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A deed is any document affecting title, that is, proof of ownership, of the land in question. The land may or may not have buildings upon it. Common types of deed include conveyances, mortgages, bonds, grants of easements, wills and administrations.

Conveyances are transfers of land from one party to another, usually for money. Early forms of conveyance include feoffments, surrenders and admissions at manor courts (if the property was copyhold), final concords, common recoveries, bargains and sales and leases and releases.

Lease and release was the most common method of conveying freehold property from the later seventeenth century onwards, before the introduction of the modern conveyance in the late nineteenth century. The lease was granted for a year (sometimes six months), then on the following day the lessor released their right of ownership in return for the consideration (the thing for which land was transferred from one party to another, usually, of course, a sum of money).

Source: British Records Association Guidelines 3: How to interpret deeds (available online).

Yeoveney Farm was a manor in Staines, formed in the 13th century. It comprised 200-300 acres situated east of Staines Moor. The land was usually farmed by tenants and the manorial rights lapsed soon after 1758. The land passed to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

The History of the County of Middlesex mentions a 'Batcher Field', comprising 63 acres, as situated east of Northolt village.

Source of information: 'Staines: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 18-20; and 'Northolt: Introduction', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 109-113.

The Delme-Radcliffe family were the holders of Hitchin Priory in Hertfordshire. Through various marriages the family estates grew to include land in Cambridgeshire, West Sussex, Bedfordshire, Essex, Croydon and Hampshire as well as the Middlesex and London lands featured in this collection.

Adelaide House was built in 1828 on the west side of Forty Green at a time when the area was fashionable. The house has since been destroyed. Forty Green is now known as Forty Hill.

The Bridgen Hall estate was situated between Carterhatch Lane and Goat Lane. It was sold in 1868 and was divided between a housing estate, gravel digging, and open parkland.

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.

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

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.

Source: British Records Association Guidelines 3: How to interpret deeds (available online).

Albion Lodge was a large house, constructed in 1815, and situated in what was once the rural outskirts of Tottenham parish. In 1861 the new Saint Ann's church, with its schools and model cottages, brought development to the area. The area is now known as Fortis Green and the Lodge has been converted into a residential care home for the elderly.

Bentley Priory was a freehold estate in Harrow. It was originally owned by an Augustinian house but passed into private hands when the priory was dissolved in 1536. In 1788 the estate was sold to John James Hamilton, the Marquess of Abercorn, who died in 1818. In 1857 the estate was sold to builder and railway engineer Sir John Kelk who sold it in 1882.

Aylwards was a tenement of Great Stanmore Manor which later passed into private hands and thence into the ownership of the Marquess of Abercorn.

Source of information: 'Harrow, including Pinner : Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 203-211 and 'Great Stanmore: Economic history', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 99-102 (available online).

Hillingdon parish included a number of freeholds outside of the local manor of Colham. In 1636 there were 35 freeholds in Colham manor, covering more than 300 acres, mostly on the edge of the heath. From the 17th century a number of these houses were owned by persons of importance, and were noted for pleasure gardens. Hillingdon House had the largest estate, which was owned by the Cox family after 1810. The estate was broken up in 1915 when it comprised over 500 acres including land in Harefield and Ruislip.

From: 'Hillingdon, including Uxbridge: Manors and other estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 69-75 (available online).

Stanmore Hall, Great Stanmore, was purchased by Robert Hollond, MP, in 1847 and his wife Ellen Julia Hollond, authoress and founder of London's first créche.

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

In 1719 Henry Gough, M.P., a director of the East India Company, purchased a house in Enfield. His son Richard, an antiquary (1735-1809), recalled many pleasing hours of research in his native parish. The house, which became known as Gough Park, was demolished in 1899.

From: 'Enfield: Growth before 1850', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 212-218.

Old Oak Common in Acton had three wells which were said to have medicinal properties and were briefly fashionable in the eighteenth century.

Chipping Barnet (also known as High Barnet) and South Mimms are situated in Hertfordshire, in a part which runs east, forming a sort of peninsula jutting into the former Middlesex.

The Barons Boston had their seat in Hedsor, Buckinghamshire. William Irby (1707-1775) the first Baron Boston, Frederick Irby (1749-1825) the second Baron and George Irby (1777-1856), the third Baron are all mentioned in the documents in this collection.

Oxgate Farm was part of the estates built up by the Roberts family in Willesden from 1295 onwards. Francis Roberts purchased Oxgate in 1587. The family sold Oxgate in 1700.

'Willesden: Other estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 216-220 (available online).

The Commission (of the Peace) gave Justices of the Peace the power to try offences in their courts of Quarter Sessions, appointed them to conserve the peace within a stated area, and to enquire on the oaths of "good and lawfull men" into "all manner of poisonings, enchantments, forestallings, disturbances, abuses of weights and measures" and many other things, and to "chastise and punish" anyone who had offended against laws made in order to keep the peace.

The Custos Rotulorum (Keeper of the Rolls) was responsible for the care of the county records. Appointed (since the fourteenth century) in the Commission of the Peace, he was a leading justice, unpaid and holding the post for life; and from the seventeenth century usually also holding the office of Lord Lieutenant of the county. His Deputy was the Clerk of the Peace who was in practice the actual keeper of the records, and who drew up, registered and oversaw the storage of the records.

The court case between the Duke of Westminster as Custos Rotulorum of the County of London and the Duke of Bedford as Custos Rotulorum of the County of Middlesex concerned the custody of quarter sessions records relating to those parts of Middlesex which were moved into the new County of London. The Local Government Act of 1888 had given the Middlesex Sessions House at Clerkenwell Green to the new County of London. As part of their vacating of the premises, the Middlesex Clerk of the Peace removed all court records to the Middlesex Guildhall in Westminster. The Duke of Westminster argued that the records should be divided between the two counties, so that records relating to those parts of Middlesex now in London should be handed over to the custody of London County Council. The judgement was that the records created in what was Middlesex at the time should stay in Middlesex, despite later changes of administrative boundary. A full report of the case and the reasoning behind the judgement can be found in The Times newspaper for December 19 1899.

An apprenticeship indenture is a legal document, signed by the apprentice and their master, which laid out the terms and conditions of the apprenticeship. The length of service is usually specified; while sometimes the obligations of the master are mentioned (e.g. to provide food, shelter and lodging) and any premiums paid are noted.

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

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

Charles Bowles and his wife Mary lived in Ratcliffe. By 1792 they had moved to East Sheen, Surrey. Charles died before 1798.

Sir Edward Gould lived in Highgate with his wife Lady Frances. He died in 1728 leaving his estate to his closest male relative, his great nephew Edward Gould. Edward married Mary Thoroton and their son Edward Thoroton Gould later came into the Highgate estates.

These papers relating to the Uthwat family were collected for their general or antiquarian interest and relevance to the subject, rather than having a united provenance (that is, being produced by the same institution or business).

The Bodimead family were farmers, but also had interests in brick-making, tile-making and lime-burning. They held property pricipally around Harrow Weald Common, in the parish of Harrow-on-the-Hill, including Copse/Coppice Farm, and cottages further north in Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire. The Bodimead family have had their surname spelt in numerous ways throughout this collection of documents.

James Charles lived at Kennet House, a large residence situated where Sudbury joins Harrow on the Hill. He was married to Julia Forrester. He was a Justice of the Peace.

Cecil Roth (1899-1970), Jewish historian, compiled a report and catalogue on the archives of the United Synagogue and its predecessor synagogues in 1930. A copy of the catalogue is available within this collection (reference ACC/2712/13/01/50).

Sir William Clay, first baronet, was born in 1791. His father George Clay was a shipowner and merchant. William entered the family business. He also served as MP for Tower Hamlets between 1832 and 1857; was Secretary to the Board of Control, and was magistrate for Middlesex and Westminster. In 1822 he married the daughter of Mr Thomas Dickason of Twickenham, and had 6 daughters and 3 sons. He died at Cadogan Place in 1869, aged 77.

Information from The Times, Wednesday, Mar 17, 1869; pg. 12; Issue 26387; col A

The horticultural societies and shows represented in this collection took place in a variety of locations, mostly in the former Middlesex, including Hanwell, Watford, Southgate, Northolt, Hampstead, Friern Barnet, Hounslow, Enfield, Ealing, Edmonton, Haringey, Muswell Hill and Bush Hill.

As of 2011, 73 High Street, Teddington, was operating as a clothes shop.

The Benedictine monastery of Saint Peter in Westminster is better known as Westminster Abbey. The exact date of foundation is unclear. The monastery was situated on Thorney Island in the Thames, a suitable place because of the fresh water and food resources of the river. When Edward the Confessor became king in 1042 he had vowed to make a pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Peter in Rome, but as this would have been impractical the Pope released him from this vow on condition that he build or restore a monastery to the saint. He therefore moved his palace to Westminster and began work on a new monastery and church. The new building was completed in December 1065 and consecrated just 8 days before Edward died. William I (the Conqueror) was the first monarch to be crowned in the Abbey, and to date all but two of his successors have been crowned there.

After Edward the Confessor was canonised in 1139 the importance of the Abbey increased and various kings gave gifts, endowments and privileges to the monastery. Henry III began a rebuilding project in 1245, determined to make a sumptuous building, influenced by recent French architectural styles. Saint Edward was given a special shrine in a chapel. The rebuilding was not completed until 1532. The monastery was dissolved in 1540 but because of its royal associations it was saved from destruction. It became the cathedral of the new diocese of Westminster and a Dean and Chapter were appointed.

The Abbey is full of monuments and tombs including those of several kings and queens; churchmen; statesmen and politicians; members of the armed forces, poets and writers; scientists; explorers; architects; educators and actors. The dead of the First World War are commemorated by the monument to the Unknown Warrior.

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

In 1293 Edmund, Earl of Lancaster and brother of King Edward I, constructed the Savoy Palace on land formerly belonging to the Count of Savoy. The palace was rebuilt at great expense by Henry, 1st Duke of Lancaster, between 1345 and 1370; after which it was said to be the finest house in England. In 1381 the palace was attacked during the Peasant's Revolt; the rioters started a bonfire of the Duke's possessions and mistakenly threw a box of gunpowder onto the flames, thus destroying much of the Great Hall.

In 1505 Henry VII ordered the palace to be rebuilt and used as a hospital for the poor. The hospital held 100 beds and included three chapels, a large precinct and outbuildings. It was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and a statue of him was positioned over the Stand gate. In 1570 complaints were made that Thomas Thurland, Master of the Hospital, used hospital money to maintain his relatives, rarely went to church, had sexual relations with hospital staff, and owed the hospital £2,500. The hospital never recovered from this mismanagement.

Houses in the hospital precinct were fashionable addresses for noblemen and highly ranked clergy. However, by the later 17th century these houses were occupied by businessmen, while the hospital was used for wounded servicemen, and barracks and a military prison were constructed. Some of the chapels and halls were converted for use by non-conformist religious groups such as French Protestants, Lutherans, Quakers and Calvinists.

The hospital was formally dissolved in 1702. In 1772, with most of the buildings in ruins, a dispute over ownership of the land was settled: the Crown took possession of the central part of the precinct, while the Duchy of Lancaster took the outer part and the Savoy chapel. The site was cleared in 1816-20 for the Waterloo Bridge approach road, Savoy Street and Lancaster Place. In 1864-70 Victoria Embankment and Gardens were made. The only remaining part of the hospital is the Savoy Chapel. The site is now occupied by the Savoy Hotel, the Savoy Theatre, Victoria Embankment and Gardens, and part of Somerset House.

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

Sir John Buckworth was a leading merchant, trading with Turkey. The property referred to in this collection comprises four capital messuages variously known as Augustine Fryers, Winchester Place or House, St John House, the Excise House and the Glasshouse, and a number of adjacent messuages, all formerly part of, or on part of the site of, the dissolved Augustine Friary.

The Guardian Fire and Life Assurance Company was established in 1821 and renamed as Guardian Assurance in 1902. It was founded by a group of private bankers for UK and overseas fire and life insurance and expanded into employers' liability from 1897.

Royal Exchange Assurance was established by royal charter in 1720. Its business comprised marine, fire and life insurance, and general accident insurance in Britain and overseas.

In 1968 Royal Exchange Assurance combined with the Guardian Assurance Company Limited to form Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance. The company had offices at the Royal Exchange from 1720 until ca. 1999 when Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance was taken over by AXA.

Following the advances of the British South Africa Company (incorporated in 1889), northern Rhodesia (later Zambia) became a territory of the British Crown in 1894. Missionary work in northern Rhodesia, a remote and thinly settled region, was pioneered in the last decades of the 19th century.

The donor of these manuscripts, the Rev Canon James Smith Robertson (b 1917), served the UMCA (Universities Mission to Central Africa) in northern Rhodesia, 1945-1950, and worked in Mapanza, 1950-1955, and Lusaka, 1955-1965.

No further information at present.

No further information.

No further information available at present.

In a period in which the women's sphere was ideologically located in the home, their entrance in to the public sphere was seen as either a scandal or an object of mockery. However, while the fields of politics and commerce were largely closed to females, paradoxically, other positions in the public eye were not. Women writers and artists could be found from the Renaissance onwards and actresses in particular could achieve great fame for their work. However, women who entered into the public sphere in this way were generally considered to be outside of the normal rules of society even while being lionised by its members. This equivocal social position left them open to abuse, but at the same time meant that they could move freely around all sections of it while remaining at liberty to look after their own business and financial affairs in a way that a woman was not normally permitted to do. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the ambiguous status of such individuals with its benefits and limitations led a number of women involved in the arts to become acutely conscious of women's overall status. This led a number of them to become engaged in the campaign for the vote and for improvement of women's status. Groups such as the Actresses' Franchise League and the Artists' Suffrage League undertook collective action which others continued on an individual level throughout this period and into the second half of the nineteenth century as the campaign to improve women's status continued.

'Zines' (produced "zeens") are non-commercial, hand-made magazines and booklets. Written, designed and published by their creators, these grass-roots publications are made simply and quickly on photocopiers and home computers. They fuse original artwork with images appropriated from the mainstream media and include writing that is creative, critical, personal and humourous.

Produced in small print runs from 10 to 10,000 copies, zines are ephemeral publications written on any number of topics. Due to their eclectic natures and amateur production values, zines exist on the fringes of popular culture, journalism, art practices, life writing, and academia. They are distributed by their creators through local, postal and internet-based networks and at events such as Ladyfest.

Whilst the history of zines dates back to the mimeo-graphed science fiction fan magazines (fanzines') of the 1930s, it was the fusion of punk culture and cheap photocopying rates in the late 1970s which saw a 'zine explosion' of DIY (do-it-yourself) cultural expression.

Traditionally, zine cultures are dominated by young men. However, the 'girl zine movement' of the early 1990s saw many young women and girls explore their experiences and voices within zines for the first time; inspired by the rise of the feminist and personal zines of the Riot Grrrl movement.

Young women make zines for a number of reasons: to explore their creativity, to make friends, to overcome isolation, and to think critically about the world around them. They blur genre boundaries by mixing together stories, essays, photography, rants, collages, lists, doodles, reviews, diary entries, and autobiographical confessions.

Zines are historical primary sources documenting women's everyday lives and cultural opinions. Zines are also a key tool in analysing 'third wave feminism', as young women explore their self-identities and redefine feminism in these publications.

The Women's Library collects zines and comics which reflect women and girls' experiences, interests and concerns in the UK today.

Otto Bernstein grew up in late 19th century Elbersfeld and Kassel, Germany, and was an inmate of Theresienstadt concentration camp. Bern Brent, the depositor, provides us with an account of his experiences on the ship, the 'Dunera', bringing refugees from Europe to Australia where he made his home.

Edgar Dreyfus was a banker, following in the tradition of the Dreyfus family, which had a history of involvement in the banking and shipping industries. The Dreyfus house in Paris was one of the first to be occupied by the Gestapo when the Germans occupied the city in 1940. The family, comprising father and mother, Edgar and Yvonne, and their two daughters, Viviane and Christiane, fled to the south of France, staying in Perpignan, Marseille and Cannes.

When the Italians capitulated in 1943 the family went into hiding in Pau and later walked to Spain. They were accompanied by a cousin, Manon Levenvach, who had managed to escape deportation by jumping from a train. She stayed with the Dreyfus family in Spain for the remainder of the war.

The Fernbachs were a Jewish family. Wolfgang Fernbach, trained in medicine and was a fervent Zionist. He became a financial journalist for an English newspaper and was a radical socialist during the First World War. He was a loyal friend of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg and an extremely dedicated political activist. He was murdered in January 1919 as one of the seven 'Spartacists', shot in the 'Vorwärts' building in Berlin.

Unknown

Max Sander was a German Jew, born in 1890, who apparently came to Great Britain in 1939. During World War One he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer. He is described in various documents as a businessman and there is a photograph of a shop in Hamburg called Nebel und Sander. Sander died in London in 1979.

These papers relating to businesses were collected for their general or antiquarian interest rather than having a united provenance (that is, being produced by the same institution or business).

The Department of Education and Science was created in 1964. These plans were created by the Department and its predecessors in the course of their work.

Atlases, maps and plans - documents.

The Royal Society King Charles II Medal was instituted by Council in 1997. It is awarded at the discretion of Council only to foreign Heads of State who have made an outstanding contribution to furthering scientific research in their country. The Medal is awarded only in exceptional circumstances and is normally presented on the occasion of a State Visit. The first medal was awarded in 1998 to His Majesty Emperor Akihito of Japan, the second to the Prime Minister of India in 2007.

The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) was founded in 1830 as the Royal Geographical Society of London. Its aim was the advancement of Geographical Science. The Society was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1859. In 1995 the RGS merged with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) to create the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers). Since 1831 the Society has published a Journal, initially containing the principal papers read at the Society's evening meetings and abstracts of Geographical works published elsewhere, it is now a refereed academic publication. The journal has appeared under various titles: Journal of the RGS (JRGS) 1831-1880; Proceedings of the RGS (PRGS) 1857-1878; Proceedings of the RGS (New Series) (PRGS (NS)) 1879-1892; Supplementary Papers (1882-1893); and the Geographical Journal (GJ) 1893 onwards. At first edited by the Secretary of the Society, the preparation and editing of these journals is currently carried out by the Geographical Journal Office.

The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) was founded in 1830 as the Royal Geographical Society of London. Its aim was the advancement of Geographical Science. The Society was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1859. In 1995 the RGS merged with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) to create the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers). Since 1831 the Society has published a Journal, initially containing the principal papers read at the Society's evening meetings and abstracts of Geographical works published elsewhere: it is now a refereed academic publication. The journal has appeared under various titles: Journal of the RGS (JRGS) 1831-1880; Proceedings of the RGS (PRGS) 1857-1878; Proceedings of the RGS (New Series) (PRGS (NS)) 1879-1892; Supplementary Papers (1882-1893); and the Geographical Journal (GJ) 1893 onwards. At first edited by the Secretary of the Society, the preparation and editing of these journals is currently carried out by the Geographical Journal Office.

Harold Richard Goring Greaves (1907-1981) taught at the London School of Economics from 1930 onwards. He was Professor of Political Science in the University of London from 1960-1975.
The proposed United Nations University Institute was not established until 1973; it is called the UN University and based in Tokyo.

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).

The church of Saint Paul in Covent Garden was constructed between 1631 and 1633 to designs by Inigo Jones. The church was given a parish in 1645. It has an association with the theatre since it is located close to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the Royal Opera House. Several well-known actors are buried here, including Charles Macklin and Ellen Terry.

The church of Saint John the Evangelist, Kensal Green, was constructed in 1844. It was originally a detached portion of Chelsea parish, but a separate parish was assigned in 1845 taken from parts of the neighbouring parishes. A chancel was added in 1903.

The ships represented in this collection are the:

• 'Latona' No. 55362, registered 1874, 270 tons net, owner, J. Dickie, Glasgow; master, E.H. Tidmarsh, Liverpool; voyages, Liverpool to Chittagong, etc
  • 'Indus', No. 13884, registered 1863, 1319 tons net, owner, John Taylor, London; master, E.J. Hunt; voyages to Australia with emigrants
  • 'Buston Vale', No. 47765, 411 tons net; owner, F.G. Fry and Co., Liverpool; master G.H. Galloway.
  • 'Welsh Girl', No. 44939, registered 1866, 137 tons; owner, Stephen Morse, Watchet, Somerset; master, Alfred Nicholas, Watchet; coasting and to Antwerp.
  • 'Alfred and Mary', No. 10723, 45 tons; owner, Fleming Hewett, Gorleston, Suffolk Master, William Kittle, Gorleston; trawling in N.Sea, and later Master James Green, Gorleston.
  • 'Princess Royal', No. 17033, 42 tons; owner, John Parsons, Harwich; voyages, master, William Mixter, Harwich; voyages, Harwich-Rochester, London, Colchester Maldon, Ipswich.