The National Bank of Malawi was formed in 1971 when in July of that year the Standard Bank of Malawi and the Barclays Bank of Malawi merged. The two banks holding a 51 per cent share of the new company. Gradually both the Standard Bank and Barclays Bank reduced their holdings until neither had any interest remaining.
Formed in 1937 by Edward de Stein, chairman of the Mercantile Credit Company, whilst not being a subsidary of that company the Mercantile shareholders were given preference for shares. On the 15 July 1937 the prospectus for the company was published in 'The Times' stating the purpose was to finance all classes of hire purchase contracts in the Union of South Africa and adjoining territories as the usual period of credit given by a manufacturer is not sufficent for the requirements of hire-purchase selling. The company gave funds to its clients for a defined period under plans specially constructed for each individual trader. The company was based in Johannesburg and established a wholly owned subsidary in Rhodesia.
In 1952 the Mercantile Credit Company proposed to make an offer to acquire the whole of the ordinary capital of the National Industrial Credit Corporation (NICC) and this became a wholly owned subsidary and in turn gave the Mercantile Credit Company an interest in the Rhodesian subsidary company - this latter being taken over completely in 1954 when it was reabsorbed into the main NICC.
In January 1959 The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited bought a 40% share, at a cost of £500,000 of the NICC. Also in 1959 the Standard Bank and the Mercantile Credit Company created a new company, the National Industrial Credit Corporation (East Africa) with Standard holding 40% shares and the Mercantile the remaining 60%. The National Industrial Credit Corporation (East Africa) remained in joint ownership; in the 1980s Standard's share was acquired by Barclays Bank of Kenya who already held a 51% share due to their acquisition of the Mercantile Credit Corporation in the 1970s.
In August 1968 the Standard Bank purchased the whole of the share capital of the National Industrial Credit Corporation, based in Johannesburg and incorporating the Rhodesia business for £1,856,000.
Registered Offices
1937-1940 820 Maritime House, Loveday Street, Johannesburg
1940-1952 Union Castle Building, Loveday Street, Johannesburg
1952-1965 34 Eloff Street
From 1965 National Industrial Credit House, 12 New Street South, Johannesburg
In 1896 the Bank of British West Africa (later the Bank of West Africa) opened in Ghana. In 1966 the Standard Bank merged with the Bank of West Africa and in September 1970 the Standard Bank Ghana Limited was incorporated, by virtue of government decree, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Standard Bank. In 1969, the Standard Bank merged with Chartered Bank to become Standard Chartered Banking Group Limited, from 1985 the Standard Chartered Bank PLC which (as at 2013) owns 80% of the Standard Bank Ghana Limited with the remaining 20% being stock trading on the Ghana Stock Exchange.
FOUNDATION AND NAME CHANGES
On 3 June 1857 a prospectus committee met in Port Elizabeth, led by John Paterson, to draft a prospectus for a new bank in the region. This early prospectus was reviewed over the next two years to create a vision of a bank which would be established in Port Elizabeth and which would grow through the acquisition of as many of the existing unitary banks in the region with a head office in London. In 1859 Paterson travelled to London to promote interest in the venture. On 15 October 1862 'The Standard Bank of British South Africa Limited' was incorporated and the first formal meeting of the inaugural board of directors was held on the 18 October 1862. The bank commenced buiness on 20 February 1863 in premises in Port Elizabeth - formerly offices of the Commercial Bank of Port Elizabeth with which the Standard had merged, the branch under the management of James Tudhope, also formerly of the Commercial Bank. In reflection of the growth of the network of branches and a change in the articles of association to allow the bank to operate outside of British controlled areas in 1881 the name of the bank was changed to 'The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited'. In 1962 the name was changed to 'The Standard Bank Limited' for operations outside South Africa with 'The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited' continuing to run as a wholly owned subsidary in South Africa.
BRANCH EXPANSION
The bank expanded its network with branches across South, East and Central Africa responding to the economic development and growth of the regions. From the first branch in Port Elizabeth the bank expanded quickly across Cape Province and by 4 January 1864 the first branch at Cape Town had opened. Outside of Cape Province the bank expanded into Natal [South Africa] opening the first branch in the region at Durban on 22 June 1863 (Manager James Alexander). The first branch in the Orange Free State opened at Bloemfontein in October 1863 (closed March 1865, reopened 26 March 1900). The Standard Bank was the first to open on the Diamond Fields in Griqua Land West [South Africa] with a branch at Klipdrift [Barkley West] opening on 12 November 1870 and the first on the Gold Fields in Transvaal with a branches at Potchefstroom and Pretoria opening in May 1877 (Manager Hugh Crawford); On 16 January 1890 the bank opened in Bechuanaland [Botswana] with a branch at Mafeking. In Rhodesia the first branch at Salisbury opened on 29 July 1892 (Manager John Boyne) and a branch opening on 4 May 1894 at Bulawayo was the first in the Matebeleland district (Manager Alexander Thain). A branch was opened in Portuguese East Africa [Mozambique] on 20 August 1894 at Delagoa Bay, Lourenco Marques. The first branch in Basutoland [Kingdom of Lesotho] opened in 1901. On 29 April 1901 the bank opened in Nyasaland [Malawi] with a branch at Blantyre (Manager H T Lewis); In Northern Rhodesia [Zambia] the bank opened at Kalomo in March 1906. In January 1911 the first branches in British East Africa [Kenya] were opened at Nairobi and Mombassa by J. J. Toogood, closely followed by further East African expansion with a branch opening on 20 August 1912 by J J Swanson in Uganda at Kampala. In August 1915 the bank opened branches in the former German territories in South West Africa [Namibia] at Luderitzbutch, Swakopmund and Windhoek and the former German East Africa [Tanzania] opening in 1916 at Dar-es -Salaam. Outside Africa agencies were opened at Hamburg in Germany (15 November 1904) and in New York (1 February 1905); a branch in the City of London was opened at London Wall and on 2 December 1918 a further branch was opened in the London West End at Northumberland Avenue.
PREMISES
In the City of London the bank first had premises in Moorgate Street and then at 101 Cannon Street before acquiring permanent premises in 1867 at 10 Clement's Lane.
In Africa the offices and operations were established at Port Elizabeth [South Africa] in 1863; In 1883 on the appointment of Joint General Managers a second administrative head office was opened at Cape Town. On 31 December 1885 the Port Elizabeth headquarters were closed and all administration transferred to Cape Town. In 1952 headquarters moved to Pretoria and in 1959 moved again to Johannesburg.
In Africa daily operations were managed from the administrative head quarters. Robert Stewart (General Manager 1864 - 1875) increased headquarter control over the early network of branches and erradicated the initial system of local boards of directors and local autonomy instead making himself the conduit implementing all executive orders issued from London and ensuing all regions were answerable to the South African General Manager. Decentralisation of Cape authority began in 1926 when the East African Superintendent began reporting direct to London rather than via the Cape and continued in the 1950s when, in 1953 a number of local boards were established. In 1956 the local board for Rhodesia and Nyasaland began to report direct to London. In 1962 the banks operations in South Africa were transferred to a subsidiary Company retaining the name, 'Standard Bank of South Africa Limited' whilst across the rest of Africa the name was changed simply to 'Standard Bank Limited'
ACQUISITIONS
The progressive expansion of the bank had been aided by its acquisitions of a number of local banks. In 1863 the Standard acquired the Commercial Bank of Port Elizabeth, Colesberg Bank, British Kaffrarian Bank and the Beaufort West Bank. In 1864 the Fort Beaufort and Victoria Bank was acquired. The 1870s saw the acquisition of the Albert Bank (1874), the Swellendam Bank (1877), The London and South Africa Bank (1877), the Caledon Agricultural Bank (1878) and the Malmesbury Agricultural and Commerical Bank (1878). In 1890 the Wellington Bank was acquired, in 1920 the African Banking Corporation was acquired and in 1966 the bank merged with the Bank of West Africa. In 1969 the Standard Bank merged with the Chartered Bank to create the Standard Chartered Banking Group Limited.
BRANCHES AND AGENCIES
The bank's early policy on geographical expansion closely followed the Scottish system favoured by Robert Stewart of opening a branch in every town of any importance, even if the initial results were likely to be negligible. It was thought that a far-flung branch system with wide meshes would spread the risks evenly over the whole country. As the bank acquired many of its local rivals and spread quickly across South Africa, by 1864 it had 15 branches open in the area.
The business was incorporated on 20 March 1947 with an objective to assist and participate in schemes for the development of natural resources, business, industry, trade and commerce. The initial share capital was £500,000 divided into 100,000 shares of £5 which were wholly owned by the Standard Bank of South Africa Limited. In 1962 when the parent bank hived off the South African operations the Finance and Development Corporation remained in the ownership of the parent body, known as The Standard Bank, which in turn in 1969 merged with Chartered Bank to create the Standard Chartered Banking Group (later Standard Chartered Bank). In 1973 Standard Chartered with Tozer Kemsley and Millboom (holdings) limited jointly created a new merchant Bank styled Tozer Standard and Chartered Limited with a share capital of £3 million 49% of which was held by Standard Chartered and 51% was held by Tozer, Kemsley and Millboom. This new company absorbed the Standard Bank Finance and Development Corporation.
In 1965 the Standard Bank merged with the Bank of West Africa (formally the Bank of British West Africa). The merged bank was renamed the Standard Bank of West Africa Limited. The Standard Bank expanded operations into Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone and in most of those regions hived off the business into independant Standard Banks. By 1974 the Standard bank of West Africa had only two branches which were situated in Gambia. In 1973 these baranches were transferred to the Standard Bank Gambia Limited.
Thomas Tayler Curwen (1820-1879) went into business as a stock and share broker in around 1849. In 1878 he took his sons, Edward Spedding Curwen (b. 1852) and Thomas Cecil Curwen (b 1854) into partnership with him, and the name of the firm was changed to T T Curwen and Sons. In 1974 the firm was incorporated into William Morris and Company.
The firm was based at 3 Bartholomew Lane (1849-67), 19 Change Alley (1868-1905), 1 Cornhill (1905-33), 80 Cornhill (1933-53), Westminster House, Old Broad Street (1954-64), and 39/41 New Broad Street (1965-74).
On 3 March 1857, notice was given in the London Gazette of the dissolved partnership of Augustus Thorne and George Watson Coutts, who traded as Watson and Company, general merchants of Shanghai.
From 1865 to 1935 Thorne and Company, merchants, is listed in the London trade directories. This company, run by Augustus Thorne, conducted an export business from London to China and Hong Kong in cotton thread, and goods made from cotton, linen, hemp and wool worsted. It became a limited company in around 1892. During the 1870s, Augustus's brother, Joseph, was in partnership with John Andrew Maitland as Thorne Brothers and Company, commission agents and general merchants of Shanghai. A considerable part of the business of Thorne Brothers and Company was as an agency for Thorne and Company.
In 1876 the name of Thorne Brothers and Company was changed to Maitland and Company, and in 1890 the business was transferred to Thorne and Company, which became Thorne and Company Limited. In 1904 Thorne and Company was wound up voluntarily for the purpose of reconstruction and was reincorporated as a private company. In 1923 it became a public company. It was acquired by Haighton Dewhurst Ltd in 1959.
Thorne and Company was based at 4 Cullum Street (1865-7), 16 Mark Lane (1868-[1880]), Dunster House, Mincing Lane ([1880]-1889), 66 Old Broad Street (1890-1919), 62 London Wall (1920-6), Royal London House, Finsbury Square (1927-35). The company then moved to Manchester, and was based in Solway House, Aytoun Street until ca. 1963.
Tribble, Pearson and Company, East India and general merchants, was formed in 1914 on the dissolution of the partnership of Daponte, Tribble and Pearson, formed in 1908 by Christophe Daponte, Herbert Sidney Tribble and Thomas Edward Pearson.
Daponte had started trading as an East India and general merchant at 86 Leadenhall Street in 1897. With the exception of four notifications of trademark registration (in Ms 18225) and a telegraphic code book (Ms 18234) no records for the period before 1914 are known to have survived.
The sequence of partnerships in the company from 1914 to 1929 can be traced in the partnership agreements (in Ms 18214). In 1934 the company was bequeathed to George William Church who carried on the business until his death in 1975, and all the surviving records of the company were deposited by his widow in 1977. Few records created before 29 December 1940 survive as on that date the company's office at 88 Fenchurch Street and most of its contents were destroyed by enemy action (see Ms 18237).
The company specialised in metal goods, chemicals, paints and building materials and traded from the following addresses: 86 Leadenhall Street, 1914-29; 88 Fenchurch Street, 1929-40; 107 Leadenhall Street, 1941-44; 101 Leadenhall Street, 1944-59; 114 Creighton Avenue, N.2., 1959-75.
The origins of Turquand Youngs and Company of 41 Coleman Street, accountants, go back to c 1840. In 1857 three London firms of accountants, namely J E Coleman and Company (established c 1840), Turquand and Edwards (established c 1850) and Youngs and Company (established c 1840), combined to form Coleman, Turquand, Youngs and Company. On the death of J E Coleman in 1869, the firm became known as Turquand Youngs and Company and remained so until the mid-20th century. The firm was a predecessor of Ernst and Young.
John Barnsdale (1800-65) was born into a family of clockmakers from Bale, Norfolk. In 1825 he married Sarah Elizabeth Barnsdale in Shoreditch. In 1862 he moved his clockmaking business to 11 Brunswick Place. On his death in 1865, the business was taken over by his third son, William Barnsdale (1834-1921), who moved it to 16 Brunswick Place in 1868 and then to 18 Brunswick Place in 1871. William Barnsdale was Master of the Clockmakers' Company in 1906. He married Sarah Augusta Clinch (1832-99) in 1859. From 1902-22 the firm is listed at J Barnsdale and Son. From 1923, after his father's death, William James Barnsdale (1860-1935) took on the business, moving it to 3 Newman's Court, where it was known as William James Barnsdale and Son. He married Amelia Ricards in 1891 and the family lived in Stamford Hill. William James Barnsdale was Master of the Clockmakers' Company in 1919 and 1930. On his death, his son Stanley Barnsdale (1894-1973) took over the business, moving premises to 10 Queen Street from 1953-60.
A. Hunt and Company were office fitters and furnishers of 11 Bell Yard, Gracechurch Street.
The Government Commodities Fire Insurance Scheme was set up in May 1940 to protect valuable raw commodities during the Second World War. The Associated Fire Insurers (Government Commodities) Management Committee (based at 66 Cheapside) advised the Government, through the Ministry of Supply, Board of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, UK Dominion Wool Disposals Limited and the Raw Cotton Commission, on the insuring of raw commodities such as wool, cotton, pit wood and molasses, stored in the United Kingdom and abroad.
The scheme ended on 31 March 1957. The committee was wound up by the Joint Secretariat of the Associated Insurers (British Electricity) Management Committee (set up 1949) and the British Insurance (Atomic Energy) Committee (set up 1956) which comprised two members of its staff (the committee had agreed to make its organisation available to these bodies on their establishment). The records were passed to the Fire Offices' Committee.
Founded in 1939, the Association was based first at 84 Leadenhall Street. It moved to 5-7 Houndsditch in 1959, then to 24 St Mary Axe in 1968. After circa 1965 it was known as the Association of Organic and Compound Fertilisers Limited. It does not appear in the ratebooks after 1972.
Henry Ballow was born in 1643, the son of Henry Ballow of St Helen Bishopsgate. He gained his freedom of the Dyers' Company on 3 November 1676. He died in 1715, when he was described as gent of St Margaret Westminster.
Eliazer (or Eleazer) Hasell (1656-1731), the son of James Hasell a saymaker of Sudbury, Suffolk, was apprenticed to Samuel Totton, mercer, on 22 Sept 1671 and gained his freedom of the Mercers' Company on 10 November 1682.
The Batavia Sea and Fire Insurance Company was based on Birchin Lane. It was one of the Java Companies, a group of insurers trading in Indonesia. The other companies were Veritas Insurance Company, Ardjoeno Insurance Company and Java Sea and Fire Insurance Company.
The plantations were acquired in 1837 by Boddington and Company (Samuel and Thomas Boddington and Richard Davis), West India merchants, of 9 St Helen's Place, Bishopsgate.
John Bonus (c 1720-84) was the son of John Bonus of St John Wapping, a waterman and later a slopseller. In 1736 he was apprenticed to William Jesser, slopseller of Billingsgate and freeman of the Merchant Taylors' Company. John Bonus gained his freedom of the Merchant Taylors' Company on 2 August 1749. He married Ann Child on 30 August 1752 in St Dunstan in the East and had one son, John. His business operated from Thames Street, possibly in conjunction with William Jesser and his son, William. He took on as apprentices his niece Elizabeth in 1749, nephew James in 1753 and his son, all of them subsequently becoming free of the Merchant Taylors' Company. James Bonus set up as a slopseller in Tower Hill, but went bankrupt in 1765. He died in 1804. Elizabeth Bonus married Stephen Child (presumably a relative) in 1758 in St Botolph Aldersgate. John Bonus joined the Court of Assistants on the Merchant Taylors' Company on 19 July 1780. He died in 1784, his will being proved on 29 April.
NB-a slopseller produced and sold cheap, ready-made clothing.
Liverpool Street Station was constructed in 1874. In the 1970s British Rail suggested a number of redevelopment schemes to renovate and update the station. After a public enquiry, redevelopment work began in 1986.
Broad Street Station was built in 1865 as the terminus of the North London Railway. It was closed in 1984 and the Broadgate office development, which covers platforms 11-18 of Liverpool Street Station, was constructed in its place.
Blackfriars Station was opened as St Paul's Station in 1886 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway; the name was changed in 1937. The District line station of the same name was opened across the road in 1870. The station was rebuilt in 1977.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
At the front of the volume are brief notes on the history of the company, compiled in 1929. The notes suggest that the firm was established in 1765, but the firm is first listed in the London trade directories at 31 Cateaton Street (later Gresham Street) from 1781-1825 under the styles John Cowley; Cowley, Son and Sancton; and Cowley and Sancton. The firm is described by various trades, including merchants, linen factors and scotch factors. From 1826-40 the firm is recorded, at the same address, as Cowley and Hewetson.
From internal evidence in the volume the firm had a warehouse in Blackwell Hall Court in the 1820s and the partners for the period 1825-34 appear to be Samuel Norman Cowley and Henry Hewetson. From 1841 the firm is styled in the London trade directories as Henry Hewetson and Co at various addresses including 55 Wood Street. The last mention of the firm in the directories is in 1976, when it was sited in Stoke Newington.
Thomas D'Aeth senior (d 1708) and Thomas D'Aeth junior (d 1744), were Italian merchants, of the parish of St Dionis Backchurch.
The name of Peter Dobree is found in a number of places in these ledgers, perhaps as a partner in the business, but the bank cannot be identified from London directories. Samuel Dobree and Sons (later of 6 Tokenhouse Yard) can be found in directories at 65 Old Broad Street from 1800; Dobree and Aubin, merchants, are found at this address 1798-99.
Felix Calvert (1735-1802) was the fourth son of Felix Calvert (1693-1755) of Furneux Pelham by his wife Christian, nee Nicolson (d 1759). His uncle, Sir William Calvert (d 1761) was Lord Mayor in 1749 and established a successful brewery business in Campion Lane, Thames Street.
On his death in 1761, Felix took over the business. By 1773 it had become known as Felix Calvert and Company. He married Elizabeth Ladbroke, daughter of Sir Robert Ladbroke, in 1763. His elder brother Nicolson (1724-93) inherited the family property at Hunsdon House, but died childless. Felix lived at Portland Place. He shot himself in Don Saltero's coffee house in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea on the evening of 23 March 1802. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Nicolson Calvert (1764-1841).
The City of London Brewery traded as Felix Calvert and Company at Campion Lane until 1860.
Nicolas Geffe owned Barking Abbey and certain lands in Essex from 1586. The book appears to have been compiled prior to 1593, probably for legal or business purposes.
Grant, Chambers and Company were tobacco brokers of 37 Fenchurch Street.
Hart, Hart and Company were wine and spirit merchants, successively of 59 Fenchurch Street, Lower Thames Street, and Water Lane, Tower Street.
Thomas Holmes and John Pyke were both liverymen of the Coachmakers' Company. They had premises at 109 Long Acre.
Jenings, Bolton and Jenings were attorneys of 4 Elm Court, Temple. They were taken over, shortly after 1860, by Merriman, White and Company, of 3 King's Bench Walk, Temple.
C. S. Knight was an insurance broker, of 55 Great Tower Street (1899).
Lindsay, Greenfield and Masons were solicitors of 6-8 Clements Lane.
Henry Major and Robert Slade were proctors of Doctors Commons, at 20 Little Knightrider Street.
In law, a proctor represented others in a court of canon or civil law; similar to an attorney or solicitor in courts of equity and common law.
John March (fl 1768-1774) was a Turkey merchant, with premises at 60 Mark Lane. He died sometime between 2 September and 2 December 1774. After that date the firm was taken over by his nephew Thomas March.
In the London directory of 1777 the address is given as 58 Leman Street, Goodman's Fields. This is the last reference to the firm traceable in London directories.
Sir Charles Peers (1661-1737) was a Citizen and Salter, Common Councilman for Aldgate Ward 1701-8, Alderman of Tower Ward 1708-37, Sheriff 1707-8, and Lord Mayor 1715-16.
Peirce and Tait appear to have been engaged in fish dealing. They are listed in trade directories as merchants at 99 Lower Thames Street, 1769-93. The volume also mentions premises at 7 Billingsgate.
Anthony Seal (d 1757), Citizen and Glazier, of Ashentree Court, Whitefriars, was a glassmaker and the proprietor of the last of the glass houses in the City of London. Possibly born in 1720, he was apprenticed into the Glaziers' Company in 1736 and made free in 1747.
The South Sea Company was established in 1711, ostensibly to trade with Spanish South America, but, in fact, as a vehicle for managing government debt incurred during the War of the Spanish Succession. Holders of government debt were persuaded to exchange it for shares in the new Company which by 1720 had made only one, moderately successful, trading voyage and held around £20m of government debt. Company directors continued to talk up the potential of the scheme, provoking feverish speculation followed by a share price collapse in which thousands were ruined.
A Parliamentary investigation uncovered massive fraud by the directors, but the South Sea Company itself survived and continued to trade into the 1760s. It retained a role in the management of the National Debt until effectively abolished in 1854.
Paton and Charles, soap manufacturers, were based at 148 High Street, Bow Common. The company was purchased by D. and W. Gibbs, Ltd, a soap manufacturer established in 1712.
Curzon Street runs between Fitzmaurice Place and Park Lane in Mayfair. In around 1715 the land in this area was purchased by a Derbyshire baronet, Nathaniel Curzon. Building began in the 1720s although much of the north side remained open until the 19th century. It became a fashionable address, and was well known for the Mayfair Chapel where illicit marriage ceremonies were performed without banns or licence, until the 1754 Marriage Act stopped the practice.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
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.
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).
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".
A commission of bankruptcy was a commission appointing and empowering certain persons to examine the facts relative to an alleged bankruptcy, and to secure the bankrupt's lands and effects for the creditors. The bankrupt being examined in this case lived in Kingsland.
The Craven family holdings in Paddington were established by William Craven, Lord Craven (died 1697), from 1670 to 1687. His successor William, Lord Craven (died 1739) added to the holdings, purchasing houses and land from Tyburn manor. By 1795 the land was known as Craven Hill, and some development had taken place by 1811 when Robert Shirley, Earl Ferrers, was granted a lease of number 3 Craven Hill. The estate continued to develop as detached and terraced houses were constructed up to 1854.
The Lord at the time these volumes were prepared was William Christian Frederick Craven (1738-1828), the 6th Baron Craven.
From: 'Paddington: Manors and Other Estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 9: Hampstead, Paddington (1989), pp. 226-233 (available online).
These papers were collected for their general or antiquarian interest rather than having a united provenance (that is, being produced by the same institution or business).
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 marriage settlement was a legal agreement drawn up before a marriage by the two parties, setting out terms with respect to rights of property and succession.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
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.
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).
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.
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".
An article in The Times newspaper of April 13 1901 reports on a court case involving Edwin Brady. It states that he was the publican at the "Hole in the Wall" public house for 19 years and that the public house was "famous in the neighbourhood as a museum, the appellant [Brady] having a very large collection of stuffed animals, skeletons and other curiosities".
The first benefit society in England was established in 1775. Initially unrecognised by English law, benefit societies were co-operative savings clubs that facilitated their members buying houses. The Regulation of Benefit Building Societies Act was passed by Parliament in 1836, granting official recognition to these societies for the first time. By 1860 there were over 27,500 building societies around the country.
An ancient route was the lane from Battle or Bradford Bridge (King's Cross) to Highgate recorded in 1492. Caledonian Road, originally the Chalk Road but renamed after the Caledonian asylum, was built in 1826 by the Battle Bridge and Holloway Road Company, to provide a direct cut from the area west of the City to Holloway Road via Battle Bridge.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8: Islington and Stoke Newington parishes (1985), pp. 3-8.
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.
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".
Feoffment was an early form of conveyance involving a simple transfer of freehold land by deed followed by in a ceremony called livery of seisin.
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.
Probate (also called proving a will) is the process of establishing the validity of a will, which was recorded in the grant of probate.
Source: British Records Association Guidelines 3: How to interpret deeds (available online).
The London Pavilion on Piccadilly Circus was originally an annexe to the Black Horse Inn. From 1861 it was used as a music hall and museum of anatomy. The hall was rebuilt in 1885 by architects Worley and Saunders. It was managed by Edmund Villiers and was hailed as a new, improved type of music hall, known as a variety theatre and noted for its interior opulence. In 1934 the building was converted into a cinema and premiered several noted films. In 1986 the building was closed. The interior was gutted (although the facade was preserved and is still visible) and was converted into part of the Trocadero shopping centre.