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A church school was established in Cowley in about 1836, taking over a charity legacy for the education of poor children. In 1877 the school moved to new buildings in Church Road and, in 1891, to buildings in the High Street, which were enlarged in 1933-34. A new school was opened in Worcester Road in 1955. This took most of the juniors, although the High Street buildings continued in use for younger children for some time.

From about 1930 only juniors and infants were taught at the school. Older boys had gone to school in Hillingdon since 1890 and the older girls were removed from Cowley in the early 1930s.

Reference: The Victoria History of the County of Middlesex, Volume III, pages 176-7.

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.

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.

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

The memorial service was held for the airmen of two Zeppelins which were shot down in the Potters Bar area in 1916 - one on 2 September near Cuffley and one on 1 October which came down in Oakmere Park. The latter Zeppelin contained renowned German airship commander Lieutenant Heinrich Mathy. The crews were buried in the local cemetery but were removed to the Cannock Chase German War Grave Cemetery in 1962 by the German War Graves Commission.

The Sessions Book for 13 February 1798 (MJ/SB/B/0456) confirms that a Sarah Evans was indicted, tried and found guilty of petty larceny and sentenced to transportation. Unfortunately the corresponding Sessions Roll is incomplete, containing no trace of her indictment. A Sarah Evans was also involved with Thomas Aris, keeper of the House of Correction, Cold Bath Fields, in an enquiry relating to her child by him (MA/G/GEN.458).

William, 1st Earl of Mansfield, died on 20 March 1793 and was succeeded by his nephew David. The plan of the Kenwood estate may have been drawn up in connection with the 2nd Earl's succession.

Henry 3rd Viscount Clifden succeeded his grandfather in 1836 and on his own death in 1866 was succeeded by his son Henry George the 4th Viscount.

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".

During the 18th and 19th centuries Parliamentary Acts were used to enclose (fence off) common lands and uninhabited waste lands and entitle them to an owner. Common land was that which had traditionally been used by locals (commoners) for communal pasture or farming.

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).

A covenant or deed of covenant was an agreement entered into by one of the parties to a deed to another. A covenant for production of title deeds was an agreement to produce deeds not being handed over to a purchaser, while a covenant to surrender was an agreement to surrender copyhold land.

The Manor of Isleworth Syon was in the hands of Walter de St. Valery in 1086, having been granted to him by William the Conqueror as a reward for his support during the conquest of England. The family retained possession of the manor until 1227 when it escheated to the crown. In 1229 a full grant of the manor was made by Henry III to his brother, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, whose son Edward inherited it in 1272. In 1301, Edward's widow Margaret was assigned the manor by Edward I as part of her dower, but it reverted to the crown on her death in 1312. The manor was eventually granted for life by Edward III to his wife Queen Philippa in 1330. The reversion was included in a grant of lands to Edward, Duke of Cornwall, in 1337. In 1390 Queen Anne the wife of Richard II was given a life interest in the manor. Henry V held the manor, as Prince of Wales, but when king, separated the manor from the duchy of Cornwall by Act of Parliament in 1421 in order to bestow it upon his newly founded convent of Syon. It remained as part of the convent's possessions until the dissolution in 1539 when it fell into the hands of the Crown and was added to the Honour of Hampton Court. In 1604 James I granted the manor to Henry, Earl of Northumberland, in whose family it remained.

An 'indenture' was a deed or agreement between two or more parties. Two or more copies were written out, usually on one piece of parchment or paper, and then cut in a jagged or curvy line, so that when brought together again at any time, the two edges exactly matched and showed that they were parts of one and the same original document. A 'right hand indenture' is therefore the copy of the document which was on the right hand side when the parchment was cut in two.

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, took possession, often referred to as becoming 'seised' of the land.

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

John Newton of Old Brentford was a brewer, and several of the documents in this collection relate to public houses, including the Hand and Flower, Half Moon and Seven Stars, Six Bells, and Hare and Hounds.

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.

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".

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".

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.

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 a lease is the transfer of the rights laid out in the lease to another party, usually for a consideration (a sum of money).

Probate (also called proving a will) is the process of establishing the validity of a will, which was recorded in the grant of probate.

A covenant or deed of covenant was an agreement entered into by one of the parties to a deed to another. A covenant for production of title deeds was an agreement to produce deeds not being handed over to a purchaser, while a covenant to surrender was an agreement to surrender copyhold land.

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

Joshua Alexander was a solicitor in the City of London who, like many in that profession, acquired personally small areas of land ripe for development. The estates were as follows:

Surrey: Old Kent Road Estate: Hyndman Street, Albert Terrace, Church Street, Bradshaw Street, Alexander Street, Frederick Street;
Peckham Estate: Selden Road, Cemetery Road, Lausanne Road, Lindo Street, Hathway Street;
Norwood and Dulwich Estate: Park Road, Rosendale Road.

Middlesex:
Whitehall Estate, Tottenham: High Road, Whitehall Street, Moselle Street, Love Lane, Charles Street, William Street;
White Hart Lane Estate, Tottenham: White Hart Lane, Love Lane, Alexander Street, Stamford Street;
Tottenham (misc.): West Green Lane/Philip Lane, Hanger Lane;
Hornsey Estate: Maynard Street, Middle Lane, New Road, Cedar Place;
Hounslow Estate: Trinity Place;
Edmonton: Edmonton Grove/Snells Park, High Road.

Essex:
Stratford Estate: Reform Terrace, Windmill Lane, Hawksworth Terrace, Waddington Street, Bennetts Terrace, Norfolk Place.

After Joshua Alexander's death in 1876, his son Lionel carried on the administration of the estate, to which the letter books testify. The family were Jewish. Some of the letter books of a personal and family nature, show Lionel playing a considerable role in Jewish institutions and charities. He also contributed articles and letters to the press, including the Jewish Chronicle, on Jewish subjects.

In 1872 a local board of health was established in Staines. This became an urban district council in 1894. The board was concerned with the town hall, commons, cemetery, highways, hospital, finance and drainage. Their first task was to provide a sewer system.

Part of the ancient parish of Staines lay in the tract of countryside known as the warren of Staines which extended as far as Hampton. This land was gradually encroached upon, but by 1844 there were still 381 acreas of common land, and 353 acres were preserved under the Metropolitan Commons Supplemental Act, 1880. The common lands comprised Staines Moor, Shortwood Common, Knowle Green and Birch Green.

From: 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. 13-18 and pp. 25-27.

William Luck was a cabinet maker of Mabledon Place, Burton Crescent, Saint Pancras.

Letters patent is a document which grants for a set period the sole right to make, use, or sell some process, invention, or commodity.

The Hornsey Housing Trust was founded in 1933 by Margaret Hill, C.B.E. Its object was to convert houses for occupation by more than one family and to let them at low rents to help those on low incomes to find improved accommodation. Increasingly the trust provided homes for elderly persons. Hornsey Borough Council provided loans to assist in the purchase of property for conversion. After the Second World War, the trust joined with other charitable organisations to build homes, mainly for the elderly. It still continues to acquire properties for rehabilitation.

The trust is administered by a Committee of Management. A full time housing manager was first appointed in about 1945. Previously, this work and that of collecting rents was carried out by unpaid volunteers.

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.

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".

The United Law Clerks' Society was founded on 14 April 1832 at a meeting of law clerks in the Southampton Coffee House, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane. Its purpose was to make mutual provision against the hardship of fellow law clerks who were overtaken with sickness and infirmity, and, on their death, the poverty of their dependants.

There were two funds, the General Benefit Fund, with assured benefits in sickness, old age and payments on death, and the Benevolent Fund (or Casual Fund) which was for discretionary grants.

The society developed its role as the oldest friendly society for law clerks becoming a health insurance society after the National Health Insurance Act was passed in 1911. Membership of the society was at first restricted to law clerks residing in London but in 1924 the society's operations extended to the whole of England and Wales.

The society was based at the Southampton Coffee House between 1832 and 1839, at which time it removed its meetings to the Crown and Anchor Tavern (at the corner of Arundel Street and the Strand) until 1847. Between 1847 and 1874 it used the Freemasons Tavern, Great Queen Street. By 1874 it had grown large enough to move into its own office at 3 Old Serjeant's Inn, Chancery Lane, and in 1900 it moved to its more permanent home at 2 Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn.

The society still exists as a registered charity providing grants and annuities in cases of distress to persons employed in the legal profession in England and Wales, and the widows and children of such persons. It is managed by a voluntary committee of trustees.

The Tottenham and District Gas Company was founded in 1847 as the Tottenham and Edmonton Gaslight and Coke Company. In 1914 it absorbed the Enfield Gas Company and became the Tottenham District Light, Heat and Power Company, and in 1928 it absorbed the Waltham and Cheshunt Gas Company, becoming the Tottenham and District Gas Company. Two years later the Ware Gas Company was absorbed, and in 1938 the Southgate and District Gas Company.

The Southgate and District Gas Company was formed in 1858 as the Southgate and Colney Hatch Gaslight and Coke Company. In 1866 it was re-incorporated as the Colney Hatch Gas Company, and in 1904 it became the Southgate and District Gas Company. It was finally taken over in 1938 by the Tottenham and District Gas Company.

In 1948 when the gas industry was nationalised the Tottenham and District Gas company came under the Eastern Area Gas Board which covered Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, the Isle of Ely, Norfolk, the Soke of Peterborough, Suffolk and parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Middlesex.

The first meeting of 'the Governors for erecting a Lying-in Hospital for married women in the City of London and parts adjacent and also for Out-patients in Phisic and Surgery' was held at the Black Swan Tavern in Bartholomew Lane on 30 March 1750. Mr Jacob Ilive was in the chair. The governors elected John Nix as the first secretary, Thomas Chaddock as treasurer, Richard Ball as surgeon and man-midwife and William Ball as apothecary. Slingsby Bethell subsequently became the first president of the hospital.

The hospital opened in May 1750 at London House in Aldersgate Street as the 'City of London Lying in Hospital for married women and sick and lame Outpatients.' The General Court of Governors decided on 6 September 1751 to admit no more outpatients and the second part of the title was dropped. The hospital moved in 1751 from London House into Thanet or Shaftesbury House also in Aldersgate Street. In 1769 the Governors decided to erect a new purpose built hospital. They leased a site from St Bartholomew's Hospital on the corner of City Road and Old Street and commissioned Robert Mylne to design the new hospital, which was opened on 31 March 1773.

The hospital was later known as the City of London Maternity Hospital and was closed in 1983.

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 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".

The Fox-Strangways family hold the Earldom of Ilchester and their family seat is Melbury House, Dorset. Through Ilchester Estates, the family own and manage many properties in Holland Park, London.

Stephen Fox-Strangways (1704-1776) was given the title Earl of Ilchester in 1756. He was the older brother of Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland (1705-1774), who purchased Holland Park Estate in 1768 from William Edwardes (later Baron Kensington).

Holland Park Estate remained under the ownership of successive Barons Holland until 1874, when it passed to their distant relative Henry Fox-Strangways, 5th Earl of Ilchester.

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'.

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 privileges of the Freedom of the City of London were sought for centuries by those who wished to exercise a retail trade or handicraft within the City. Among the privileges were immunity from toll at markets and fairs throughout London, freedom from impressment into the armed forces and the right to vote at ward and parliamentary elections. Most of the practical advantages of the Freedom disappeared in the 19th century, but it is still a necessary qualification for the holding of civic office, such as Lord Mayor, Alderman, Sheriff or Common Councilman, or for admission to one of the City Livery Companies. The Freedom Applications Committee was appointed by resolution of Common Council, 30 April 1953, upon a recommendation of the Special Committee to the Committee of the whole Court.

The manor of Ickenham was formed by joining two holdings, both described in the Domeday Book as "Ticheham", which were united under Earl Roger some time before 1094. The manor passed through various owners until 1334 when it was purchased by merchant John Charlton. He left the estate to his daughter Juette, wife of Nicholas Shorediche. The Shorediche family retained the manor until 1812 when it passed to George Robinson, probably after foreclosure on a mortgage debt. George Robinson's will was disputed and Chancery ordered that his property be sold in 1857. Ickenham was purchased by Thomas Truesdale Clarke and merged with his neighbouring manor of Swakeley's.

'Ickenham: 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. 102-104 (available online).

The manor of Shepperton was granted to Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor between 1051 and 1066. The Abbey later granted the manor to an undertenant but retained the overlordship until the Dissolution. In 1741 the manor was sold to the trustees of Penelope Stratford, who was then a minor. Penelope married Richard Geast, who later took the name of Dugdale. After his death she sold Shepperton in 1811 to Thomas Scott (d. 1816). The manor afterwards passed to his nephew James Scott (d. 1855). In 1856 it was purchased by W. S. Lindsay, a ship-owner and member of Parliament who wrote a history of merchant shipping as well as one of Shepperton, and was largely responsible for the construction of the Thames Valley Railway (d. 1878). He was succeeded by his grandson, W. H. Lindsay (d. 1949). In 1954 W. H. Lindsay's widow transferred the estate to her husband's nephew, Mr. P. A. R. Lindsay, who was the owner in 1958.

The manorial demesne contained 100 or more acres of arable in the 14th century and a good deal of meadow and pasture. There is no reliable information about its extent thereafter before 1843, when the estate belonging to the lord of the manor amounted to some 380 acres. This included the Manor Farm in Chertsey Road with which the bulk of the property was leased. By 1867 the estate comprised about 600 acres, but some of this has since been sold.

From: 'Shepperton: The hundred of Spelthorne (continued)', 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. 1-12 (available online).

The manor of Enfield is first recorded as held by Ansgar the staller in 1066. In 1086 it was owned by Geoffrey de Mandeville and stayed in his family until 1419 when it became the property of King Henry V. Subsequently it was assigned to various female members of the Royal family, including Margaret of Anjou; and was leased out by the Royals until the lease was acquired by the Duke of Chandos in 1742.

Source: "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).

The firm of Crawter and Sons was founded in 1788 by Henry Crawter and still occupies the same premises at Turner's Hill, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. Their activities as surveyors, valuers and estate agents and the extent of their business connections are shown in this collection. They seem to have been particularly concerned with the eastern part of Middlesex and Henry Crawter was an Enclosure Commissioner for Enfield. Crawter and Sons acted as receivers and managers for the Connop family estates in Middlesex and Hertfordshire.

According to "A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5", the manor of Durants Place, known also as Durants, was sold to Newell Connop of Penton in Crediton (Devon) in 1793. Newell Connop died in 1831, leaving the manor to his son Woodham (d. 1868), whose widow Emily was lady of the manor in 1874. Newell Connop greatly enlarged the Durants estate from 150 acres near the manor-house. In 1787 he bought 285 acres around Enfield Highway and Ponders End, which formerly had belonged to Eliab Breton of Forty Hall, and circa 1792 he bought 462 acres of common-field land in the same area from Charles Bowles. In 1804 he purchased 168 acres from John Blackburn of Bush Hill, Edmonton, bringing his total estate in Enfield to 1,226 acres, most of it in the south-east part of the parish. Later purchases included Bury farm, 149 acres, in 1818. On Newell Connop's death his estates were divided among his family and on Woodham's death many were sold, with the manor. The copyhold lands in the 18th and 19th centuries consisted of cottages and small parcels in the south of the parish, mostly near Ponders End.

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.

A bond was a deed, by which person A binds himself, his heirs, executors, or assigns to pay a certain sum of money to person B, or his heirs.

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

Sir Charles Howard (1696-1765), army officer, was the second son of Charles Howard, third earl of Carlisle. He entered the army in 1715, joining the Coldstream Guards. By 1738 he was colonel of the 19th foot, which became known as the Green Howards in 1744. Howard saw action in Flanders, being wounded four times, and in the Jacobite uprising in 1745-46. He was made KB in May 1749. He attained the rank of general in March 1765, but died in August of that year. He was unmarried, however, his will made provision for a natural son, William, who was also in the Army.

It is probable that the General Sir Charles Howard of ACC/0657/002 is the same man; and that the daughter Eleanor of ACC/0657/001, 003 and 004 is another illegitimate child of his.

Biographical information from H. M. Chichester, 'Howard, Sir Charles (c.1696-1765)', rev. Jonathan Spain, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009.

This school was founded mainly by the efforts of Mrs Priscilla Wakefield (a pioneer of the Savings Bank movement) and was originally known as the School of Industry. It was founded in 1792, in a building in the High Road, near Stoneley South. It was transferred to the new building in Somerset Road in 1863.

In its earlier years as a charity school about 40 girls were taught "reading, writing, knitting, sewing and a little arithmetic". Soon after its removal to Somerset Road 90 girls were taken, of whom thirty were clothed by the charity in the green clothing from which the school derived its name. On leaving school each girl received a guinea; at the end of each three years thereafter she received a further guinea if she had remained in the same employment - which was usually domestic service.

The charity was supported by voluntary subscriptions and aided by annual charity sermons. A small income was also derived from the girls' work. A schoolmistress was appointed by the subscribers and lived in the schoolhouse.