like Thomas he obtained a junior post in the Record Office at the Tower, until in 1830 he accepted the post of Keeper of the Records of the Duchy of Lancaster. He was also permitted to accept private work connected with antiquarian, legal and genealogical inquiries. In 1868 he was transferred to the Public Record Office as Assistant-Keeper, eventually becoming Deputy Keeper on the death of his brother in 1878. William retired in 1886, a year before his death. Other public activities included Fellowship of the Society of Antiquaries in 1839 and being placed in the Historical Manuscript Commission in 1887. He received a knighthood for his services in 1884.
William John Hardy was the second son of Sir William Hardy, being born in 1857. He was educated privately and subsequently became a legal and genealogist record searcher, working for some time in partnership with Mr W. Page at 15 Old Square, Lincoln's Inn. Experience in this profession had been gained previously by working in that capacity with his father, before the latter's appointment as Deputy-Keeper of the Public Record Office. His work involved him in numerous other activities including membership of the Council of Society of Antiquaries 1887-89, 1891-3, 1895-7, 1907, 1912; Inspector of Historical Manuscripts; editorship of Calendar of State Paper, William and Mary, and of Middlesex and Hertfordshire Notes and Queries, from 1895 to 1898 and of Home Counties Magazine from 1899 to 1904. In addition to such activities he was also responsible for several publications, such as Book Plates, 1893, Lighthouses: their History and Romance, 1895, and Documents Illustrative of Church History, 1896.
A chapel was constructed in Uxbridge possibly as early as 1200, and was dedicated to Saint Margaret by 1281. According to the 'History of the County of Middlesex', "A chantry for the soul of Walter Shiryngton, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, was endowed in 1459 with 27 acres of land and tenements in the town. Shiryngton's chantry was worth £7 in 1535, and in 1548 the chantry possessions, which included the 'Bull' and the 'Cross Keys' in Uxbridge, were valued at £11". This is probably the chantry referred to in this document.
Source: 'Hillingdon, including Uxbridge: Churches', 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. 87-91 (available online).
The parliamentary constituency of Tottenham is situated in the borough of Haringey. It was established in 1885 when it also included the Wood Green area. Between 1885 and 1918 the area returned Liberal candidates.
In 1918 the seat was divided into Tottenham North and Tottenham South, while Wood Green became a separate constituency. Between 1918 and 1950 the Tottenham seats were held by a mix of Conservative and Labour candidates. In 1950 the seats were reunited into the current Tottenham constituency, covering Tottenham, Tottenham Hale, Haringay, West Green, Seven Sisters, Bruce Grove, Northumberland Park and Finsbury Park. Since 1950 the seat has been held by Labour candidates.
The Wood Green constituency returned Conservative Members of Parliament between 1918 and 1950. Between 1950 and 1983 it returned Labour politicians. The constituency was abolished in 1983 and merged with Hornsey to form the parliamentary constitutency of Hornsey and Wood Green, comprising half of the borough of Haringey, covering Wood Green, Noel Park, Alexandra Palace, Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Cranley Gardens and Highgate. The new seat was held by the Conservatives until 1992 when a Labour candidate was successful. In 2005 and 2010 the seat was taken by the Liberal Democrats.
The first assessments of 1692-3 were made under the terms of an "Act for granting to their Majesties an aid of four shillings in the pound for one year for carrying on a vigorous war against France" [4W and M c.1, 1692/3]. The Act specfied that real estate and personal property, that is buildings and moveable property as well as land, were to be taxed. It nominated, for each borough and county in England and Wales, the local commissioners who were to supervise the assessments and local collection.
The tax was voted annually, usually in the spring, until 1798 when it was transformed into a permanent tax, but was redeemable on a payment of a lump sum. It was levied on a number of different bases: as a pound rate between 1693 and 1696, as a four shillings assessment supplemented by a poll tax in 1697 and, from 1698-1798, on the system whereby each county or borough was given a fixed sum to collect. In 1949 redemption became compulsory on property changing hands and in 1963 all unredeemed land tax was abolished.
The assessors for each county are listed in the annual Acts of Parliament, until 1798. The sums collected for the counties of London, and Middlesex (and the City of Westminster) appear, until at least 1760, to have been passed to the Chamber of London and subsequently to the Exchequer.
There is no unifying factor to these papers (e.g. that they relate to property owned by one estate or family or the legal work of one office), they were simply collected for their antiquarian interest before being passed to the archive.
A demicastor was a hat made of inferior beaver fur, often mixed with other furs.
Morven Park is a Victorian house situated in Potters Bar. It was purchased by the National Trust in 1930. It is now (2010) a care home for the elderly.
During the late 16th century the need for a fresh water supply to the City of London became increasingly apparent. The city was served by an inadequate number of conduits, and its main source of fresh water - the River Thames - was contaminated by sewage and refuse.
After several abortive attempts at legislation, the Corporation of London finally accepted the offer of Hugh Myddelton, a goldsmith of the city, to complete a new conduit in four years. This was in 1609, and by September 1613 the work was duly completed. The conduit, known as the New River, rises from Chadwell Spring in Hertfordshire, and runs approximately 40 miles, finally ending in the Round Pond at New River Head, behind Sadlers Wells Theatre in Rosebery Avenue. As well as providing water for the citizens of London, the New River Company owned a great deal of property along the course of the river, in both Hertfordshire and London.
James I granted a charter to the New River Company in June 1619, and it was incorporated under the title of 'The Governor and Company of the New River brought from Chadwell and Amwell to London'. The seal of the company depicted the 'hand of Providence bestowing rain' upon the city and its motto was "et plui super unam civitatem" (and I rained upon one city).
Capital for the venture was provided jointly by James I and Hugh Myddelton, along with 28 other 'Adventurers'. On the incorporation of the company the two parties divided the shares between them; James I owned the King's Shares. The Adventurers' Shares were divided into 36 parts, 22 of the directors owning one part, and 7 others (including Hugh Myddelton) owning two.
The function of the company as a public utility ceased with the passing of the Metropolis Water Act in 1902. By this act the provision of London's water supply was passed from the various water companies to the newly-created Metropolitan Water Board.
As a result of this takeover, the New River Company was re-incorporated in 1904 as a modern property company. It was registered under The Companies Acts 1862-1900 as The New River Company (Limited). The Company was taken over again in 1974 by London Merchant Securities, but still exists as a separate entity within that group.
The Gordon Riots took place in June 1780. On 2 June a 50,000 person crowd assembled in St George's Fields, Southwark, to protest against the repeal of anti-Roman Catholic laws. The march had been organised by Lord George Gordon, MP, leader of the Protestant Association, but he lost control of the crowds. Protestors broke away and began looting and burning Roman Catholic chapels. By 5 June the rioters lost interest in Roman Catholic targets and began general destruction, attacking prisons including Newgate, Clerkenwell, the Fleet, King's Bench and Borough Clink and setting the inmates free. Houses and businesses were attacked; including Downing Street. The crowd stormed the Bank of England but were repelled. On 6 June all was quiet again. Lord Gordon was arrested and tried for high treason but was acquitted. 21 ringleaders were hanged. An estimated 850 people died in the chaos.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
Robert Howard was a member of an old Quaker family who set up in business as a metal and tinplate worker in London in the mid-eighteenth century. His place of business was in Old Street. He associated with A Argand, the Swiss inventor of the standard oil lamp and his son Robert spent some time in Geneva working with Argand {ACC/1270/004}. Another son of Robert Howard, Luke, married Mariabella Eliot, daughter of a wealthy Quaker, eventually bringing to the Howards most of the Eliot property.
Luke Howard was a scientist of note, making a considerable reputation for himself in meteorology {ACC/1270/053, 058, 088, 093}. Goethe was so impressed by Howard's work that he composed a poem in his honour {ACC/1270/085, 086}. Luke Howard purchased the Villa Ackworth near Pontefract, Yorkshire as a place of retirement and both he, his wife and daughter Rachel, took much practical interest in the Quaker schools of the district. He had, before moving to Ackworth, lived for a time at Tottenham, and it was there at Bruce Grove that his son Robert lived after his marriage to Rachel Lloyd, daughter of Samuel and Rachel Lloyd of Birmingham. Howard likewise took a house in the Tottenham district, Lordship Lane, to live in with his wife Maria Crewdson, daughter of William Dilworth Crewdson of Kendal.
Luke Howard inherited through his wife the west country Eliot estate at Ashmore in Dorset {ACC/1270/062, 064, 068, 070}. Throughout the letters of Mariabella Howard, there are afforded glimpses of the controversy that plagued the Society of Friends during the 1810's and 1840's. The American Society of Friends had split over the pressing to its furthest limits of the doctrine of the "inward light" to the neglect of the Scriptures and this provoked a counter-movement in England, spearheaded by Isaac Crewdson's "Beacon of Light". Many Friends left the Society and joined more orthodox evangelical churches. Mariabella Howard was no exception, formally leaving the Society in 1810 {ACC/1270/051}, her son Robert having presumably done likewise {ACC/1270/671}.
Conveyances are transfers of land from one party to another, usually for money. Early forms of conveyance include feoffments, surrenders and admissions at manor courts (if the property was copyhold), final concords, common recoveries, bargains and sales and leases and releases.
Lease and release was the most common method of conveying freehold property from the later seventeenth century onwards, before the introduction of the modern conveyance in the late nineteenth century. The lease was granted for a year (sometimes six months), then on the following day the lessor released their right of ownership in return for the consideration (the thing for which land was transferred from one party to another, usually, of course, a sum of money).
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
Lady Jersey was born in 1753, only daughter of Rt. Rev. Philip Twysden, Bishop of Raphoe, and in 1770 married George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey. She was a friend of the Prince of Wales, and died on 23 July 1821, just four days after his coronation as George IV.
Conveyances are transfers of land from one party to another, usually for money. Early forms of conveyance include feoffments, surrenders and admissions at manor courts (if the property was copyhold), final concords, common recoveries, bargains and sales and leases and releases.
Probate (also called proving a will) is the process of establishing the validity of a will, which was recorded in the grant of probate.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
Conveyances are transfers of land from one party to another, usually for money. Early forms of conveyance include feoffments, surrenders and admissions at manor courts (if the property was copyhold), final concords, common recoveries, bargains and sales and leases and releases.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
Watney, Combe, Reid and Co Ltd was formed in 1898 when a merger was negotiated between Watney and Co Ltd of the Stag Brewery, Pimlico; Combe and Co Ltd of the Wood Yard Brewery, Long Acre and Reid's Brewery Co Ltd, of the Griffin Brewery, Clerkenwell. Following the merger the company was the largest brewing concern in the United Kingdom, and was based at Watney's Stag Brewery in Pimlico.
In 1953 Watney purchased (jointly with Beecham Group Ltd) the franchise for Coca-Cola in south and northwest England, setting up Coca-Cola Southern Bottlers Ltd in 1956.
In 1956 it was decided that the Stag Brewery offered no further scope for expansion. Mann, Crossman and Paulin Ltd of Whitechapel was acquired to provide a new London brewery, and its name was changed to Watney Mann Ltd.
In 1962 the trading assets of Watney Mann Ltd were transferred to Watney, Combe, Reid and Co Ltd and it became a holding company. In 1972 Watney Mann was acquired by Grand Metropolitan Hotels and was merged with Truman, Hanbury, Buxton and Co Ltd in 1974. In the 1990s it was Watney Mann and Truman (Holdings) Ltd.
The Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway Company was incorporated on 6 August 1860, and the line opened on 23 September 1868. It ran between Aylesbury and Verney Junction. A planned extension to Buckingham was never completed.
In 1891 the Metropolitan Railway Company acquired the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway Company and used its line as a northern extension of the Metropolitan Railway.
The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway was constructed by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited. The line opened in March 1906 running between Baker Street and Lambeth North, and was later extended to Elephant and Castle. The line was soon given the nickname 'Bakerloo', a contraction of Baker and Waterloo; which became so popular that the official name of the line was changed in 1906. By 1913 the line was extended to interchange with Marylebone, Paddington and Edgware Road stations.
The City of London and Southwark Subway Company was incorporated in July 1884 to carry out a scheme to construct a twin-tube cable-traction subway from King William Street [now Monument station] to Elephant and Castle. In 1889 it was decided to run the trains electrically instead of by a cable car method, thus making this the world's first electric tube railway. It was also decided to extend the line to Stockwell, where the electrical generating equipment was housed. In 1890 it was decided to extend the line south to Clapham Common and north to Moorgate and the Angel, Islington. The company name was also changed to the City and South London Railway. A further extension to Kings Cross and Euston stations was opened in 1907. An extension to Camden Town was opened in 1924 and to Morden in 1926.
The City and South London Railway was connected with the Charing Cross to Hampstead line (constructed between 1900 and 1924 as the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway) in 1924 and by 1937 the two railways had been integrated into one system, and renamed the Northern Line. Between 1935 and 1940 the line was extended to High Barnet and Mill Hill East, bringing its total length to 40 miles.
The Great Northern and City Railway ran between Finsbury Park and Moorgate stations. The line was constructed underground but with wide tunnels which could accommodate overland surface-gauge rolling stock, with the intention of allowing trains from the Great Northern Railway to run through to Moorgate.
The railway came under the control of the Metropolitan Railway in 1913, although plans to build an extension to connect it to the Metropolitan Line did not come to fruition. In 1935 it was taken over by the Northern Line and renamed the 'Northern City Line', becoming a branch of the 'Bank branch' of the Northern Line. In 1976 the line was transferred to British Rail and finally used for its intended purpose, when a commuter service was begun running from Moorgate to Welwyn and Hertford.
The Hammersmith and City Railway was constructed by the Great Western Railway, running between Hammersmith and Westbourne Park. It was soon connected to the Metropolitan Railway's underground line. In 1867 the Metropolitan Railway purchased a share in the Hammersmith and City Railway and took over operations. The railway was a branch of the Metropolitan Line until 1988, when the line was split into the Hammersmith and City Line, running services from Hammersmith to Whitechapel, and the Metropolitan Line, running from Amersham to Aldgate.
The Harrow and Uxbridge Railway Company opened a branch line from Roxborough Lane to Uxbridge in 1904; branching off the Metropolitan Railway line which ran to Harrow. The line was electrified in 1905. The Metropolitan Railway Company absorbed the Harrow and Uxbridge Railway Company in 1906 and ran the railway as a branch of the Metropolitan Line.
The East Surrey Traction Company was incepted in 1911 by Arthur Henry Hawkins. The first service ran between Reigate and Redhill but operations expanded rapidly and by 1914 twelve vehicles were serving destinations between Sevenoaks and Caterham. An association was formed with the London General Omnibus Company Limited {LGOC} and by 1923 East Surrey was working more LGOC buses than its own and had changed its company livery from blue to LGOC red.
Throughout its time East Surrey kept careful control of its territory - rival operators were quickly bought out or allowed to fail and the company became the most significant operator in the whole of the area that came to be termed 'London country'.
On 12 June 1929 the LGOC secured control of East Surrey. In its new guise as London General Country Services, the company took over operation of country services north of London as well on 1 March 1932. However, the East Surrey livery virtually disappeared when the London Passenger Transport Board came into being on 1 July 1933.
The London and Suburban Traction Company was formed in 1912, jointly by British Electric Traction and the Underground Electric Railways Company of London Ltd. It was formed with the purpose of merging three existing tram service providers: London United Tramways, Metropolitan Electric Tramways and South Metropolitan Electric Tramways. The company's trams operated mainly in the north of London. The Company became part of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933. The decision was made to phase out trams to be replaced by motor buses and trolley buses, and the last tram in London ran in 1952.
The Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) was formed in 1864 in order to raise capital to complete the 'Inner Circle' railway being constructed by the Metropolitan Railway, who constructed the line between Mansion House and South Kensington via Kings Cross. The MDR completed the section of line between South Kensington and Mansion House via Blackfriars, finishing by 1871. The expectation was that the two companies would merge once work was completed. However, they instead had a falling out over finances (and a personality clash of the two Chairmen) and began to run separate services using the same lines. Some agreement was eventually reached so that the final section of line, between Mansion House and Aldgate, was completed in 1884, thus forming the modern day Circle Line.
In an attempt to improve their finances the MDR embarked on a series of line expansions, to Hammersmith in 1874, Richmond in 1877, Ealing Broadway in 1879, Putney Bridge in 1880, Hounslow in 1883, and Wimbledon in 1889. The Whitechapel to Upminster line extension was opened in 1902. The line was electrified in 1905, following the construction of a power station at Lots Road. The majority of the line cosntructed by the MDR forms the modern London Underground District Line, although some sections of line (Ealing to Uxbridge) are now on the Piccadilly Line. The MDR was purchased by Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited and subsequently became part of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933.
The Metropolitan Electric Tramways Company Limited was founded in 1894 as the Metropolitan Tramways and Omnibus Company Limited. The company had an agreement with Middlesex County Council to operate electric tramways that the Council was constructing. The company was purchased in 1904 by British Electric Traction who changed the name to Metropolitan Electric Tramways. The area of operations was expanded, including much of Middlesex and parts of Hertfordshire. In 1913 the company became a subsidiary of the London and Suburban Traction Company, which was co-owned by British Electric Traction and Underground Electric Railways Company of London Ltd. In 1933 the company was absorbed into the London Passenger Transport Board.
The Tramways M.E.T. Omnibus Company was founded in 1912 as a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Electric Tramways Company Limited, who were joint stockholders with the British Electric Traction Company. The aim of the company was to provide competition with buses which were taking trade away from trams. The company began operating in partnership with the London General Omnibus Company as early as October 1912, and by 1931 their operations had been almost entirely taken over by that company. In 1933 the remainder of the Tramways M.E.T. Omnibus Company was taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board.
The Metropolitan Railway Company was responsible for the construction of the world's first underground passenger railway. Work began on the line in 1860, running from Paddington to King's Cross and then on to Farringdon Street. The first trial journey was held in 1862, with the line opened to the public in January 1863. The railway proved popular and extensions were constructed, the first being to Hammersmith by 1864 and Moorgate by 1865. In 1905 an electric service was introduced. In 1933 the Metropolitan Railway was taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board.
This solicitors firm was founded by Edward Guillaume in 1836. He carried on until 1889. His sons Frederick and Thomas became partners (1864-1920 and 1868-1923 respectively). Thomas's son Theodore served from 1898 to 1973. Guillaume and Sons by early 20th century were commissioners for oaths, and commissioners for the Supreme Court of South Africa. Frederick, Thomas, Theodore, John F and Reginald Guillaume were partners. Merged with Gosling and Wilkinson in 2007 to form Guillaumes.
London office: 14 George Street, Mansion House (1859-1860); 186 Fleet Street (1875); 9 Salisbury Square (1882-) later 1 Salisbury Square, Fleet Street (1928); moved 1950s to 56 Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey (1976); 50 Church Street (2012).
Bournemouth office: Yelverton Chambers, Yelverton Road, Bournemouth, Hampshire (1891); later Hampstead Chambers, Yelverton Road, Bournemouth, Hampshire.
R.F. Fuggle Limited of Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire was a firm of motor engineers and salesmen with additional premises at 67 High Street, Edgware.
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.
Conveyances are transfers of land from one party to another, usually for money. Early forms of conveyance include feoffments, surrenders and admissions at manor courts (if the property was copyhold), final concords, common recoveries, bargains and sales and leases and releases.
An assignment of term, or assignment to attend the inheritance, was an assignment of the remaining term of years in a mortgage to a trustee after the mortgage itself has been redeemed. An assignment of a lease is the transfer of the rights laid out in the lease to another party, usually for a consideration (a sum of money).
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
