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Julian David Layton was born Loewenstein in 1904 to parents who had come to England from Frankfurt in 1893 with the family firm of Loewenstein, Hoskins. According to a Alan Leopold Berton, nephew of Julian Layton, and executor to his will, and one of the depositors to this collection, Leopold Loewenstein, Layton's father, changed his name to Layton in 1917 . According to Julian Layton's cv he changed his name by deed poll on 30 August 1921, his brother, Ralph, having already changed his in September 1914. Julian's mother was the granddaughter of Samson Raphael Hirsch.

Layton became a stockbroker and a member of the London Stock Exchange from 1930, a partner in the firm R Layton and Co from 1933. He spent several years working in banks and stock broking firms in Germany and France.

The relationship between the Rothschilds and the Loewensteins began in Frankfurt and continued in London. It proved to be important with regard to the rescue of Jews in Europe as evidenced in the saga of the 'Cedar Boys'- the project in which Layton helped rescue 28 German Jewish boys and girls, who resided at the Rothschild's estate.

Otto Schiff of the German Jewish Aid Committee, who had known Layton already for a long time, had requested that Layton go to Canberra to persuade the Australian government to accept many German Jewish refugees. Much later, after the outbreak of war, Layton, on account of his experience dealing with refugees and his management of the Kitchener Camp for Refugees at Richborough, Kent, was sent by the British Government as a Home Office Liaison officer to facilitate the repatriation of the internees. He also assisted in obtaining compensation for those who suffered a loss during the 'Dunera' scandal, in which 3 British soldiers were court-martialed for the brutal treatment and robbery of refugees.

Harris Meyer Lazarus was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1878. He emigrated to England in June 1897, Anglicizing his name Hirsch to Harris. In 1898 he entered Jews' College, gaining semicha (rabbinical ordination) in 1910. Between 1904 and 1906 he taught in the East End at the Toynbee Hall Hebrew training classes, before being appointed minister of the Brondesbury synagogue, where he remained until 1938.

In 1914 he began to work at the bet din (court) as a dayan (judge), combining this with his congregational duties until 1945, when he retired from the synagogue and became a full-time dayan. Between 1946 and 1948 Lazarus acted as Deputy for the Chief Rabbi, or Acting Chief Rabbi, following the unexpected death of Joseph Hertz and until the installation of Israel Brodie.

Source of information: Sharman Kadish, "Lazarus, Harris Meyer (1878-1962)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/70155, accessed 3 March 2010].

Jacques Lazerme was a celebrated lecturer and physician of his day, graduated MD at Montpellier in 1703, and was appointed Professor of Medicine at this university in 1720.

The origins of the name "Saint Clement Danes" remains unclear; any connection with Danish peoples is uncertain although an account by John Stow suggests that "Harold [Harefoot], a Danish king and other Danes were buried here". Another tradition holds that it became the church of the Danish community in the ninth century who had been expelled from the City of London - the church stands at the entrance to the City at the end of Fleet Street. Between 1170 and 1312 it was in the care of the Knights Templar. The church survived the Great Fire but shortly afterwards it became so decayed that rebuilding became essential. A new church by Sir Christopher Wren was completed by 1682, with a steeple added by James Gibbs in 1719.

In 1941, extensive bomb damage gutted the church. It was restored between 1953 and 1958 by WAS Lloyd, paid for with contributions from the Royal Air Force and Allied Forces. It became the Central Church of the Royal Air Force. Inside the church there are many items relating to the air-force including Remembrance Books, colours and standards, and the names of 19,000 American airmen based here during the war, commemorated in a special shrine.

Saint Clements Danes is one of the churches referred to in the popular nursery-rhyme 'Oranges and Lemons'.

Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).

The London County Council Sports Club was set up by a joint committee of the committees of the Association and Rugby Football Clubs, the Hockey Club, and the Netball Club on 18 June 1923. It was intended to admit other sports or games clubs formed among the professional and clerical staff of the London County Council which adhered to the Sports Club's objectives.

Under the provisions of the Lunacy Act of 1890 the London County Council was charged with the duty of providing and maintaining mental hospitals for rate-aided patients, and could also provide services for private paying patients. In 1937 the Council was maintaining 21 institutions with total accommodation of 33,823 beds. These institutions were often situated outside London and included:

Banstead Hospital, Sutton, Surrey

Bexley Hospital, Bexley, Kent

Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon, Surrey

Claybury Hospital, Woodford Bridge, Essex

Friern Hospital, New Southgate

Horton Hospital, Epsom, Surrey

Long Grove Hospital, Epsom, Surrey

Saint Bernard's Hospital, Southall

Saint Ebba's Hospital, Epsom, Surrey

West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey

The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill

Brunswick House, Mistley, Kent

Darenth Park, Dartford, Kent

Farmfield, Horley, Surrey

The Fountain Hospital, Tooting Grove

The Manor, Epsom, Surrey

South Side Home, Streatham Common

Caterham Hospital, Caterham, Surrey

Leavesden Hospital, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire

Tooting Bec Hospital, Tooting Bec Road.

T. Lawrence-Hamilton gave a report upon fish markets and fish trade abuses to the London County Council in 1890.

Town planning is the control of the general form and use of buildings and the urban environment (as opposed to control of the mode of construction of buildings, which was done by the District Surveyors). Modern legislation empowering local authorities to control the development of land dates from 1909, however, before 1939 planning by the London County Council (LCC) was hindered by restrictive legislation which made it very expensive to eliminate or restrict undesirable buildings. During the Second World War, however, it was recognised that air-raid damage provided an opportunity. In 1941 the Minister of Works asked the Council to prepare a plan for the reconstruction of London after the war. Sir Patrick Abercombie was appointed to prepare the plan in conjunction with the LCC Architect. The result was the County of London Plan, published in 1943, which drew attention to major defects in the structure of London: traffic congestion, sub-standard housing, intermingling of housing and industry and lack of open spaces. In 1945 the Council decided to embark on a short term programme of road works; to reconstruct certain areas, particularly Stepney and Poplar; to develop the South Bank of the Thames between County Hall and Waterloo Bridge, and to increase open space to 2 and a half acres per 1000 population.

The Town and Country Planning Act of 1947 embodied most of the planning principles for which legal recognition had been desired by the authors of the 1943 plan. Under that Act the County was made the planning authority for the Administrative County (including the City) and was required to carry out a survey and submit to the appropriate Minister a plan and report for future development. This report, in the form of a development plan setting out proposals for the next 20 years, was submitted to the Minister of Housing and Local Government in 1951. Objections to the plan were heard at an inquiry held from September 1952 until June 1953. The Minister gave final approval to the plan in 1955. It was a requirement of the Act that a review of the plan be held every five years, providing the opportunity for adjustment and flexibility. This was important as the LCC town planners increasingly faced new problems: the increase in motor traffic congestion, with associated problems of car parking; reconciling new roads with the urban scene; reconciling private development proposals with their own long term plans; ensuring waterside land was used appropriately; preserving buildings of historic interest; ensuring that tall buildings were properly sited; moving of wholesale markets and developing of surplus railway land for other uses.

The plan designated various sites were as 'areas of comprehensive redevelopment', such as Poplar, Stepney, Bermondsey, Elephant and Castle and Knightsbridge Green. In these areas the Council wanted to achieve better living conditions by regrouping commerce and industry close to railways, canals and docks and providing schools, local shopping, entertainment, open spaces and other social services while maintaining a traditional sense of community. In other areas traffic problems would be addressed with new roads.

The Chief Engineer was responsible for overseeing construction and maintenance of LCC buildings, bridges, roads and tunnels. He was also responsible for flood prevention measures, drainage and sewerage and other matters of public health.

The maintenance and improvement of traffic facilities for crossing the Thames, whether by bridge, tunnel or ferry, was an important part of the work of the LCC. It was responsible for ten of the Thames bridges: Albert Bridge, Battersea Bridge, Chelsea Bridge, Hammersmith Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Putney Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge, Wandsworth Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. In addition the Council maintained about 50 other bridges, over rivers, streams, canals, railways and roads. These included the bridge over Deptford Creek, Barking Road Bridge and Highgate Archway. The pedestrian tunnels at Greenwich and Woolwich, and the vehicular tunnels at Rotherhithe and Blackwall were also maintained by the Council, as was the Woolwich Ferry. In addition, it was responsible for over 6 miles of river embankment walls, Greenwich Pier and pipe subways allowing access to mains without having to excavate the road surface.

In addition, the LCC was the central authority for street improvements in London, coordinating the work of the Borough Councils because important traffic routes usually run though more than one of the Boroughs. The most important part of this work involved considering improvements to allow greater traffic flow, particularly as the number of cars on the roads increased.

The London County Council Chief Engineer and County Surveyors:

1889: J Gordon and C Dunscombe

1890 Sir Alexander Binnie

1901 Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice

1913 Sir George Humphreys

1930 Sir Peirson Frank

1946 Sir Joseph Rawlinson

1962 FM Fuller

The Children's Service of the London County Council (LCC) was responsible for 4 groups of deprived children: those placed in care by their parents, those brought before juvenile court and then sent to approved schools or placed in care, those being adopted and those with foster parents. In 1929 the Local Government Act gave the functions of the poor law authorities to the LCC. The Council began to develop child services, but the Second World War interrupted this process. After the war a conception of a new form of organisation was beginning to emerge.

The 1948 Children's Act vested central control of children's services in the Home Secretary; the county councils were made children's authorities, and each was required to appoint a children's Committee and a children's officer. The LCC set up its Children's Committee in December 1948. The first children's officer was appointed in April 1949. The LCC had the duty to receive into care any child in the County, under the age of 17, whose parents or guardians were temporarily or permanently prevented from providing for them properly. Having received a child into care the Council was required to "further his best interests and afford him opportunity for the proper development of his character and abilities".

The 1948 Act required the Council to find foster carers where possible. When this was neither practical nor desirable a child was placed in a children's home. When the Children's Service was established there were 24 children's homes and nurseries. 7 of these homes were very large and had been built by the Boards of Guardians. The Service pursued three aims: that homes were to be modernised by rebuilding and adaptation, that all children should be removed as quickly as possible from unsatisfactory establishments, and that new, smaller homes should be built to facilitate the closing of the out of date largeer homes. The LCC also developed several specialised establishments, with highly qualified staff, for children presenting acute difficulties of behaviour. By 1964 there were 160 homes under the care of the Service, including nurseries for under-fives, hostels for young wage earners still in care and homes for short stay children. Procedures in the homes were also changed. Children were sent to local schools and encouraged to bring friends back to the home. Parents were invited to visit frequently. Local adults could act as 'uncles and aunts' to otherwise friendless children. Clubs, out of school activities and house magazines flourished.

The Children's Service was required to make available to juvenile courts information on the health, character and school records of all children appearing before the court. The LCC was obliged to provide remand homes for children who appeared at juvenile court, where young people awaiting a court appearance were held in safe custody. They were also used as observation centres, where psychiatrists could observe the children and provide the court with information about reasons for their behaviour and suggest the most appropriate school for the child.

In 1930 the Council decided to consent to the adoption of suitable children in its care. In 1958 the Council appointed 2 adoption officers, who came to be recognised as expert advisers on all matters connected to adoption.

In 1945 the Ministry of Education issued regluations determining which disabilities required special educational treatment, namely, "the blind, the partially sighted, the deaf, the partially deaf, the diabetic, the delicate, the educationally sub-normal, the epileptic, the maladjusted, the physically disabled and those with speech defects".

Not all disabled children needed to be educated in special schools. Children with partial hearing, who formerly attended special schools, were able after 1947 to attend special units in ordinary primary schools, and in 1959 arrangements were made for the attendance of partially hearing children at secondary schools. Similarly, of children with defective sight, only the most severely handicapped needed to attend special schools. Arrangements were made for the transportation of children from home to school, and if a child was so severely handicapped that travel to school was not feasible arrangements were made for education in hospital or at home. Children with cerebral palsy were provided with special classes, to which they were taken by ambulance.

The curriculum of the special schools was designed to give a basic education similar to that in ordinary schools. Children were encouraged to disregard their disability and to look upon themselves as normal. They went to the rural centres, on school journeys, and on educational visits, and had their share of concerts and other cultural activities. There were special medical care and treatment to facilitate the education of the deaf and the blind.

For children whose behaviour pointed to emotional disturbance, there were child-guidance clinics, of which the Council maintained seven, others being provided by hospital authorities. The Council was the first local education authority to appoint its own psychologist to investigate cases of special difficulty. This work was later undertaken by a team of educational specialists attached to the inspectorate. In 1962 the Council opened a special class providing therapy and education for young psychotic and autistic children. The Council was the first authority in the country to give financial assistance to the special home tuition groups run by the Society for Autistic Children.

Special schools also included industrial, reformatory and truant schools for juvenile delinquents or children found vagrant.

Each county has a Lord Lieutenant as the royal representative. He is concerned with the auxiliary and cadet forces. On his recommendation new justices of the peace are appointed. The counties also have their sheriffs appointed by the monarch to see to the assembling of juries and the carrying out of the judgements of the courts. Commissions of the peace are issued, county justices are appointed, and courts of quarter sessions are regularly held for the trial of cases.

When the County of London was formed in 1888 it was given its own Lord Lieutenant and sheriff, commission of the peace and quarter sessions. The Act of Parliament stated that "all enactments, laws and usages with respect to counties in England and Wales, and to sheriffs, justices and quarter sessions shall so far as circumstances admit, apply to the County of London". The exception was the City of London which already had its own sheriffs, commission of the peace and quarter sessions, while the functions of the Lord Lieutenant were carried out by a group of commissioners presided over by the Lord Mayor.

The Lords Lieutenant of the County of London, appointed by the Sovereign under the provisions of the Militia Act, 1882, were as follows:

1889-1899 Hugh Lupus, 1st Duke of Westminster

1900-1912 Alexander William George, 1st Duke of Fife

1912-1944 Robert Offley Ashburton, 1st Marquess of Crewe

1944-1949 Gerald, 7th Duke of Wellington

1949-1950 Archibald Percival, 1st Earl Wavell

1950-1957 Alan Francis, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke

1957-1965 Harold Rupert Leofric George, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (who also continued as Lord Lieutenant of Greater London until 1966).

Shortly after the appointment of Lord Crewe, the Clerk of the London County Council, Sir Laurence Gomme, was approached to accept additionally the post of Clerk to the Lieutenancy and to act also as Clerk to the London Justices Advisory Committee, the body responsible for advising the Lord Lieutenant of the names of persons suitable to be recommended by him to the Lord Chancellor for appointment as Justices of the Peace for the County of London. The London County Council concurred in the proposed arrangement (Council Minutes, 11 February 1913, at pages 247-248). It became the practice for each successive Clerk of the Council to be appointed to these positions.

This collection comprises plans and maps produced by the London County Council, the Metropolitan Board of Works and other associated official bodies. The plans are generally duplicates or 'strays' which have become divorced from their departmental context. Before transfer to the Archive the plans were brought together in one records room at County Hall.

The term 'public control', as used in the Council's organisation, embraced various services of a regulative character, mostly exercised by some form of licensing control. Largely unobtrusive in their operation, and producing no spectacular effects, they were all carried out in the public interest and, in some respects, for the protection of the public or certain sections of it.

Their administration was conditioned by trends in the legislative provisions under which they were operated, by shifts and changes in social usages, and by the development of the Council's policies towards the matters to which they related.

The Council obtained powers in 1905 for registering agencies for domestic servants and agenices for theatrical performers. Since then the Council's powers were extended and applied to every kind of employment agency and related to fees and charges, the character of the applicant, and the conduct of the agency. With changing social conditions there was a change in the pattern of employment agency business, for example, the number of domestic staff agencies declined. By 1963 there were about 1,200 employment agencies in London. About 400 were theatrical, variety, concert, television, or film actor agencies; about 250 were clerical or secretarial agencies, and there were about 40 nurses agencies. About 200 applications were made each year for licences to start new employment agencies. Most of the applicants had no previous experience and few of the new businesses remained open for more than a year or two.

The term 'public control', as used in the Council's organisation, embraced various services of a regulative character, mostly exercised by some form of licensing control. Largely unobtrusive in their operation, and producing no spectacular effects, they were all carried out in the public interest and, in some respects, for the protection of the public or certain sections of it.

Their administration was conditioned by trends in the legislative provisions under which they were operated, by shifts and changes in social usages, and by the development of the Council's policies towards the matters to which they related.

The term 'public control', as used in the Council's organisation, embraced various services of a regulative character, mostly exercised by some form of licensing control. Largely unobtrusive in their operation, and producing no spectacular effects, they were all carried out in the public interest and, in some respects, for the protection of the public or certain sections of it.

Their administration was conditioned by trends in the legislative provisions under which they were operated, by shifts and changes in social usages, and by the development of the Council's policies towards the matters to which they related.

The original purpose of the Council's powers, obtained in 1915 and 1920, to deal with places where massage, manicure, chiropody, vapour and other baths, and electrical treatment were given, was to ensure that such places were not used for immoral practices. Control was subsequently directed mainly towards ensuring that treatments were given only by people who were suitably qualified.

The term 'public control', as used in the Council's organisation, embraced various services of a regulative character, mostly exercised by some form of licensing control. Largely unobtrusive in their operation, and producing no spectacular effects, they were all carried out in the public interest and, in some respects, for the protection of the public or certain sections of it.

Their administration was conditioned by trends in the legislative provisions under which they were operated, by shifts and changes in social usages, and by the development of the Council's policies towards the matters to which they related.

In 1938 the number of vehicle licences issued by the Council was 601,300. In 1962 the number was 999,750, and the license duty had risen from £5 million to £13 million. The introduction of the test of road-worthiness for private cars and motor cycles made it necessary for the Council to be satisfied, before issuing licences, that the legal requirements had been complied with. Tightening of traffic control and regulation of car parking increased requests from traffic authorities for information about registered vehicles and their owners.

About 365,000 driving licences were in force in London in 1938. In 1963 there were over 1,000,000. In 1935 a new compulsory test for all new drivers was introduced, and only a provisional licence was issued before the test was passed. The Council could refuse a licence or revoke an existing licence in cases of disability likely to cause a driver to be dangerous. Additionally the Road Traffic Act, 1962, increased the number of offences for which disqualification was obligatory.

The London County Council assumed responsibility for the general hospitals formerly maintained by the Boards of Guardians and the Special hospitals formerly maintained by the Metropolitan Asylums Board with effect from 1 April 1930. These hospitals needed much work to modernise, equip and staff them adequately. The Council made great improvements in hospital accommodation and staffing standards. The nursing service had been improved, medical schools established, and a laboratory service built up. These functions were transferred to the Regional Hospitals Boards and Hospital Management Committees under the National Health Service Acts with effect from 5 July 1948. The Council assisted by providing services of supply, engineering and finance for several months after the transfer, until Council officers could be absorbed into the new organisation.

There was also a transfer from the City and the boroughs to the London County Council of health services including maternity and child welfare, health visiting, home help, vaccination and immunisation, and the care of those with tuberculosis. The Council took over 4,843 lay and professional staff, 70 freehold premises, and 252 tenancy arrangements, as well as adding new services such as home nursing, the provision of health centres and the expansion of the ambulance service. The County was divided into nine divisions, each with a divisional health committee, a divisional medical officer, a nursing officer and an administrative officer.

The question whether some of the Council's projects should be executed by direct labour rather than by contractors was, in the early years of the Council's existence, the subject of considerable political controversy.

Following dissatisfaction at the manner in which contractors tendered for contracts, the Council on 22 November 1892 approved the creation of its own Works Department, which continued in being until the end of 1909.

Throughout its existence, there were repeated controversies as to its necessity, as to its administration, as to its relationships with other Departments (some of whom employed their own staffs on minor works) and as to the manner in which its accounts were presented.

The Air-Raid Precautions Act of 1937 required local authorities to make schemes for neutralising, reducing or repairing the effects of enemy action against the civilian population. The London County Council immediately set up a special Air Raid Precautions sub-committee to organise and supervise arrangements made under the Act. During 1938 and 1939 the Council developed plans and preparations for the fire and ambulance services, precautions to be taken in relation to mains drainage and at residential establishments, for the evacuation of children and for other measures to be taken in the event of national emergency.

West Street was renamed Braintree Street in 1915. It runs from Sceptre Road to Malcolm Road. Number 86 is not listed in the Post Office Directories and may have been a private property rather than a business address.

London's first civic authority was that of the City of London. The origin of the Corporation of London is unknown, but the initial rights and privileges of the City rested upon a Charter granted by William the Conqueror. The term 'London' was gradually applied to the area adjoining the ancient city, and as a consequence of the need for a central authority to deal with the local government of this ever growing area the term 'metropolis' was defined, and an authority, the Metropolitan Board of Works, was set up in 1855 to deal with many of the services common to the whole area. In 1888, as a result of the Local Government Act, the area of the City and the metropolis was constituted the 'Administrative County of London' and the London County Council was established as the central authority. The 'Administrative County' consisted of the City of London and the twenty-eight metropolitan boroughs; while a 'County of London' was also constituted, excluding the City of London, for certain ceremonial and judicial purposes; for example, a Lord Lieutenant was appointed, while in the City this function is carried out by the Lord Mayor. Those parts of Middlesex, Kent and Surrey that were part of the Metropolis were taken out of those counties and added to the County of London.

The City of London and the twenty-eight borough councils were independent of the County Council, and had complete jurisdiction over certain fields within their individual areas. There were many case in which cooperation and consultation took place between the various London local government authorities. The principal instances in which the County Council had control over the Metropolitan Borough Councils were: sanctioning the raising of loans for housing, building, land purchase, street improvements and drainage; making byelaws (although the borough councils had to enforce the byelaws); approval of sewer plans; taking steps if the borough council was not fulfilling statutory obligations; and control over grants. Other bodies which the County Council worked alongside included the Metropolitan Police, the London Passenger Transport Board, the Port of London Authority, the Thames Conservancy Board, the London and Home Counties Joint Electricity Authority and the Metropolitan Water Board.

The London County Council consisted of persons directly elected, every third year, by the local government electorate in the Administrative County, and of aldermen elected by the Council itself. The aldermen retained their seats for six years. The powers and duties of the Council were:

(i) those powers transferred from the Metropolitan Board of Works, including drainage, street improvements, Thames flood prevention, street naming and numbering, bridges and tunnels, fire brigade, slum clearance, supervision of building works and parks and open spaces;

(ii) those powers involved in administrative business transferred from the Justices, including issuing licences for music, dancing and stage plays, mental hospitals, reformatory and industrial schools, county bridges, coroners, weights and measures;

(iii) education, including those powers transferred from the London School Board in 1904;

(iv) those powers transferred from the London Poor Law Authorities in 1930, including the 25 Boards of Guardians, the Metropolitan Asylums Board, Boards of School District Managers and the Central Unemployed Body;

(v) those powers conferred directly by Parliament at various times, including ambulances, mental deficiency, protection of children, licences for cinemas, boxing and wrestling, licences for motor cars, housing, town planning, health services, welfare of the blind, employment agencies and massage establishments.

The first meetings of the Council were held at both the Guildhall in the City and the offices of the Metropolitan Board of Works at Spring Gardens, Trafalgar Square. New headquarters were planned at County Hall. This was situated on the southern bank of the Thames close to Westminster Bridge. The foundations were begun in 1909, the foundation stone was laid in 1912 and the building was formally opened in 1922. In 1937 the administrative staff of the Council numbered 6,000, while the total staff included 18,150 teachers, 2,000 fire fighters, 22,000 hospital staff, 3,000 housing estates workers, 8,200 mental hospital staff, 1,450 park staff, 3,100 public assistance staff and 1,000 main drainage service staff.

In 1957 the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London was set up under the chairmanship of Sir Edwin Herbert. Their terms of reference were 'to examine the present system and working of local government in the area' and 'to recommend whether any, and if so what, changes in the local government structure and the distribution of local authority functions in the area, or any part of it, would better secure effective and convenient local government'. After nearly three years consideration of these issues the Commission reported in 1960, recommending a radical reorganisation of London's local government. All existing local authorities except the City of London Corporation were to be abolished, a council for Greater London was to be established, and new boroughs were to be created, each within a population range of 100,000 to 250,000. The councils of these new boroughs were to be the primary units of local government and to have the most normal local government functions, including housing, personal health, welfare and children's services, environmental health, roads other than main roads, libraries and functions in relation to education and planning. The council for Greater London was to have certain functions of education and planning, and be the authority for traffic, main roads, refuse disposal, fire and ambulance services; as well as having supplementary powers for housing, parks, entertainments, sewerage and land drainage. When the Bill for the Local Government Act, 1963, based on the Royal Commission report, was introduced into Parliament it was met with considerable opposition. Some amendments were passed, but the Bill was passed into law without major alterations. An Inner London Education Authority was provided so that education could continue to be handled on a wider county level. Thirty-two new London borough councils were established. The first elections for the Greater London Council were held on 9 April 1964. The LCC was to remain in being side by side with the new authority to enable a smooth transfer, until 1 April 1965 on which date the old authority ceased to exist.

The Royal Commission commented that 'nobody studying London Government can fail to be deeply impressed with the achievements of the London County Council. It has given the Administrative County of London a strong and able form of government which makes its standing very high among the municipal governments of the world'.

In 1889 the Architect to the Metropolitan Board of Works was transferred to the newly formed London County Council, as the responsibilities of the MBW were being transferred to the LCC. This was later confirmed by the London Building Act 1894, in which the London County Council was given power to appoint a "superintending architect of metropolitan buildings" to oversee the enforcement of regulations outlined in the Act. Actual enforcement would be done by the District Surveyors, who had to make a monthly return to the Council reporting on any new buildings and any infringement of the Act.

The role of the Architect soon developed as the range of structures constructed under order of the Council grew. By 1909 there were 13 Committees dealing with construction works, and 35 sub-committees. The work included the construction of housing, including slum clearance; construction of buildings in connection with the introduction of electricity; construction of educational buildings, from nursery schools to colleges; construction of hospitals and institutions; construction of fire brigade stations; street and road improvements; maintenance and construction of bridges; public parks; Weights and Measures Stations and Gas Meter Testing Stations. The Architect was responsible for overseeing the design and construction of all these buildings.

In 1889 the Architect to the Metropolitan Board of Works was transferred to the newly formed London County Council, as the responsibilities of the MBW were being transferred to the LCC. This was later confirmed by the London Building Act 1894, in which the London County Council was given power to appoint a "superintending architect of metropolitan buildings" to oversee the enforcement of regulations outlined in the Act. Actual enforcement would be done by the District Surveyors, who had to make a monthly return to the Council reporting on any new buildings and any infringement of the Act.

The role of the Architect soon developed as the range of structures constructed under order of the Council grew. By 1909 there were 13 Committees dealing with construction works, and 35 sub-committees. The work included the construction of housing (under the Housing of the Working Classes Act 1890), including slum clearance; construction of buildings in connection with the introduction of electricity; construction of educational buildings, from nursery schools to colleges; construction of hospitals and institutions; construction of fire brigade stations; street and road improvements; maintenance and construction of bridges; public parks; Weights and Measures Stations and Gas Meter Testing Stations. The Architect was responsible for overseeing the design and construction of all these buildings.

During the Second World War the District Surveyors were made responsible for all rescue and demolition work on damaged and unsafe buildings, while the Architect's Department manned the control centres and depots of the Rescue Service, assumed responsibility for the provision of air raid shelters for the Council's staff, and ran the War Debris Service to deal with the work of clearing debris resulting from war damage. Training for the Rescue Service was provided at training schools organised and staffed by the department. When the heavy raids started in September 1940 the Rescue Service went into full operation. It was clear that the specialist knowledge of its members enabled them to foresee the behaviour of damaged buildings and to estimate the risks of rescue. By May 1941 the Service has rescued 10,000 live casualties, at the cost of the lives of 34 rescue officers. After 1941 the Service was renamed the Heavy Rescue Service and was brought into line with other civil defence services. Mobile parties of men with cranes and heavy plant were posted at civil defence centres. When flying bomb attacks began the Heavy Rescue Service rescued 7,175 people alive and recovered 2,329 bodies. 64 personnel were injured and 3 killed.

The London County Council delegated administrative matters to its committees, both standing committees and a number of special committees appointed for specific purposes. The committees met frequently, either weekly or fortnightly, while the Council met weekly. Committee reports requiring decision by the Council were dealt with weekly, and each committee reported to the Council every 6 months. In addition the Council also had representatives on many bodies such as industrial councils, school governing bodies and charitable foundations. For the purpose of carrying out the services of the Council, the staff is organised into departments, each of which is under the responsibility of a chief officer.

The Clerk of the Council was the chief administrative officer of the Council, acting as the clerk of the Council itself as well as the various committees. Additional important duties of the Clerk's Department included the maintenance of the library for members of the Council at City Hall, the preparation of general publications and the responsibility for general work including records.

The Standing Orders of Parliament required plans and books of reference to be deposited with the clerk of the peace. After 1930 they were deposited with the clerk of the county council.

When the London County Council became a local education authority it became the largest employer of teachers in the country. In 1902 it had established the London Day Training College in association with the University of London. In 1932 this College passed to the control of the University and became the Institute of Education. The Council founded six emergency training colleges after the Second World War. These colleges were meant to help solve some of the urgent post war problems, offering a one-year course of training, and were closed by 1951.

The decision of the Minister of Education in 1957 to extend the course of teacher training from two to three years led to expansion in the provision of places. Several training colleges in London were enlarged and a new day-training college for mature students (Sidney Webb College) was opened in 1961. In the same year the Council undertook responsibility for the maintenance of two voluntary colleges, one specialising in physical education and the other in training for primary education. By 1964 the Council was administering nine training colleges, all of them constituent colleges of the University of London Institute of Education.

It became clear from 1960 onwards that despite the increased numbers coming from training colleges, the shortage of primary school teachers was likely to become even more acute, largely because the earlier average age of marriage was causing women teachers to leave the profession in greater numbers. The increased birth-rate from 1954 onwards also accentuated the demand for primary teachers. The Council therefore took the initiative in seeking primary school staff from other sources, and started a series of short courses designed to attract into primary teaching married women graduates who had no teaching experience. At about the same time a vigorous publicity campaign was launched by the Council to increase the use of part-time teachers in primary and secondary schools. The Council's efforts met with considerable success, and in the recruitment of part-time teachers other local education authorities followed this example.

The Froebel Society for the Promotion of the Kindergarten System was founded in 1874 in order to provide courses of training for nursery teachers and a recognition and inspection facility for nursery schools. In 1887 the Society created a separate body, the National Froebel Union, in order to validate examinations and set standards for the Froebel Teacher's Certificate. In 1938 the two bodies united to form the National Froebel Foundation.

The Children's Service of the London County Council (LCC) was responsible for 4 groups of deprived children: those placed in care by their parents, those brought before juvenile court and then sent to approved schools or placed in care, those being adopted and those with foster parents. In 1929 the Local Government Act gave the functions of the poor law authorities to the LCC. The Council began to develop child services, but the Second World War interrupted this process. After the war a conception of a new form of organisation was beginning to emerge.

The 1948 Children's Act vested central control of children's services in the Home Secretary; the county councils were made children's authorities, and each was required to appoint a children's Committee and a children's officer. The LCC set up its Children's Committee in December 1948. The first children's officer was appointed in April 1949. The LCC had the duty to receive into care any child in the County, under the age of 17, whose parents or guardians were temporarily or permanently prevented from providing for them properly. Having received a child into care the Council was required to "further his best interests and afford him opportunity for the proper development of his character and abilities".

The Avondale Project was a pilot scheme to attach an adviser or "counsellor" to schools to advise pupils in their last year of attendance and to maintain contact with them during their first years at work. It commenced at Avondale Park School, Notting Hill before being extended to other schools.

The Council, on its creation in 1889, assumed responsibility for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade maintained by its predecessor, the Metropolitan Board of Works. On 15 August 1904 the name of the brigade was changed to the London Fire Brigade by virtue of Section 46 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1904.

As part of the Second World War emergency organisation, a Regional Fire Officer with a small staff was appointed to co-ordinate the work of fire brigades in the Greater London area. From 18 August 1941 to 31 March 1948, under emergency legislation, the Brigade and the wartime London Auxiliary Fire Service, in common with the brigades of other local authorities, were merged into a National Fire Service under the direction of the Home Office. The Council resumed control of the Brigade from 1 April 1948.

1833: London Fire Engine Establishment began to operate, being a union of brigades formerly run by individual insurance companies.

1836: Society for the Protection of Life from Fire set up, a voluntary society maintaining and manning fire escapes at a number of stations throughout London.

1865: Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act placing responsibility for extinguishing fires and protecting life and property upon MBW. Thus on 1 Jan 1866 Metropolitan Fire Brigade came into existence, commanded by Captain Eyre Massey Shaw (the new brigade was combination of two bodies described above)

1866: London Salvage Corps established by leading insurance companies to protect property rather than life at metropolitan conflagrations.

1889: LCC take over Metropolitan Fire Brigade

1904: Name changed to London Fire Brigade.

1938: Threat of war leads to formation of Auxiliary Fire Service to augment existing brigade; equipment and finance provided by Home Office, training and day to day management closely supervised by London Fire Brigade.

1941: National Fire Service created to unify fire services of entire country; London became one of 11 regions of this Service, the London Fire Brigade and Auxiliary Fire Service being superseded.

1947: Fire Services Act - responsibility for fire brigades placed upon County Councils and County Boroughs nationally.

1948 1 April: London Fire Brigade resumed operations.

1948 1 April: Middlesex County Fire Service came into operation. Before war fire services in county of Middlesex were responsibility of Urban District and Borough authorities, and at an earlier date parish vestries occasionally provided fire engines for local fires.

The term 'public control', as used in the Council's organisation, embraced various services of a regulative character, mostly exercised by some form of licensing control. Largely unobtrusive in their operation, and producing no spectacular effects, they were all carried out in the public interest and, in some respects, for the protection of the public or certain sections of it.

Their administration was conditioned by trends in the legislative provisions under which they were operated, by shifts and changes in social usages, and by the development of the Council's policies towards the matters to which they related.

Places used in London for stage plays, music, dancing, film shows, boxing, or wrestling had to be licensed if they were open to the public. The purpose of licensing was to ensure the safety and suitability of the premises and the entertainment. In general, the Council was the entertainment licensing authority for London, but most West End theatres were licensed for stage plays by the Lord Chamberlain.

Fan dancing, nude posing and strip-tease became increasingly popular during the Second World War. In 1940 the Lord Chamberlain convened a conference to consider the tendency towards impropriety on the stage. At first there was an improvement, but it was not maintained. In 1952 the Council decided to prohibit strip-tease in premises in London licensed for music and dancing. Strip-tease shows continued to be given at bogus clubs in the Soho area. In such clubs there was really no effective restriction on public admission, nor was there any intended. Legal proceedings and fines were not an adequate deterrent and more severe penalties were introduced in the London Government Act, 1963.

The cinema remained the most popular form of entertainment licensed by the Council. There were in 1963 over 150 cinemas in London. Safety arrangements were prescribed in detail and updated as new technology was introduced. The Council also had responsibility for the censorship of films, generally accepting the decisions of the British Board of Film Censors.

The term 'public control', as used in the Council's organisation, embraced various services of a regulative character, mostly exercised by some form of licensing control. Largely unobtrusive in their operation, and producing no spectacular effects, they were all carried out in the public interest and, in some respects, for the protection of the public or certain sections of it.

Their administration was conditioned by trends in the legislative provisions under which they were operated, by shifts and changes in social usages, and by the development of the Council's policies towards the matters to which they related.

The Council was the weights and measures authority for the County of London (excluding the City) and employed twenty-three duly qualified inspectors and five authorised coal officers. Four area offices were maintained at which a large quantity of very accurate equipment was kept, including standard measures, fine balances, public weighbridges, a weighbridge testing vehicle, and machines for testing and stamping glass measures.

Increases in the sale of prepacked goods had an effect on legislation. Statutory regulations in 1957 made it an offence to sell any prepackaged food, with certain exceptions, unless the wrapper was legibly marked with a true statement of the contents. During the year 1962-1963 the Council's inspectors examined 537,000 articles of food at 14,000 premises.

The first registers of voters were lists of those owing land tax, since the right to vote depended on the amount of property a man owned.

It was not until the 1832 Reform Act that the creation of electoral registers became a requirement. At first these were the responsibility of the Quarter Sessions, although from 1888 they were compiled by County Councils and from 1974 by District Councils. The registers mainly list those eligible to vote for parliamentary elections although they often double as lists for local government elections.

The London County Council assumed responsibility for the general hospitals formerly maintained by the Boards of Guardians and the Special hospitals and institutions formerly maintained by the Metropolitan Asylums Board with effect from 1 April 1930. These hospitals needed much work to modernise, equip and staff them adequately. The Council made great improvements in hospital accommodation and staffing standards. The nursing service had been improved, medical schools established, and a laboratory service built up. These functions were transferred to the Regional Hospitals Boards and Hospital Management Committees under the National Health Service Acts with effect from 5 July 1948. The Council assisted by providing services of supply, engineering and finance for several months after the transfer, until Council officers could be absorbed into the new organisation.

There was also a transfer from the City and the boroughs to the London County Council of health services including maternity and child welfare, health visiting, home help, vaccination and immunisation, and the care of those with tuberculosis. The Council took over 4,843 lay and professional staff, 70 freehold premises, and 252 tenancy arrangements, as well as adding new services such as home nursing, the provision of health centres and the expansion of the ambulance service. The County was divided into nine divisions, each with a divisional health committee, a divisional medical officer, a nursing officer and an administrative officer.

Until the Mental Health Act, 1959, the Council's mental health services were administered centrally from hte County Hall. From October 1960 responsibility for the day-to-day operation of mental health services was delegated to the nine divisional health committees, while other aspects of the work remained under direct central control, for example the provision of hostels and day centres, the medical examination of mentally subnormal persons, the obtaining of hospital beds for them, and the giving of medical evidence to courts and tribunals. Administration of training centres passed to the divisional medical officers; but planning, the formulation of policy, general control over admissions, the allocation of industrial work to centres, and the arranging of transport and home teaching were retained as central responsibilities.

Following the heavy enemy air raids of September 1940, the Council set up the Londoners' Meals Service as a separate Department with its own Chief Officer to control emergency feeding centres and to provide school meals for non-evacuated children in need of them. As the scale of air raid attacks diminished, the service developed into a network of restaurants and the Civic Restaurants Act, 1947 empowered local authorities to continue the provision of this service under normal peace-time conditions provided it was not run at a loss. In 1948, the Department was renamed Restaurants and Catering Deptartment.

From 1941, it had assumed the additional responsibility for canteens at ambulance and civil defence establishments and it also later undertook the catering arrangements at County Hall and other large offices of the Council.

On 1 June 1954, the Council decided to transfer to the Chief Officer of Supplies the responsibility for civic restaurants and the Restaurants and Catering Department was re-designated the School Meals and Catering Department, with responsibility solely for school meals and catering at staff restaurants in Council offices, etc. On 19 October 1954 the Council was informed that, as its civic restaurant service was not paying its way, the Minister of Food had decided upon its discontinuance and all such restaurants were closed by the end of February 1955.

From the end of 1959, the Department took over additionally the work and assets of the Invalid Meals for London organisation (formerly Invalid Kitchens of London), the company being finally dissolved in November 1964.

The Council inherited from the Metropolitan Board of Works the power under the Tramways Act, 1870 (which the Board had not in fact exercised) to construct tramways and lease them to operating companies and also to purchase at prescribed future dates the undertakings of the existing tramway companies (of which there were fourteen in 1889). Until the passing of the London County Tramways Act, 1896, the Council's powers did not extend to operating a tramway undertaking itself. The London Street Tramways Company's undertaking was the first to be purchased and released on a short-term basis in 1892 and the arbitration proceedings which ensued set the pattern for subsequent purchases.

When the undertaking of another of the companies, the London Tramways Company, which operated wholly South of the Thames, was purchased with effect from 1 January 1899, the Council decided to operate the system itself, appointing a General Manager of Tramways as the head of a new Department for this purpose and the direct management of other systems followed, as they were purchased or leases expired. Electrification powers were conferred by the London County Tramways (Electrical Power) Act 1900 and the first section of electrified line (running between Westminster Bridge and Tooting) was opened by the Prince of Wales of 15 May 1903. Electrification was completed by 1912, the large generating station at Greenwich being opened in two stages in 1906 and 1910.

The attempt of the Council to continue to operate the horse omnibus service between the south side of Westminster Bridge and Charing Cross which had been maintained by the London Tramways Company was frustrated by litigation and it was not until 1906 after much controversy that Parliament sanctioned the carrying of tramways over Westminster and other Thames bridges and along the Victoria Embankment. The Kingsway subway, designed to link the northern and southern systems was opened between Holborn and Aldwych in 1906 and extended to the Victoria Embankment in 1908.

The question of the financing of the undertaking and the form of accounts was the subject of considerable controversy at the 1907 L.C.C. elections which resulted in a change of party in the majority in the Council Chamber.

Under the London Passenger Transport Act 1933, the Council's tramway undertaking, the undertakings of the omnibus companies and the underground railways were transferred to the newly-created London Passenger Transport Board with effect from 1 July 1933.

The London County Council's housing work was administered by the Housing and Public Health Committee. The Valuer, with the Valuation Department, was responsible for the acquisition of property and maintenance and management of the Council's dwellings.

The London County Council's housing work was administered by the Housing and Public Health Committee. The Valuer, with the Valuation Department, was responsible for the acquisition of property and maintenance and management of the Council's dwellings.

Charles Goad began his career in 1869 by working as a surveyor for Canadian Railway Companies. He saw the potential of drawing up plans of towns and villages that showed the construction of buildings in order to assist fire insurance companies. On returning to England he began publishing a similar series and also began similar series for parts of Europe, South Africa, the Middle East and the West Indies. His first London plan seems to have been published in 1885 and the last revisions were made in 1970 when the company ceased to produce fire insurance plans.

The London County Council's housing work was administered by the Housing and Public Health Committee. The Valuer, with the Valuation Department, was responsible for the acquisition of property and maintenance and management of the Council's dwellings.

The principles underlying the rating and valuation system of London were the same as those for the rest of England and Wales, but minor differences did exist. A notable feature of rating and valuation leglislation had been the attempt to secure greater uniformity between the capital and the rest of the country. Thus the system of quinquennial valuation lists, which operated in London under the Valuation (Metropolis) Act 1869, was applied to the rest of England and Wales by the Rating and Valuation Act of 1925.

Since 1870 valuation lists were compiled every five years. The first step in their formation was for the rating authority - after 1899 the rating authorities within the London County Council area comprised the 28 metropolitan boroughs, the City of London and the Inner and Middle Temples, 31 in all - to obtain a return from occupiers of the particulars of hereditaments they occupied. The gross and rateable values of these properties were then forwarded to the local assessment committees who heard objections to the valuations and revised the lists as they saw fit. Appeals against the findings of the committees were heard at quarter sessions and special assessment sessions. A strict procedural timetable was laid down by the Valuation (Metropolis) Act, 1869, as the valuation list came into force on the 6 April of the following year.

Alterations in the value of hereditaments during the quinquennial period were entered into one of two other lists:-

(1) A supplemental list compiled annually by each rating authority, containing all changes during the preceeding twelve months.

(2) A provisional list made at any time the value of hereditaments increased or decreased.

The Local Government Act, 1948, transferred the task of preparing the valuation lists to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue.

In 1948 the poor law, after an existence of almost 350 years, was abolished. Those among the poor whose financial needs were not met by national insurance were given material help by the National Assistance Board. Local authorities were delegated some responsibilities by the Board, for example the provision of reception centres for the temporary accommodation of vagrants and persons without a settled way of life. In addition the National Assistance Act, 1948, required local authorities to make residential provision for the blind, disabled, elderly and infirm. However, under the Act these services were not to be provided free as a kind of official charity. Persons receiving help were to pay according to their means, even if their means were no more than a retirement pension. The Council's responsibilities in all this related therefore to the provision of establishments of various kinds. At the end of the Second World War there were public assistance institutions (formerly the old workhouses), casual wards (where tramps were put up for the night), three lodging houses, and, left over from wartime activities, the rest centres and rest homes. The Welfare Department was responsible for the organisation and management of the various residential homes, temporary homes and institutions for the assistance of the poor.

In 1948 the poor law, after an existence of almost 350 years, was abolished. Those among the poor whose financial needs were not met by national insurance were given material help by the National Assistance Board. Local authorities were delegated some responsibilities by the Board, for example the provision of reception centres for the temporary accommodation of vagrants and persons without a settled way of life. In addition the National Assistance Act, 1948, required local authorities to make residential provision for the blind, disabled, elderly and infirm. However, under the Act these services were not to be provided free as a kind of official charity. Persons receiving help were to pay according to their means, even if their means were no more than a retirement pension. The Council's responsibilities in all this related therefore to the provision of establishments of various kinds. At the end of the Second World War there were public assistance institutions (formerly the old workhouses), casual wards (where tramps were put up for the night), three lodging houses, and, left over from wartime activities, the rest centres and rest homes. The Welfare Department was responsible for the organisation and management of the various residential homes, temporary homes and institutions for the assistance of the poor.

The Council's welfare service for the blind included the keeping of a register of all blind persons, home-visiting, social and handicraft clubs, the teaching of handicrafts and the sale of the finished products. In 1942 a placement service was introduced finding employment for blind persons. In 1950 a non-residential rehabilitation course for the newly blind was started to help them to re-establish themselves and overcome their disability. This proved so successful that in 1959 it was extended into a full-time three month course.

In 1948 the poor law, after an existence of almost 350 years, was abolished. Those among the poor whose financial needs were not met by national insurance were given material help by the National Assistance Board. Local authorities were delegated some responsibilities by the Board, for example the provision of reception centres for the temporary accommodation of vagrants and persons without a settled way of life. In addition the National Assistance Act, 1948, required local authorities to make residential provision for the blind, disabled, elderly and infirm. However, under the Act these services were not to be provided free as a kind of official charity. Persons receiving help were to pay according to their means, even if their means were no more than a retirement pension. The Council's responsibilities in all this related therefore to the provision of establishments of various kinds. At the end of the Second World War there were public assistance institutions (formerly the old workhouses), three lodging houses, and, left over from wartime activities, the rest centres and rest homes. The Welfare Department was responsible for the organisation and management of the various residential homes, temporary homes and institutions for the assistance of the poor.

Casual wards provided temporary board and lodging for vagrants. After the war they were replaced by reception centres.

During the First World War the wives of serving personnel received a financial allowance from public or army funds in their husbands' absence.

The London Building Act of 1894 was introduced to regulate various aspects of construction within the metropolis, including the making of new streets; the widening of streets; building frontage; the naming and numbering of streets; the height of buildings; space around buildings; the construction of buildings including the thickness of walls, use of timbers, party walls, roofs, chimneys and flues, ovens, staircases and projections; the rights of building owners; dangerous structures; noxious businesses and sky signs. The London County Council was given power to appoint a "superintending architect of metropolitan buildings" to oversee the enforcement of regulations outlined in the Act. Actual enforcement would be done by the District Surveyors, who had to make a monthly return to the Council reporting on any new buildings and any infringement of the Act. The LCC were also given the power to make bye-laws relating to buildings.

The Act was followed by various others which added to the powers of the LCC relating to the regulation of construction, including the London Building Act 1894 (Amendment) Act, 1898; the London County Council (General Powers) Acts, 1908 and 1909; several Housing and Planning Acts and LCC bye-laws.

The Chief Engineer was responsible for overseeing construction and maintenance of LCC buildings, bridges, roads and tunnels. He was also responsible for flood prevention measures, drainage and sewerage and other matters of public health.

The London County Council Chief Engineer and County Surveyors:

1889: J Gordon and C Dunscombe

1890 Sir Alexander Binnie

1901 Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice

1913 Sir George Humphreys

1930 Sir Peirson Frank

1946 Sir Joseph Rawlinson

1962 FM Fuller

The London County Council delegated administrative matters to its committees, both standing committees and a number of special committees appointed for specific purposes. The committees met frequently, either weekly or fortnightly, while the Council met weekly. Committee reports requiring decision by the Council were dealt with weekly, and each committee reported to the Council every 6 months. In addition the Council also had representatives on many bodies such as industrial councils, school governing bodies and charitable foundations. For the purpose of carrying out the services of the Council, the staff is organised into departments, each of which is under the responsibility of a chief officer.

The Clerk of the Council was the chief administrative officer of the Council, acting as the clerk of the Council itself as well as the various committees. Additional important duties of the Clerk's Department included the maintenance of the library for members of the Council at City Hall, the preparation of general publications and the responsibility for general work including records.

The London County Council delegated administrative matters to its committees, both standing committees and a number of special committees appointed for specific purposes. The committees met frequently, either weekly or fortnightly, while the Council met weekly. Committee reports requiring decision by the Council were dealt with weekly, and each committee reported to the Council every 6 months. In addition the Council also had representatives on many bodies such as industrial councils, school governing bodies and charitable foundations. For the purpose of carrying out the services of the Council, the staff is organised into departments, each of which is under the responsibility of a chief officer.

The Clerk of the Council was the chief administrative officer of the Council, acting as the clerk of the Council itself as well as the various committees. Additional important duties of the Clerk's Department included the maintenance of the library for members of the Council at City Hall, the preparation of general publications and the responsibility for general work including records.

The General Strike of 1926 was the largest industrial dispute in Britain's history. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) called the strike to prevent wage reduction and worsening conditions for coal miners. It took place over nine days, from 4 May to 12 May 1926.

The London County Council delegated administrative matters to its committees, both standing committees and a number of special committees appointed for specific purposes. The committees met frequently, either weekly or fortnightly, while the Council met weekly. Committee reports requiring decision by the Council were dealt with weekly, and each committee reported to the Council every 6 months. In addition the Council also had representatives on many bodies such as industrial councils, school governing bodies and charitable foundations. For the purpose of carrying out the services of the Council, the staff is organised into departments, each of which is under the responsibility of a chief officer.

The Clerk of the Council was the chief administrative officer of the Council, acting as the clerk of the Council itself as well as the various committees. Additional important duties of the Clerk's Department included the maintenance of the library for members of the Council at City Hall, the preparation of general publications and the responsibility for general work including records.

The London County Council committees relating to highways were:

Highways Committee - 1889-1939

Highways and Main Drainage Committee - 1939-1940

Town Planning Committee - 1940-1950

Roads Committee - 1950-1965

In addition to its functions in relation to highways, to the tramways, to bridges and tunnels (after the disbandment of the Bridges Committee) and the passenger steamboat service (1905-07), the Highways Committee was also responsible for the Councils activities in regard to the electricity undertakings. These included the early attempts to secure municipalisation and later the statutory provisions for regulation of the industry.

The London County Council delegated administrative matters to its committees, both standing committees and a number of special committees appointed for specific purposes. The committees met frequently, either weekly or fortnightly, while the Council met weekly. Committee reports requiring decision by the Council were dealt with weekly, and each committee reported to the Council every 6 months. In addition the Council also had representatives on many bodies such as industrial councils, school governing bodies and charitable foundations. For the purpose of carrying out the services of the Council, the staff is organised into departments, each of which is under the responsibility of a chief officer.

The Clerk of the Council was the chief administrative officer of the Council, acting as the clerk of the Council itself as well as the various committees. Additional important duties of the Clerk's Department included the maintenance of the library for members of the Council at City Hall, the preparation of general publications and the responsibility for general work including records.

Committees concerned with housing were:

Housing of the Working Classes Committee (1889-1891)

Public Health and Housing Committee (1891-1896)

Housing of the Working Classes Committee (1896-1920)

Housing Committee (1920-1934)

Housing and Public Health Committee (1934-1947)

Housing Committee (1947-1965).

The County of London Plan, published in 1943, designated various sites were as 'areas of comprehensive redevelopment', such as Poplar, Stepney, Bermondsey, Elephant and Castle and Knightsbridge Green. In these areas the Council wanted to achieve better living conditions by regrouping commerce and industry close to railways, canals and docks and providing schools, local shopping, entertainment, open spaces and other social services while maintaining a traditional sense of community. In other areas traffic problems would be addressed with new roads.

The London County Council delegated administrative matters to its committees, both standing committees and a number of special committees appointed for specific purposes. The committees met frequently, either weekly or fortnightly, while the Council met weekly. Committee reports requiring decision by the Council were dealt with weekly, and each committee reported to the Council every 6 months. In addition the Council also had representatives on many bodies such as industrial councils, school governing bodies and charitable foundations. For the purpose of carrying out the services of the Council, the staff is organised into departments, each of which is under the responsibility of a chief officer.

The Clerk of the Council was the chief administrative officer of the Council, acting as the clerk of the Council itself as well as the various committees. Additional important duties of the Clerk's Department included the maintenance of the library for members of the Council at City Hall, the preparation of general publications and the responsibility for general work including records.

Committees concerned with Main Drainage, Rivers and Flood Prevention were:

Main Drainage Committee, 1889-1934

Rivers Committee, 1894-1909

Fire Brigade and Main Drainage Committee, 1934-1942

Housing and Public Health Committee, 1942-1947

Housing Committee, 1947-1950

Rivers and Drainage Committee, 1950-1965

The London County Council delegated administrative matters to its committees, both standing committees and a number of special committees appointed for specific purposes. The committees met frequently, either weekly or fortnightly, while the Council met weekly. Committee reports requiring decision by the Council were dealt with weekly, and each committee reported to the Council every 6 months. In addition the Council also had representatives on many bodies such as industrial councils, school governing bodies and charitable foundations. For the purpose of carrying out the services of the Council, the staff is organised into departments, each of which is under the responsibility of a chief officer.

The Clerk of the Council was the chief administrative officer of the Council, acting as the clerk of the Council itself as well as the various committees. Additional important duties of the Clerk's Department included the maintenance of the library for members of the Council at City Hall, the preparation of general publications and the responsibility for general work including records.

Mrs Basil Holmes, apparently inspired by Rocque's plan of London (1742-1745), noticed how many burial grounds and churchyards were marked upon it which no longer seemed to exist. Her early investigations were printed in 1884 in the First Annual Report of the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. In 1894 the LCC instructed its Parks Committee to make a return of all the burial grounds existing in the County of London, with their size, ownership and condition. Mrs Holmes offered to undertake the work and began in February 1895. By June she had submitted a report accompanied by 60 sheets of 25": 1 mile Ordnance Survey plans, however only 56 of these have survived. She found 362 burial grounds in all, 41 of which were in her day still in use and 90 had become public gardens and playgrounds.

The Comptroller of the London County Council was responsible for the finances and accounts of the Council, and offered financial advice to the Committees.

The Comptrollers were:

1889: A Gunn (transferred from the Metropolitan Board of Works)

1893: Sir Harry Haward

1920: HW Stovold

1933: FG Bowers

1937: AR Wood

1949: G Miles

1956: F Holland

1964: WL Abernethy