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Authority record

The Hutchinson Trust (1894-1904) administered the funds bequeathed by Henry Hunt Hutchinson to advance the objectives of the Fabian Society, which were used to establish and maintain the London School of Economics.
The Constance Hutchinson Trust left money for similar purposes (1896-1922).
The Trustees of the School met during 1896 to oversee the running of the School.
The Administrative Committee was the ruling body of the School from 1896-1901. It then became the Governors (1901-present).
The Finance and General Purposes Committee (1904-1908) prepared proposals on general policy to present to the Governors. It became known as the Council of Management (1908-1921), and was replaced by the Emergency Committee (1921-1937) was largely responsible for deciding and implementing the general policy of the School. It was renamed the Standing Committee in 1937.
The Faculty of Economics of the University of London was created when the School was admitted to the University in 1901.
The Professorial Council (1903-1950) discussed matters concerning the curriculum and academic affairs. It changed its name to the Academic Board in 1950. The Office Committee (1919-1921) was set up to advise the Council on administrative matters with an academic bearing. The General Purposes Committee (founded 1928) was a sub-committee of the Council for facilitating the discussion of academic policy. The Appointments Committee (formed 1921) was a committee of the Council that advised the Director on academic appointments.
The Rockefeller Research Fund Committee (1924- [1938]) administered individual applications from staff for funds for research projects provided by the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Fund.
The Ratan Tata Benefaction Committee (1917-1922) administered funds donated by Sir Ratan Tata for a Department of Social Science at LSE.
Further details of these and other LSE committees may be found in the printed handlist for the London School of Economics and Political Science Archives.

This section comprises important documents which were not incorporated into the LSE Central Filing System, and mainly comprises minutes and papers of smaller or short-lived committees, and printed material.

The London School of Economics and Political Science was officially opened in the autumn of 1895. It owed its existence to the will of Henry Hunt Hutchinson, a provincial member of the Fabian Society, who had left a significant sum of money in trust for 'propaganda and other purposes of the said [Fabian] Society and its Socialism and towards advancing its objects in any way they [the trustees] deem advisable'. Sidney Webb, named as one of Hutchinson's trustees, believed the money should be used to encourage research and study of economics. His proposal to establish a Central School of Economic and Political Science in London was accepted by the Trustees in February 1895. The Trust was to provide the School, in its early years, with a stable source of finance, although money was also raised through private subscriptions and the London County Council. Sidney Webb was the driving and organising force in the establishment and early years of the School, acting as Chairman of the Hutchinson Trust, the School Trustees, the Administrative Committee and the Library Committee, as well as being Treasurer and Acting Librarian, and making most of the decisions concerning the choice of Director of the LSE.
The first choice of Director was W.A.S. Hewins, who was appointed in March 1895 and played a huge part in the early success of the School. He was responsible for arranging the opening, the syllabus, teaching accommodation and students for the new enterprise, a task which took him less than 6 months. The printed prospectus for the London School of Economics and Political Science offered various applied social science courses, including economics, statistics, commerce, commercial geography, history and law, banking, taxation and political science.
Hewins rented two ground floor rooms in 9 John Street, and managed to procure lecture space at the Society of Arts and the Chamber of Commerce. All lectures and most classes were held in the evening from 6-9 pm, and were open to both men and women. Fees were £3 a year, and though students were not prepared for any degree, the courses were useful for members of the civil service, as well as those employed in banking and commerce. Over the course of its first three years of existence, the School increased the number of students to over 300.
In 1896, the Trustees rented 10 Adelphi Terrace to house the growing School. The same year, a Library Appeal was launched, with donations made by the Webbs, Charlotte Payne-Townshend (later Shaw) and various of the Trustees. The British Library of Political Science (later renamed the British Library of Political and Economic Science in 1925) was opened in November 1896, with Hewins as its Director and John McKillop as Librarian (1896-1910).
Sidney Webb's position on the London County Council stood him in good stead when he managed to acquire for the ever expanding School a plot of land in Clare Market following the Kingsway redevelopment. A grant from the philanthropist John Passmore Edwards in 1899 allowed the building of Passmore Edwards Hall, which was opened in 1902. During this period the LSE became a School of the newly created teaching University of London (1900), which led to its incorporation as a limited company, and the establishment of a University Faculty of Economic and Political Science. In 1901, a BSc (Econ) and an DSc (Econ) were established, becoming the first university degrees in the country devoted to social sciences. The School was now composed of over 1,000 students, with a large proportion of women and foreign students, and the creation of a purpose built building allowed lectures to be given during the day as well.
When Hewins resigned in 1903, he was replaced by Halford Mackinder (1903-1908) and later, William Pember Reeves (1908-1919). The School experienced a steady growth in numbers during this period, and Passmore Edwards Hall was expanded to include a Refectory and Common Rooms. In 1906/7, the LSE received its first Treasury Grant, which provided its first permanent source of income since opening. Though numbers declined during World War One, the post-war expansion in commercial education (industry, marketing, finance, transport etc) was considerable.
The appointment of Sir William Beveridge in 1919 marked a period of rapid expansion in all areas of the School's activity. The Commerce Degree (BCom) was instituted, attracting both applicants and finance. The School was able to expand the Clare Market site into Houghton Street, building the 'Old Building' (1920) and the Cobden Library Wing, and expanding the Passmore Edwards Building to incorporate the Founder's Room. Beveridge also used new funding from the Cassel Fund and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Fund to make numerous academic staff full-time and permanent, and create chairs in subjects including Political Economy, Social Anthropology and Statistics. New departments were created, notably International Studies, and emphasis placed on social science research.
During World War Two, the School, presided over by Alexander Carr-Saunders (1937-1956), moved to Cambridge University, where it was housed at Peterhouse College. Though the numbers of teachers and male students declined, the LSE managed to carry on teaching the whole range of its subjects. Though Clare Market survived the Blitz unscathed, the LSE buildings were only slowly returned by the government departments which had occupied them. Despite this, the School opened again on 29th October 1945. Immediately following the war, numbers of students doubled, mainly comprised of ex-servicemen. The LSE again expanded, purchasing Endsleigh Place in Bloomsbury to act as a student hostel (later known as Passfield Hall) and as a space for social research (Skepper House). Another innovation was the setting up of the Economist's Bookshop by the School and the Economist newspaper in 1946.
Sydney Caine (Director 1956-1967) presided over the conversion of the St Clement's Building, which was opened in 1962. A block of property north of Portugal Street was also added and known as the Island Site. It was in this period that evening teaching was finally ended. The 1960's at the LSE were notable for the student unrest which erupted in 1967 and 1968, initially as a protest against the appointment of Walter Adams as the next LSE Director, and due to a desire for the students to have greater representation on the governing committees of the School. Walter Adams (1967-1973) duly took over as Director, overseeing the completion of Connaught House, the St Clement's Building extensions, the Clare Market Building and a new hall of residence in Rosebery Avenue. The Library, following the purchase of Strand House in 1973, raised the funds to convert it into the Lionel Robbins Building, and moved in 1978.
The last decades of LSE have seen enormous growth in the number of students and further expansion into the buildings surrounding Clare Market. Successive Directors (Ralph Dahrendorf 1973-1984, Indraprasand Gordhanbhai Patel 1984-1990, and Dr John Ashworth, 1990-1997 and Anthony Giddens, 1997-present), have increased the number of research units housed by the School, such as STICERD, the Business History Unit, the Development Research Group and the Financial Markets Group.

The Central Filing Registry consists of the subjects files of the central administration of the London School of Economics, and incorporates files dating back to the foundation of the School. The Registry did not have a comprehensive classification system, with sections being set up as required with brief titles and numbers allocated in numerical order. Each file has an individual identification code in the following format: section/sub-section/sub-sub-section/sub-sub-sub-section. The number of sub-sections varies according to the importance and complication of the topic and the number of files produced. The original file codes have been preserved. The Registry was reorganised in the 1960s.

Most of the oral history interviews were organised by the LSE History project for the School Centenary History, or collected by the project. The interviews conducted by Nadim Shehadi were taped in the early 1980s as part of his research on the development of Economics at LSE in the interwar period, and were transcribed by the LSE History Project in 1991.

This section was set up as a catch-all to hold small collections of papers relating to the history of the School, and were donated by former and current staff and students, as well as other connected to the LSE.

The London Salzburg Society was founded on 8 December 1931 to promote interest in Salzburg and its festival. It organised recitals and provided information on Salzburg and its musical and artistic activities. It also arranged hospitality for visitors to Salzburg. It changed its name to the London Salzburg Club in November 1935 to create a sharper distinction between itself and rival societies.

London Salvage Corps

The London Salvage Corps and the London Fire Engine Establishment were created and maintained by the principal fire insurance offices of London. The London Fire Engine Establishment had undertaken salvage work as part of its normal fire extinguishing duties. However, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act of 1865 was vague enough to enable the Metropolitan Board of Works to refuse responsibility for any salvage work without payment. The amount sought by the Metropolitan Board of Works for this service exceeded that for which an independent salvage corps could be maintained by the fire offices themselves. Therefore it was decided at a meeting of the London Fire Engine Establishment on 22 December 1865 to establish a salvage corps independent of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. The London Salvage Corps commenced operations during January 1866. The original subscribers to the London Salvage Corps were the Alliance, Atlas, Globe, Imperial, London, Protector, Royal Exchange, Sun, Union and Westminster fire offices, but membership varied subsequently.

The London Salvage Corps was based at 31 Watling Street until 1873, 63-64 Watling Street from 1874 to 1884, 64 Watling Street from 1885 until 1905, 63-66 Watling Street from 1906 until sometime after 1955. The Corps was located at 140 Aldersgate Street when it was wound up in 1984.

The Printers and Theatres Rating Committee (Southern Committee) (CLC/B/017-29) was set up under the auspices of the London Salvage Corps towards the end of the 19th century to administer a scheme for the rating of insurance premiums on theatres, music halls and printers and allied trades. The scheme was later extended to cinemas and film production studios. The Southern Rating Committee became increasingly associated with the Fire Offices' Committee rather than the London Salvage Corps until, in 1962, its administration was taken over by the Fire Offices' Committee.

London Rifle Brigade

The London Rifle Brigade was founded in 1859 and was the first City of London volunteer unit formed during that year. Its members were City clerks and City "men of good position" and the Brigade kept that social composition throughout its existence, although active service in both World Wars temporarily altered its character.

In 1908 the Brigade was converted to a Territorial unit and its original sixteen companies were whittled down to eight. From 1868 each company had been associated with one of the City's wards.

The London Rifle Brigade survived as an independent body until 1950 when the first of a series of amalgamations occurred.

London Religious Society

The Society was founded "to promote real holiness of heart and life". It usually met at St Giles Cripplegate, but does not appear to be otherwise connected with the church.

The constitution of the National Savings Committee states that its aim was to "educate the public to save for the benefit of the individual and the country". It aimed to achieve this through investments in national savings securities, the post office and trustees savings banks.

Regional savings committees were set up to further these objectives on a local basis, the boundaries of the committees being determined by the National Committee. The main function of the regional committee was to act as a link between the local savings committees in the region and the National Committee.

The London Regional Savings Committee was set up in 1916. It consisted of a chairman, who was also the region's representative on the National Committee, representatives of the local committees, who were also on the National Committee, elected members of the districts into which the region was divided, and the chairman of the regional sub-committees.

The LRSC set up a series of standing sub-committees to establish links and promote savings and investment in such areas as schools, streets and villages, trade unions, and places of employment. The committee was finally wound up in April 1978.

London Regional Passengers' Committee (LRPC), official watchdog for transport in the capital, was established by the London Regional Transport Act 1984 and derived duties in relation to national railways under the Railways Act 1993 as amended by the Transport Act 2000. Funded by central government, its role was to investigate complaints, conduct independent research and publish reports on transport issues, maintain a dialogue with transport operators and assess the impact of a proposed station or line closure.

Prior to 1984 it was known as London Transport Passengers Committee (LTPC), a body sponsored by the Greater London Council (GLC). This originated from the Transport Users Consultative Committee for London formed in circa 1950. This initial Committee formed part of a system of national and regional advisory committees set up to represent the public interest upon the creation of the British Transport Commission in 1947.

The LRPC was succeeded by the London Transport Users' Committee (LTUC) (known as London Travelwatch), in 2000 under the Greater London Authority Act 1999. It continued to have a statutory basis in previous Acts of Parliament and therefore while funded by the London Assembly remained separate from the Greater London Authority.

In 2010 the LTUC consisted of 21 members, plus a Chair appointed by the London Assembly (part of the Greater London Authority) usually for either two or four years, with around 25 part and full-time staff.

LTUC powers in representing the interests of transport users in and around London included:

  • the duty to consider matters raised with it by or on behalf of the users of transport services in its remit;

  • the right to be consulted on a wide range of issues related to transport provision in London;

  • the power to refer matters to the Strategic Rail Authority when it is not satisfied with the actions of a train operator;

  • the power to determine its own procedures.

The office of Justice of the Peace dates from the fourteenth century, when their Commission of the Peace gave them the power to enquire into "all manner of poisonings, enchantments, forestallings, disturbances and abuses", try offences in their courts of Quarter Sessions and keep the peace in their locality. During the sixteenth century the work of the Quarter Sessions and the Justices was extended to include administrative functions for the county.

The 'Delivery of the King's Gaol of Newgate holden for the County of Middlesex in Justice Hall, Old Bailey' was the senior local criminal court for Middlesex and for the City of London; for Middlesex and City it played the role that the Assizes played in the rest of the country.

From the thirteenth century onwards two commissions were given to the Justices of Assize by the crown so that on their twice yearly visits to the several counties that made up their circuits, they could try people suspected of cases normally heard before the sovereign - serious crimes or felonies. These could include piracy, murder, manslaughter, rape, larceny, robbery, burglary, arson, some forms of assault and certain acts resembling treason.

The two commissions were the Commission of Oyer and Terminer (literally 'to hear and determine' a case); and the Commission of Gaol Delivery which empowered the justices to try, and cause the sheriff (as their technical rather than actual keeper) to bring the prisoners before the court, and (if they were acquitted) to thereby deliver (empty) the county gaol of prisoners. Middlesex and London were different from other counties in that the royal courts were already present within it, so the Assize Judges' duties were given to the Justices of the Peace instead.

Furthermore, because Middlesex 'shared' its sheriff with the City of London, the more serious suspects had to be delivered for trial from 'his' care, in 'his' prison (Newgate) to 'his' adjacent sessions house - the Old Bailey. A suspected criminal from Middlesex would therefore have his case examined by a Grand Jury and the justices under the Commission of Oyer and Terminer in the Clerkenwell Sessions House.

If it was agreed that there was a case to answer, the prisoner and his indictment would then be sent for a trial either at their own Sessions of the Peace in Middlesex, or be transferred to Newgate to await a gaol delivery session. In practice there seems not to have been any uniformity of practice in deciding which cases were heard at which sessions - either justices or prisoner would decide.

A few days before the next gaol delivery session the prisoners were taken to Newgate, through Smithfield. A sessions house for the City of London was first erected in 1539 next to Newgate Gaol. Old Bailey sessions usually met eight times a year - and were held for Middlesex, Westminster and City of London prisoners as separate groups within each session. The judges of the court consisted of the Lord Mayor, one or more chief justices from the higher law courts, a Baron of the Exchequer, the City Recorder, several aldermen, and usually some senior Middlesex justices when Middlesex cases were being tried. Gaol delivery sessions ended in 1834 with the creation of the Central Criminal Court.

The office of Justice of the Peace dates from the fourteenth century, when their Commission of the Peace gave them the power to enquire into "all manner of poisonings, enchantments, forestallings, disturbances and abuses", try offences in their courts of Quarter Sessions and keep the peace in their locality. During the sixteenth century the work of the Quarter Sessions and the Justices was extended to include administrative functions for the county.

Pupil Teachers were employed by the School Board for London as a means of providing more teaching than would otherwise have been given by the small number of fully trained teachers. Pupil Teachers did receive some training.

The London Provincial Assembly was the governing synod of London's Presbyterians. The first meeting was held in May 1647. Between 1647 and 1659 meetings were held at Sion College. The last meeting was held in August 1660.

The London Provident Institution was a savings bank, of Bishopsgate Churchyard (1816-32), 1-3 Blomfield Street (1833-99) and 119 Middlesex Street, Stepney (1900-17).

The International Wool Secretariat (IWS) was founded in 1937 and promoted the use and export of Australian wool, working with textile companies, designers and retailers. The International Wool Secretariat soon began special export promotions to the USA and South Africa, and during the 1940s and 1950s offices were established in several European countries, Canada and Japan. In 1964 the International Wool Secretariat began to use their Woolmark logo and continued to expand in size and profit, branching out into new areas such as knitwear, including menswear and womenswear, and carpets. In 1994 the activities of the International Wool Secretariat were merged with those of the Australian Wool Research and Promotion Organisation (AWRAP), and operated as one organisation under the control of AWRAP. In 1997 the International Wool Secretariat became the Woolmark Company, specialising in textile innovation and technical research, and the London office was closed as Woolmark moved its operations and headquarters to Melbourne, Australia.

The London Positivist Society was established in 1867 by Richard Congreve. The Society appears to have concerned itself mainly with the application of positivism to political events. It produced pamphlets and wrote letters to the press protesting against such issues as the Irish Coercion Bill, the war in the Transvaal, the Empire in India, and religious tolerance. Its members also engaged in a series of public lectures to explain positivism to the general public, petitioned parliament, and attended conferences and meetings of positivists from around the world. The Society was renamed the English Positivist Committee in 1934.

In 1938, during the lead up to the Second World war, the Ministry of Food set up a Cereals Advisory (Defence) Committee to make arrangements for government control over the supply and distribution of cereals and cereal products. It subsequently became known as the Cereals Control Board, 1939-1940, and was subsumed into the Ministry of Food's Cereals Division from 1940. In 1939, port area grain committees were established in all major British ports under the aegis of the Cereals Control Board, the largest of which was the London Port Area Grain Committee, based at the offices of the London Corn Trade Association (CLC/B/103-08).These committees were authorised to requistion existing stocks in public stores and to make arrangements for the reception, discharge, storage and distribution of subsequent grain imports. They remained in control of imported cereals and animal feeding stuffs until 1953.

The London Poor Clergy Holiday Fund was founded in 1876 by Archbishop MacLagan when he was Vicar of Kensington, to enable the poorer clergy of the Diocese of London to have a holiday outside London. The Fund was administered by the Archdeacons of the Diocese. Each application was considered on its merits by one of the Archdeacons. Usually the grant was for a summer holiday, but occasionally could be for convalescence after illness during the winter months. Block grants were made to the Dioceses of Southwark and Chelmsford (London-over-the-Border). The Bishops of these Dioceses were responsible for the details of administration. For a short account of the work of the fund compiled c 1930, see Ms 24925.

The Association was formed in 1872 and its members met weekly in the City, most often at 8 Queen Street, Cheapside. It became the London district branch of the National Phonographic Society in 1894. In 1898 this body became the Incorporated Phonographic Society, a society still in existence.

In 1929 the London County Council tramways, the Underground railways and the London General Omnibus Company proposed to coordinate their services. It was not until 1933, however, that the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) was established by law.

During the Second World War the government assumed control of the LPTB, and remained in charge until 1947. In that year the Transport Act set up the British Transport Commission, which appointed executive bodies to deal with transport throughout the country. One of these took over the whole of road and rail transport in London, while the LPTB became the London Transport Executive in 1948.

Between 1970 and 1984 the Greater London Council (GLC) was responsible for the overall policy and finances of London Transport, while the London Tranport Executive was responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of services. On the abolition of the GLC in 1984, London Regional Transport was formed as a statutory corporation responsible to the government. It set up a number of wholly owned subsidiaries, including London Underground Limited and London Buses Limited. In 1990 London Regional Transport became known again as London Transport for all but legal purposes.

In 1929 the London County Council tramways, the Underground railways and the London General Omnibus Company proposed to coordinate their services. It was not until 1933, however, that the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) was established by law.

During the Second World War the government assumed control of the LPTB, and remained in charge until 1947. In that year the Transport Act set up the British Transport Commission, which appointed executive bodies to deal with transport throughout the country. One of these took over the whole of road and rail transport in London, while the LPTB became the London Transport Executive in 1948.

Between 1970 and 1984 the Greater London Council (GLC) was responsible for the overall policy and finances of London Transport, while the London Tranport Executive was responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of services. On the abolition of the GLC in 1984, London Regional Transport was formed as a statutory corporation responsible to the government. It set up a number of wholly owned subsidiaries, including London Underground Limited and London Buses Limited. In 1990 London Regional Transport became known again as London Transport for all but legal purposes.

In 1929 the London County Council tramways, the Underground railways and the London General Omnibus Company proposed to coordinate their services. It was not until 1933, however, that the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) was established by law.

During the Second World War the government assumed control of the LPTB, and remained in charge until 1947. In that year the Transport Act set up the British Transport Commission, which appointed executive bodies to deal with transport throughout the country. One of these took over the whole of road and rail transport in London, while the LPTB became the London Transport Executive in 1948.

The London Parents Ballot Campaign (LPBC) was set up as a sub-committee of the Parents Central Consultative Committee of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), which represented the 3,000 or so elected Parent Governors of ILEA schools. It was run by Thomas Gretton (Chair), Corinne Julius (Secretary) and Diana Simpson (Treasurer), along with scores of volunteers. The Campaign was intended to ask the opinion of parents about the transfer of responsibility for education services from the ILEA to local authorities. The abolition of the ILEA was included in the 1988 Education Reform Bill, but had not been mentioned in any of the consultation documents. The LPBC was an attempt to canvass the views of parents before the Bill passed to the House of Lords. An initial press conference announcing the campaign was held on the 8 February 1988, and the Ballot took place in the last two weeks of March. The Campaign was funded through voluntary contributions from parents, businesses, unions and London boroughs; as well as fundraising events, culminating in a gala performance at the Albery Theatre. The ballot was supervised by the Electoral Reform Society, and provided one vote for each of the 280,000 children in London schools. It closed on the 31st of March, and revealed a 55 per cent return and a 94 per cent vote against the government's ILEA abolition proposals. The ILEA was abolished in March 1990.

London Parcels Delivery Co

The company's first meeting took place in July 1837 at the premises of Leeks and Wills, solicitors of No 2 Charlotte Row, Mansion House. London trade directories show the company to have based their "central station" at No 10 Pickett Street in 1838, and from 1839-1919 at 12 Rolls Buildings, Fetter Lane. In addition the company had a number of branch offices including Fenchurch Buildings, Aldermanbury, Paddington, Deptford and Chelsea.

The company, registered with the London Stock Exchange from June 1863, was taken over in 1912 by Carter, Paterson and Company Limited (carriers and general forwarding agents of 128 Goswell Road, London). Its premises for 1919-20 are listed in the Stock Exchange Year Books as 265 High Holborn, and from 1921 until 1934 (when the company was wound up) as 128 Goswell Road.

London Orphan Asylum

The London Orphan Asylum was founded in 1813 by Congregationalist minister Andrew Reed. In 1820 land was purchased in Clapton, off Lower Clapton Road, and a purpose built orphanage erected by 1825. In 1871 the orphanage was moved to Watford.

Pinewood Sanatorium was opened in 1901 as the London Open Air Sanatorium by the National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis. It was situated in a pine forest near Wokingham in Berkshire. Pine trees were believed to be beneficial for sufferers of tuberculosis.

The Metropolitan Asylums Board were sanctioned to treat tuberculosis patients by the Public Health (Prevention and Treatment of Disease) Act, 1913 (3 and 4 Geo.V c.23). In 1919 they purchased the institution and renamed it Pinewood Sanatorium. In 1929 the London County Council took over the Metropolitan Asylums Board and the Sanatorium became a Special Hospital under their Public Health Department. It was used as a hospital for servicemen during the Second World War, although it continued to take some civilian patients.

The registers show that the last patient was discharged on 20 January 1966 and a subsequent note states "Pinewood Closed". The site was put to various uses, including filming of television shows, and is now a leisure centre run by Wokingham Without Parish Council.

The London Oil and Tallow Trades Association was formed in 1910, by members of the trade, to protect and promote their interests, for example by the imposition of uniform contracts and the settlement of disputes by arbitration. Initially based at 6 Crosby Square, it moved to 50/1 Lime Street (1921-3), 84 Leadenhall Street (1924-58), 5/7 Houndsditch (1959-67) and 24 St. Mary Axe (in 1968). From 1923, it employed the services of United Associations Ltd (CLC/B/103-12).

London Municipal Society

The London Municipal Society was founded in 1894 to promote the interests of the Conservative party in London local politics and to press for structural and financial reform of the London County Council. Closely associated with the ratepayers movement, it fought local elections before 1945 first as the Moderate and later (from 1906) as the Municipal Reform Party. It was dissolved in 1963 on the eve of the reform of London local government and the closer involvement of Conservative central office in London local politics.

The Society had offices at the following addresses, all in Westminster: 16 George Street, 1894-1902; 11 Tothill Street, 1902-11; 33 Tothill Street, 1911-13; 2 Bridge Street, 1913-17; 1 Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, 1917-21; Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, 1922-7 and 1932-63; and 25 Victoria Street, 1927-32.

For a history of the Society see Local Politics and the Rise of Party by Ken Young (Leicester University Press, 1975).

The Association was founded in 1904 on the amalgamation of the Drovers' Benevolent Institution (founded in 1844) and the London Meat Traders' Benevolent Association (founded 1902). Until 1924 aid was restricted to drovers or persons of the London meat trade who had contributed to the funds. In 1924 and 1928 the rules were changed to cover any member of the meat trade. The aim was then to assist aged, sick and poor persons who had worked in any capacity in the meat trade. Increasingly this took the form of help with the costs of nursing homes. The former Drovers' almshouses at Islington were increasingly rented out to the benefit of the Charity. In 1950 the Association invested £3000 into the new retirement home in Warham Grange, Croydon,which gave them the right to nominate four individuals for the home.

The Association used either Butchers' Hall or Clifford's Inn for its meetings. In 1986 it merged with the Butchers' Charitable Institution to form the Butchers' and Drovers' Charitable Institution.

The London Mathematical Society (LMS) was founded as the University College Mathematical Society in 1865, for the promotion and extension of mathematical knowledge. It was granted a royal charter in 1965. In spite of its name, its reach extends beyond London as a national learned society for mathematics. Members include c1,500 academic mathematicians in the UK and c1,000 members overseas. Its affairs are managed by an elected Council and Officers. It undertakes various publications, holds regular meetings, conferences and symposia, and offers financial support to various mathematical activities.

Thomas Archer Hirst: born at Heckmondwike, Yorkshire, 1830; entered the West Riding proprietary school, Wakefield, 1840; articled to a Halifax land agent and surveyor, 1846; went to Marburg to study mathematics, physics and chemistry, 1849; PhD; spent a short time at Göttingen; studied in Berlin; lecturer in mathematics and natural philosophy at Queenwood College, Hampshire, 1853-1856; lived in Paris, 1857-1858; lived in Rome, 1858-1859; appointed mathematical master at University College School, 1860; Fellow of the Royal Society, 1861; one of the founders of the LMS, 1865; a member of its Council; Professor of Physics, University College London, 1865; succeeded Augustus De Morgan as Professor of Pure Mathematics, 1866; Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1866; general secretary of the British Association, 1866-1870; resigned his chair to become assistant registrar in the University of London, 1870; President of the newly-founded Association for the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching, 1871-1878; President of the LMS, 1872-1874; director of naval studies at the newly-founded Royal Naval College, Greenwich, 1873-1883; Fellow of the University of London, 1882; awarded a royal medal by the Royal Society, 1883; retired, 1883; honorary member of the Cambridge Philosophical Society and of several foreign scientific institutions; author of papers on mathematical physics and, from 1861, pure geometry; his research included work on the correlation of planes and the correlation of space of three dimensions; died in London, 1892. Publications: papers in the LMS Proceedings and the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions; preface to Richard P Wright's Elements of Plane Geometry (London, 1868); 'On the Complexes generated by two Correlative Planes' in collected mathematical papers In Memoriam D Chelini, ed Luigi Cremona (Milan, 1881); edited The Mechanical Theory of Heat (London, 1867), translated from Rudolf Julius Emmanuel Clausius's German.

An Act of 1792 established seven 'Public Offices' (later Police offices and Police courts) in the central Metropolitan area. The aim was to establish fixed locations where 'fit and able magistrates' would attend at fixed times to deal with an increasing number of criminal offences. Each office was assigned three Justices of the Peace. They were to receive a salary of £400 per annum. These were the first stipendiary magistrates. Later they were expected to be highly qualified in the law, indeed, to be experienced barristers.

The courts dealt with a wide range of business coming under the general heading of 'summary jurisdiction', i.e. trial without a jury. The cases heard were largely criminal and of the less serious kind. Over the years statutes created many offences that the courts could deal with in addition to Common Law offences. Examples include: drunk and disorderly conduct, assault, theft, begging, possessing stolen goods, cruelty to animals, desertion from the armed forces, betting, soliciting, loitering with intent, obstructing highways, and motoring offences. Non-criminal matters included small debts concerning income tax and local rates, landlord and tenant matters, matrimonial problems and bastardy.

London Lock Hospital

The London Lock Hospital was founded in 1746, by William Bromfeild, it was the first voluntary hospital for venereal diseases. It was taken over by the National Health Service in 1948 and closed in 1953.

The original building for the hospital was at Grosvenor Place, near Hyde Park, (1746 - 1841). In 1842 it moved to Harrow Road, Westbourne Grove. A new building was opened in 1862 at Dean Street and Harrow Road became "The Female Hospital." Dean Street was for male, out patients. A new wing was opened at Dean Street in 1867 to make room for all the referrals from the War Office who had no facilities to fulfil their obligations under the Contagious Diseases Act 1864, the number of patients significantly declined after the act was repealed in 1886.

The Female Hospital added a maternity unit in 1917 and at the request of the London County Council a special unit for mentally defective women with venereal disease was opened shortly after. An eye clinic, an electro-therapeutic department and an genito-urinary unit opened in the 1920's. The latter treated a wide range of gynaecological conditions which were not obviously venereal in origin. During the Second World War The Female Hospital was requisitioned by the War Office for use as a Military Isolation Hospital. Clinics continued during the war at Dean Street for both male and female patients.

In 1758 Revd. Martin Madan became the Honorary Chaplain and built a chapel, seating 800, which opened in 1865. The rent of pews provided income for the hospital. Madan, a follower of John Wesley, introduced singing of hymns by the whole congregation and published a book of hymns with music as used in the chapel. Madan was forced to resign in 1780 after publishing "Thelyphthora or Female Ruin" which advocated the solution to prostitution in polygamy. From 1889 the management of the chapel moved to the congregants and it was renamed "Christ's Church".

The Lock Asylum for the Reception of Penitent Female Patients (also known as the Lock Rescue Home) was proposed in 1787 and opened in 1792 with the aim of providing a refuge/reformatory for women with venereal diseases who had been treated at the Lock Hospital, but had no steady life to which to return. The girls were taught needlework and other skills which it was hoped would fit them for service. It originally occupied buildings at Osnaburg Row but moved to a building opposite the Cannon Bewery in Knightsbridge in 1812 and to Lower Eaton Street in 1816. However, Lower Eaton Street was felt to be too far from the chapel at Grosvenor Square. The Asylum moved to the new building in Harrow Road in 1849 and changed its name to "Rescue Home" in 1893. The full name of the London Lock now being the London Lock Hospital and Rescue Home.

The London Life had been established as a mutual life assurance company in 1806. It traded from 48 St Paul's Churchyard (1806-11), 35 Cannon Street (1811-38) and 81 King William Street (1838-1981). Its main London office moved to Bristol in 1981. It had taken over the Clergy Mutual in 1918 and the Metopolitan Life in 1928.

The Clergy Mutual was established as a mutual life assurance company for clergy and their dependents in 1829. It traded from 67 Lincoln's Inn Fields (1829-36), 40-1 Parliament Street (1836-56) and 2-3 (Broad) Sanctuary (1856-1918).

The Metropolitan Life was established in 1835 and traded from 1 St Michael's Alley (1835-7), 3 Princes Street (1837-93) and 13 Moorgate (1893-1928).

The London Liberal Federation was formed in 1903 to assist in maintaining Liberal Associations in the London area, to secure candidates, and to further political education. Its name was changed to the London Liberal Party during a general reorganisation in October 1943.

The London Liberal Party (LLP) was formed in October 1943, having been established in 1903 as the London Liberal Federation. It originally served as the coordinating body for Liberal Associations within the County of London and now fulfills the same function across Greater London. An annual subscription fee is paid by each member association, with further income generated by a range of fund raising activities. This revenue supports the LLP's various tasks, which include the selection of candidates and all other aspects of election campaigning.

The London Labour Party was founded in 1915 and continued as the co-ordinating body of Labour activity in London until 1965 when the London County Council (LCC) and the Middlesex County Council (MCC) were replaced by the Greater London Council (GLC). The party was reconstituted as the Greater London Labour Party covering the whole of the GLC area.

The history of the London Labour Party is inextricably linked with the political activity of Herbert Morrison. He was secretary of the London Labour Party, 1915-1925, and he was chairman and leader of the LCC Labour Party from 1925 to 1940 when he was appointed home secretary and minister for home security in the wartime coalition government. Under his leadership, the LCC Labour Party held power on the LCC for 25 years from 1924-1950. During this period there was great activity in improving education, housing and other public services.

Many different groups were affiliated to the London Labour Party including local constituency parties, the LCC and MCC labour parties, trade unions, young socialists and the Cooperative Movement. Such a body of support allowed the party to undertake a publication programme, organise conferences and training courses, and direct campaigns on issues like housing and rents.

The London Joint Stock Banks Committee was probably formed in 1853. In 1900 it transferred its functions to the Committee of London Clearing Bankers (see CLC/B/029-04).

London Jewish Hospital

The ideal behind the promoters of the London Jewish Hospital movement was the provision of a strictly orthodox Jewish Hospital in London.

The movement was started in 1907 in the East End of London. By 1909 a site at Stepney Green had been acquired. In 1912 architects Messrs E.T. and E.S. Hall were instructed to prepare plans for the proposed hospital. Work on the hospital building commenced in Autumn 1914 but was forced to stop due to the outbreak of war. The foundation stone was laid on 14 November 1915 by Mrs S.D. Sasson and the first section of the building was complete by May 1916. In 1919 the Out-Patients Department was opened. The Hospital was consecrated in the same year and was publically opened on October 26, 1919. By 1921 an In-Patient Department had opened. Over the years various buildings were built to accomodate wards, nurses and operating theatres. In the 1920s it was recognised by the General Nursing Council for England and Wales as a complete training school for nurses.

In 1940 the Hospital was hit by an enemy bomb which caused considerable damage. However, it was repaired by Passover 1941. The administration of the Association responsible for the Hospital was originally based around the Council of Management and "Branches" which became essentially collecting bodies and elected Governors on the basis of the amount of their weekly contribution. (In 1915 these were Branch no. 1; Branch no. 2; Young Workers Branch no. 3; Zekeinim Branch no. 4; Woolwich Branch no. 5; North London Branch no. 6; West London Branch no. 7; North Western Branch no. 8; Ladies Branch no. 9; Juniors Branch no. 10; Achdus Branch no. 11). The branches gradually had diminishing responsibilities and the Council became the major focus.

The Hospital formed part of the National Health Service after 5th July 1948 and fell within the area of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board set up under the act. It was still allowed to maintain its special character but 1947 was the last occasion on which the Council of Management would present a report. By 1969 the Annual Report had subsequently became known as a report of the Friends of the London Jewish Hospital Limited.

In 1966 Waverley Manor was opened as a short-stay home in Hendon, adminstered by the Friends and primarily for the patients of the London Jewish Hospital. In 1972 a big change in status occurred and the Hospital became a Geriatric Hospital under the revised Health Service Regulations.

The London Institution was founded in 1805 "for the advancement of literature and the diffusion of useful knowledge". It was run by a Committee of Managers and the ordinary members were "Proprietors" or life-subscribers to the Institution.

Its first premises were in Old Jewry, then King's Arms Yard and in 1819 a new building was completed in Finsbury Circus. As well as possessing a very large library, the Institution was noted for its lectures (especially on scientific subjects). An amalgamation with the Society of Arts was mooted in 1906, but never took place.

The origins of the London Hospital Medical Council date from 1831, when the medical practitioners teaching in the Medical College formed themselves into an association of "Lecturers on and Teachers of Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy and other Sciences connected therewith at the Theatre attached to the London Hospital". The deed of covenant which created the body also set out basic rules for the Association and the ownership of the college museum. Records of the Association from 1831 to 1846 are lost, although some information from the minutes is recorded in a notebook by James Luke.

The Association became the Medical Council of the London Hospital School in 1847, and membership was extended to include the assistant physicians and surgeons. The old Medical College premises were now proving inadequate and in 1854 the Governors of the Hospital agreed to erect a new building. In the resultant administrative changes, the medical and surgical officers of the Hospital took over the management of the College from the Medical Council, as the London Hospital College Council. In practice, the Medical Council and the College Council consisted of the same people.

The management of the College was in the hands of the College Council (called, by 1868, the Medical Council of the London Hospital School) from 1855 to 1876, and the Medical Council continued to be heavily involved with the affairs of the college. In 1876 the Medical Council and the Board of Governors jointly established a College Board, comprising members of the House Committee and Medical Council. The Medical Council became less involved with the Medical College's affairs, and transferred its executive functions to the College Board. In 1888 membership of the Council comprised the physicians and surgeons of the hospital and lecturers at the Medical College of two years standing. In 1901 membership of the Council was extended, making it the sole channel through which views of the medical staff were expressed. The principal role of the Council was to advise the governors and the House Committee on all matters which affected the medical staff.

The Council had the power to create committees for particular purposes, but from 1960 its committee structure consisted of a Medical Committee and a Surgical Committee, and a Standing Committee to which they reported. In the late 1960s, the Medical Council's Medical and Surgical Committees were replaced by Divisions. Between 1969 and 1978 further divisions of Anaesthesia, Dentistry, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pathology and Radiography (later Medical Imaging), Scientific and Technical Services and Paramedical Services were created. In 1971 the Standing Committee was abolished and replaced by the Final Medical Committee, which acted as the medium for transmitting advice between the Board of Governors (later District Management Team) and the consultant medical and dental staff. In 1974 the scope of the council was extended to include the whole of the new Tower Hamlets Health District, becoming the Medical Council of the London and Tower Hamlets Hospitals.

The Dental Council developed from the Dental School Committee, which was formed in 1911 to manage the Dental School. The Dental Council became known as the London Hospital Dental Board from 1913 to 1921, and from 1922 onwards the Dental Council. In 1974 the Council became the Division of Dentistry, reporting to the Final Medical Committee.

The London Hospital Medical College was established by the efforts of William Blizard and Dr James Maddocks, who in 1783 proposed to the Hospital House Committee that a proper medical school should be established in connection with the London Hospital. At this time, the training of a physician or surgeon consisted of two elements; the practical, which meant "walking the wards" of a hospital, as the pupil of a member of the staff, and the theoretical, which consisted of lectures on a number of subjects. Lectures were normally given by individual physicians or surgeons, either in their own premises, or in private medical schools. The Medical College was to enable students to receive practical and theoretical training at the same place, organised along the lines of a University. The Committee allowed Blizard and Maddocks a piece of land at the east end of the hospital on which to build a lecture theatre and museum. The Hospital made no financial contribution, as the Committee did not feel that medical education should be funded by hospital finances, nor would it allow the lecturers' private pupils into the wards. The new building was opened in October 1785.

From its opening in 1785 until 1831, the College appears to have been run by the physicians and surgeons in an informal manner, probably largely under the influence of Blizard. In 1831 the medical practitioners teaching in the College formed themselves into an association of "Lecturers and Teachers of Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy and other Sciences connected therewith at the Theatre attached to the London Hospital", which became the Medical Council of the London Hospital School in 1847. The old premises were now proving inadequate and in 1854 the Hospital Governors agreed to erect a new college building. The building housed two large lecture theatres, two museums, a library, dissecting room and two smaller lecture rooms. In the resultant administrative changes, the Medical and Surgical Officers of the Hospital took over the management of the College from the Medical Council, as the London Hospital College Council. In practice, the Medical Council and the College Council consisted of the same people. The management of the College was in the hands of the College Council (called, by 1868, the Medical Council of the London Hospital School) from 1855 to 1876. In 1876, after several years of negotiation, the House Committee of the Hospital took a hand in the administration and regular financial support of the College. Management was given over to a College Board consisting of nine members of the House Committee and six of the Medical Council. In 1879, at the end of a three year trial period and further negotiation, a new College Board was formed, consisting of six members from the House Committee and six from the Medical Council. In 1900 the College became a School of the University of London, although this change made no real difference to its administrative arrangements.

The Dental School of the London Hospital Medical College opened in 1911 to provide specialised treatment to patients and training and research opportunities. Surgeon Dentists had been appointed by the Hospital from 1857, and a Dental Department established. William Wright, Dean of the Medical College, was instrumental in the founding of the Dental School supported by the Dental Surgeon to the Hospital, Francis Farmer. It was managed by the Dental Council, which developed from the Dental School Committee formed in 1911. The Dental Council became known as the London Hospital Dental Board from 1913 to 1921, and from 1922 onwards the Dental Council. The Dental Education Committee was established by resolution of the College Board in March 1945. Originally accommodated in the Hospital's Out-Patients Department, the Dental School moved to new premises in Stepney Way in 1965.

With the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948, the College Board was abolished. The overall management of the Medical College passed to a Council of Governors and its standing Committee which was, in effect, the continuation of the Finance Committee of the College Board. Education matters were the concern of the Academic Board. In 1989 the pre-clinical teaching of the London Hospital Medical College merged with that of St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School as the Central and East London Confederation (CELC). It was re-sited at the Basic Medical Sciences Building at Queen Mary & Westfield College, Mile End. The Hospital was granted a royal title in 1990 and the College became known as the Royal London Hospital Medical College. Following the recommendations of the Tomlinson Report (1992) and the governmental response to it (Making London Better, 1993), the medical colleges of the Royal London and St Bartholomew's hospitals were united with Queen Mary & Westfield College, in December 1995. The resulting institution became known as St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine & Dentistry.