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South Hackney School began its life as Lauriston Road Central School, which opened in March 1911 in an area that was then a fashionable suburb of London. After World War One air raids over London, the school moved into an existing school building in Cassland Road in 1917. It is believed that this Cassland Road building was the last Higher Grade School built by the London School Board before county councils took over responsibility for education in 1904.

The name of the school changed in 1913 to Hackney Council School, which reflected its role as one of the new central schools established in 1911 by the London County Council to provide education for brighter children whose parents could not afford the fees and who had not won a scholarship. According to Mr. Chew, Hackney Central's headmaster from 1911 to 1943, these schools 'were intended to put boys and girls on the road they could travel best'. Hackney Central Secondary School covered a fixed catchment area of elementary schools, and began with a commercial bias towards shorthand, book-keeping and typing. The syllabus developed towards more general education, although passing public examinations was not the primary aim of the central schools.

The school in Cassland Road was bombed during the Blitz and many children were evacuated to Northampton. In 1944 the school was forced to use another building in Lauriston Road and a new headmistress, Miss Beswick, took charge. The inter-war years started a tradition of school journeys and music and drama activities. The war had caused severe disruption with pupil members falling to 280, but the 1950s saw a period of growth and development.

Although the changes established by the 1944 Education Act refined the role of secondary education and the central schools, Hackney Central was one of the few schools allowed to select its pupils until the comprehensive system was introduced. But when the Education Committee decided that a school should not be allowed to bear the name of a borough, Hackney Central was forced to change its name in 1951 to Cassland Secondary School. The name derived from the old estate of Sir John Cass, a prominent educationalist, on whose grounds the school stood. The Sir John Cass Foundation gave permission for the family badges and shield to be worn on the uniform, and old pupils became familiarly known as 'Old Casslanders'.

Samuel Fisher was a leading member of the Anglo-Jewish Community and a well-known figure in London local government.

He was Mayor of Stoke Newington Metropolitan Borough 1953-1954 and Camden London Borough 1965-1966. He was Chairman of the London Labour Mayors Association 1966-1977. He was made a life peer in 1974.

His influence was felt on a number of London wide bodies such as the Metropolitan Water Board where he was Chairman and national bodies such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews where he was President. A musical of his life was written entitled The Sammy Fisher Story. He died in 1979.

These plans were never implemented. They appear to have been prepared as a student exercise in or shortly after 1935 by the three architects whose names appear on the drawings, K C Brown, R A Fever, and D Crandon Gill. The larger plans are also labelled "School of Planning and Design for National Development".

The Survey of London was founded in the 1890s by the arts and crafts architect and thinker C.R. Ashbee and its production was initially a volunteer effort. From the middle of the 20th century it came under the care successively of the London County Council, the Greater London Council and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of England, until it became part of English Heritage in 1999. Since October 2013 it has been part of the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London.

The Survey produces detailed architectural and topographical studies, which appear as large, sumptuously produced books and are the nearest thing to an official history of London's buildings. The books also appear online.

During the period when it was part of English Heritage, the Survey produced six volumes on four areas of London: Knightsbridge, Clerkenwell, Woolwich, Battersea, including a monograph on the Charterhouse and began work on a volume relating to Marylebone. The Survey of London provides essential reading for anyone wishing to find out about London's streets and buildings.

(information from www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/research/buildings/survey-of-london accessed 12 December 2013).

Lyons was founded in 1886 as a catering business, earning a reputation as caterers for exhibitions at Newcastle, Glasgow, Paris and London's Olympia. In 1894 it was incorporated as a public company and established its head office and food factories at Cadby Hall in Hammersmith. The company rapidly established a chain of Teashops, Cornerhouses and Restaurants with the opening of the first Lyons Teashop in 1894 in Piccadilly, the Trocadero Restaurant in 1896 and the First Lyons Corner House in 1909 in Coventry Street. To keep pace with this expansion, the factories were moved to Greenford in Middlesex in 1920 and the largest tea packing plant in the world opened. Further progress was made during the Second World War with the development of the FROOD a revolutionary frozen cooked food process. The company is also famous for its work in less obvious fields - from 1941 to 1945 it operated a munitions factory at Elstow near Bedford on the reputed site of the slough of despond. In 1954 it developed LEO (Lyons Electronic Office), the first computer in the world capable of use for commercial work.

Further growth came in the 1970s with the acquisition of a number of businesses both in the UK and overseas. In 1978, Lyons became the food division of Allied Breweries which was renamed Allied-Lyons in 1981. In 1990 the head office was moved from Cadby Hall to Greenford. In 1994 Allied-Lyons decided to dispose of its food manufacturing operations and to change its name to Allied Domecq. The individual companies were sold off and Lyons head office closed in 1995.

It appears that William Hunt lost the Assizes case and was fined. The matter then went to the Court of Queen's Bench. The Court of King's Bench (or Queen's Bench, depending on the monarch) 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 of information: The National Archives Research Guides Legal Records Information 34 and Legal Records Information 36).

The Society of Antiquaries was founded in 1707 for men with an interest in antiquarian pursuits. Originally based in taverns on Fleet Street, the Strand and Chancery Lane, the Society moved to Somerset House in 1781 and Burlington House in 1875.

The Royal Society was founded in 1648 to promote the natural sciences, mathematics, engineering and medicine. The Society was based at Gresham College, then Somerset House from 1780, Burlington House from 1857 and Carlton House Terrace from 1967.

Wormwood Scrubs prison was designed in 1870s by Major-General Edmund Du Cane, chairman of the Directors of Convict Prisons, as a national long-term penitentiary, built on a site in East Acton with convict labour. By the time the prison was completed, its entire purpose had, however, changed, and it became a local prison for short-term petty offenders. Today Wormwood Scrubbs provides lower security accommodation for remand and short-term prisoners.

From 1904, the prison also became part of the Borstal system for young offenders, and in 1929 it was made an allocation centre from which newly-sentenced trainees were assessed before being sent to a suitable Borstal. In addition Wormwood Scrubbs came to specialise in holding first time offenders, or 'star' prisoners as they were known. It has more recently become a prison in which life-sentence prisoners are assessed in the early years of their terms.

During the Second World War, part of the prison was evacuated for the use of MI5 and the War Department, and by the end of the war, a section of the hospital wing was being used as condemned quarters for prisoners from Wandsworth and Pentonville prisons.

The general election of 1906 was held from 12 January to 8 February 1906. It was won in a landslide victory by the Liberal Party under Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

The 1907 London County Council elections were won by the Municipal Reform Party, who were allied with the Conservative party.

In 1953 a small group of friends whose birthdays all fell within the same month decided to hold a joint birthday party, which was a great success. Other parties were held for increasing numbers of dancers, until in August 1953 at a meeting held at the Royal Scottish Corporation Hall in Fetter Lane it was decided to form the Scottish Reel Club. Its aim was the promotion of Scottish Country Dances in London. Dances were held throughout the year, at which new and different dances were introduced. In its first year a membership of 69 was achieved.

From 1973 the Club met at St Columba's Church of Scotland in Pont Street, London SW1. In July 1990 it was decided that the Club should be wound up as a result of decreasing attendances at dances making them no longer financially viable.

These papers relating to boilers were collected for their general or antiquarian interest and relevance to the subject.

A small tremor struck London on 8 February 1750; followed on 8 March 1750 by a more powerful earthquake. Thomas Sherlock (1677-1761), bishop of London, preached a sermon at Saint Paul's Cathedral in which he claimed that the earthquakes were sent by God as punishment for the sinfulness of London's citizens; criticising their drinking, lewdness, idleness, debauchery, wantonness and blasphemy. The sermon was published and proved extremely popular, selling thousands of copies. On 8 April many citizens fled London, expecting another, even greater earthquake to strike.

Hounslow Friary received the grant of a market and fair in 1296. The market was to be held on Tuesdays and the fair for eight days at Trinity Sunday. The fair was still held in the 16th century, but the market had been given up. In 1686 John Shales, commissary-general of provisions for the army, was granted the right to hold a market in Hounslow on every day while the military camp was there, and on Thursdays for ever. A year later he received another grant, this time of a fair to be held on 1-12 May; the first two days were to be principally for the selling of horses, the next two for cattle, and the rest for all goods. The Thursday market was still held in 1798 when it was said to have a considerable show of fat cattle, but it was discontinued early in the 19th century.

John Shales owned a market-house in Hounslow in 1692. In 1818 the market-house stood in Fair Street, and belonged to one Sarah Brown. It consisted of a gable-ended roof supported on fluted columns of a composite order; the royal arms were displayed on the gable end. The building had disappeared by 1840.

From: 'Heston and Isleworth: Markets and fairs', 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. 112 (available online).

A 'messuage' is defined as a portion of land occupied, or intended to be occupied, as the site for a dwelling house and associated buildings. It later came to refer to a dwelling house together with its outbuildings and the adjacent land assigned to its use.

The manor of Great Stanmore was owned by St Alban's Abbey at the time of the Norman Conquest. The manor was initially known as Stanmore-the first recorded division of Stanmore into "Great" and "Little" is in the Domesday Book. The Manor of Little Stanmore was also known as Canons. In 1709 Little Stanmore, and in 1715 Great Stanmore, were sold to James Brydges, who became duke of Chandos in 1719. He rebuilt the mansion house of Canons in ostentatious style, including marbles, rare woods, ceiling paintings and tapestries. The grounds included canals, hothouses, an aviary and sculptures. His son Henry was forced by debts to break up the Canons estate, much of the furniture and collections of fine art were sold and the house was pulled down in 1753. The family retained the lordship of the manors.

The third and last Duke of Chandos was James Brydges. His daughter, Lady Anna Elizabeth (1780-1836), was married to Richard Temple Nugent Grenville, (1776-1839), known as Earl Temple, the son of the Marquess of Buckingham. Richard adopted the surname Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville and was made 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos in 1822. Their son Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-BrydgesChandos-Grenville sold the manor in 1840.

Information from: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976) (available online).

Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 was marked by extensive public celebrations.

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on the 14th April, 1865.

A militia force was raised from the civilian population of a county, in order to supplement the regular army in cases of emergency. In Middlesex they were called out at times of unrest. They came to be supplemented by volunteer forces, such as those raised by the 1794 Bill for "encouraging and disciplining such corps and companies of men as shall voluntarily enrol for the defence of their counties, towns and coasts or for the general defence of the Kingdom during the Present War [with France]".

There were around 300 militiamen in Middlesex in 1802. During the Napoleonic Wars this number rose to over 2000 by 1808 and 12,000 by 1812. More volunteer corps were raised in 1859, again in response to threat of French invasion. In 1881 the Army was organised into territorial regiments formed of regular, militia and volunteer battalions. Middlesex militia and volunteer battalions came under the Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own).

A bargain and sale was an early form of conveyance often used by executors to convey land. The bargainee or person to whom the land was bargained and sold, became seised of the land.

From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".

In 1086 Twickenham was part of the manor of Isleworth Syon. It is not mentioned as a separate manor until 1445 when it was held by the York family. It was sold in 1538 to Edward Seymour, later the Lord Protector, who later swapped it with the Crown for other lands. It was granted to Queen Henrietta Maria in 1629. The Crown leased out the manor houses and lands, and finally sold the manorial rights in 1836. By 1909 the manorial rights had lapsed.

Source of information: 'Twickenham: 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. 147-150 (available online).

The Willis family were involved in the legal profession: the documents mention Richard Willis of Tokenhouse Yard, solicitor; James Willis of Lincoln's Inn, barrister-at-law; and George Willis, 449 West Strand.

Colham manor was in 1086 assessed at 8 hides, 6 of which were in demesne. Part of the manor lands was probably granted away in the mid-13th century to form the basis of the sub-manor later known as Cowley Hall. At some time before 1594, however, Hillingdon manor was incorporated in that of Colham. The location of the manor lands before the assimilation of Hillingdon manor is uncertain. Fourteenth-century surveys of Colham include land in Great Whatworth Field, Hanger Field, and Strode Field, a warren on Uxbridge Common, and woodland at Highseat in the north-west. By 1636, however, Colham and Hillingdon manors had been consolidated, so that the lands of Colham then covered approximately two-thirds of Hillingdon parish. At this date the outer boundaries of Colham appear to have substantially respected those of the parish, except in the north-east where the manor boundary followed the Pinn southward from Ickenham Bridge to Hercies Lane and then ran south-eastward to rejoin the parish boundary south of Pole Hill Farm. Insulated within the lands of Colham lay the 'three little manors' of Cowley Hall, Colham Garden, and Cowley Peachey, and freehold estates belonging to a number of manors in other parishes, including Swakeleys in Ickenham.

The manor passed through several owners before, in 1787, John Dodd sold the whole manor to Fysh de Burgh, lord of the manor of West Drayton. Fysh de Burgh died in 1800 leaving Colham, subject to the life interest of his widow Easter (d. 1823), in trust for his daughter Catherine (d. 1809), wife of James G. Lill who assumed the name of De Burgh, with remainder to their son Hubert. The manor passed to Hubert de Burgh in 1832 and he immediately mortgaged the estate. Hubert retained actual possession of the property, which was seldom if ever during this period unencumbered by mortgages, until his death in 1872.

From "A History of the County of Middlesex", available online.

The firm originates from the partnership of Randolph Horne and John Engall which formed and developed throughout the latter nineteenth century. Harry Scott Freeman became a partner in the firm around 1900. Mr. Engall retired about 1910, Mr. Horne having retired some twenty years earlier.

The firm or one of its members acted as clerk to many public bodies, including the Staines-Hampton and the Bedfont-Bagshot Turnpike Trusts, the Staines Bridge Commission, the Cranford Sewer Authority, the Staines Local Board, and the local Tax Commissioners. They were also clerk to private companies and institutions, including Staines Independent Chapel, Staines and Egham Gas and Coke Company, the Staines Scientific and Literary Society and the Spelthorne Militia. Mr. Scott Freeman served as Deputy Acting Returning Officer for the Spelthorne Division in the 1918 and 1922 General Elections.

Horne and Engall were both stewards of local manors, and it is no doubt due to this fact that these archives first came to include court rolls, court books, surveys, and a large number of copies of court rolls for the manors of Staines, Ashford, Stanwell, and Hammonds and Milton in Surrey. However, Mr. Engall acquired the lordship of the manor of Ashford in 1890, and Mr. Scott Freeman subsequently became lord of all the Middlesex manors just mentioned, thus becoming owner of the relevant manorial documents.

In Highgate the education of the poor was served by Sir Roger Cholmley's free school, founded in 1565, which catered for 40 local boys. From 1829 Cholmley's school was allowed to charge for extra subjects, so Saint Michael's National school was built near by in compensation, and it soon absorbed the girls' charity school. In 1835 the new school took 98 pupils.

From: 'Hornsey, including Highgate: Education', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6: Friern Barnet, Finchley, Hornsey with Highgate (1980), pp. 189-199.

Willliam Condell was a linen draper based on Bond Street, with a country house at Greenford, then outside London in Middlesex.

A History of the County of Middlesex notes that "in the Middle Ages most of [Stanwell] lay in open fields, but nearly all the land west of Stanwellmoor and that around Hammonds Farm was inclosed by the mid-18th century. Borough Field, to the north and west of the manor-house, and another small field nearby were inclosed in 1771 by the lord of the manor, when he diverted a footpath across them away from his house. Most of the area south of Stanwell and West Bedfont villages remained open until 1792. ... The remaining open fields and commons were inclosed in 1792, and orchards and marketgardens began to spread over the parish in the second half of the 19th century".

From: 'Stanwell: 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. 33-36. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22238&strquery=clos Date accessed: 25 August 2010.

"Lawrence and Carlill", sugar refiners, are listed in various trade directories of 1817-1819 as being based at Lehman Street and Rupert Street, Goodman's Fields. By the 1820s the entries list Richard Henshaw Lawrence and Morton William Lawrence, sugar refiners, at the same addresses. They appear to have been in business until the 1840s.

It is unclear what improvement to the refining process Lawrence invented. He is mentioned in the book "Abridgements of Patents for Inventions relating to Sugar, 1663-1866" (Commissioners of Patents, 1871) with the note "No Specification enrolled".

Enfield Chase was a large wooded area and royal deer park in Middlesex. It was used for hunting, while locals claimed common rights. By an act of 1777 the Chase was enclosed and the land was divided between various local land-owners and neighbouring parishes.

The Berkeley family's seat was at Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire built in 1153 by Lord Maurice Berkeley. Lord Berkeley of Stratton (died 1678) ran the Duke of York's household and built himself a magnificent London house in Piccadilly. His descendants laid out Berkeley Square in the grounds. In 1679 George Berkeley was made first Earl of Berkeley by King Charles II.

The fifth Earl of Berkeley, Frederick Augustus (1745-1810) took Mary Cole, a butcher's daughter as his mistress. In 1796 they married, Mary having borne the earl five children and later that year their legitimate son Thomas Moreton was born. Mary was anxious about the legitimacy of her adored eldest son William Fitzharding (1786-1857). In 1799 she and the earl forged the Berkeley parish register with a false entry for a secret marriage 1785 to make all their children legitimate. On the death of the earl in 1810, the Berkeley Peerage Case was heard in the House of Lords and in 1811 the earldom passed to Thomas Moreton. In 1841 William Fitzharding was given the title Earl Fitzhardinge.

The family held estates throughout England.

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.

These papers relating to the Uthwat family 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 GROVE HOUSE estate originated in a tenement called the Grove, with lands in Sutton and Strand-on-the-Green. The Barkers perhaps held the land when they were first recorded at Chiswick, in 1537. Anthony Barker leased Grove farm of 170 acres in socage from St. Paul's in 1597 and left an interest to Anne (d. 1607), widow of William Barker of Sonning. Anne's son Thomas Barker of the Middle Temple (d. 1630) was active in parish government and apparently was succeeded at Chiswick not by his 17-year old eldest son William but by a younger son, probably Thomas, a royalist killed at Lansdown in 1643. Thomas was followed by his brother Henry, who was admitted to further copyholds of Sutton Court in 1655 and whose seat was called Grove House by 1664, when he ranked with Thomas Kendall as the second largest ratepayer after Sir Edward Nicholas. Further lands were added by Henry (d. 1695), who owned much property in Berkshire, and by his eldest son Scory Barker, also of the Middle Temple. Scory's son Henry was admitted in 1714 and was the last Barker at Grove House, where he died in 1745. Although Henry had sons, he left his Chiswick lands, copyhold of both Sutton Court and the Prebend manors, to trustees, who conveyed some to Henry Barker of Wallingford but sold others in 1761 and 1762 to the duke of Devonshire.

Grove House itself was acquired before 1750 by Henry d'Auverquerque, earl of Grantham (d. 1754), who was succeeded by his daughter Frances, wife of Col. William Eliott. After the death of Lady Frances Eliott in 1772 the house and park were sold freehold to the politician Humphry Morice (1723-85), who entertained Horace Walpole there in 1782. Morice left the estate, known also as Chiswick Grove, to Lavinia, widow of John Luther, on condition that she maintain an old servant and some stray animals. Between 1807 and 1810 it passed to Robert Lowth (d. 1822), canon of St. Paul's, whose widow remained there in 1830. Joseph Gurney lived there in 1855 before its purchase in 1861 by the duke of Devonshire, whose tenants included Robert Prowett in 1862 and 1867, Col. R. B. Mulliner in 1874 and 1882, and Joseph Atkins Borsley by 1888. Although much of the estate was built over to form Grove Park, Lt.-Col. Robert William Shipway bought the house, with neighbouring lands, from Borsley and others in 1895, preserving it until after his death in 1928.

From: 'Chiswick: Other estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 74-78. Available online.

The most striking change in Great Stanmore between 1754 and 1865 was the building or enlargement of several gentlemen's residences. In addition to Stanmore Park and the manor-house, near the church, the village contained the head tenements of Montagues, Fiddles, Pynnacles, and Aylwards, all of which were marked in 1827 by substantial houses. Oak Villa, Townsend Villa (later Belmont Lodge), Rose Cottage, and Vine Cottage formed an extension of the village, into Little Stanmore, at the corner of Dennis Lane and the London Road. Near the crest of the hill, on the west, Hill House and Broomfield stood between the drive leading to Aylwards and the residence next to the brewery. It was at Hill House, then called the Great House, that Dr. Samuel Parr had briefly opened his school in 1771 and that the antiquary Charles Drury Edward Fortnum, who bequeathed most of his treasures to the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, lived from 1852 until 1899.

From: 'Great Stanmore: Introduction', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 88-96. Available online.

A deed of composition and release sealed an arrangement whereby the creditors of an insolvent debtor agreed to settle for a percentage of the amounts owed.

From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".

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".

The manor of Ealing or Ealingbury was presumably the 10 hides at Ealing granted in 693 by Ethelred, king of Mercia, to the bishop of London for the augmentation of monastic life in London. The manor passed through various owners until 1906 when most or all of the land was sold to the Prudential Assurance Company.

Source: "A History of the County of Middlesex": Volume 7 (1982).

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).

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.

A marriage settlement was a legal agreement drawn up before a marriage by the two parties, setting out terms with respect to rights of property and succession.

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".

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.