Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1252-1999 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
45 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Record keeping practices were first encouraged in the medieval period by the periodic review of local administration and justice conducted by the Crown, particularly when permanent legal and administrative courts developed with professional staff. The Town Clerk, first mentioned in 1274, was responsible for encouraging good record keeping and for the safe custody of the records. The records were kept in the Book House, near the Guildhall, and were inspected regularly by the Aldermen, with new shelving, doors and locks ordered in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Book House was not destroyed during the Great Fire in 1666, but the records were moved during rebuilding and became scattered. In the 18th century new rooms were made available for the records and attention was paid to cataloguing and indexing. In 1876 the first Deputy Keeper or Clerk of the Records, Mr R R Sharpe, was appointed. He was given the title 'Deputy Keeper of the Records' because the Town Clerk held the title 'Keeper of the Records' and had done since the 15th century. Before this it seems that the Guildhall Librarians were often called upon to care for the records and conduct research. In December 1940 a bomb destroyed all the offices and some store rooms, while other store rooms survived the collapse of the building. Some of the more ancient records had already been evacuated away from London. The Deputy Keeper of the Records was retitled the City Archivist in 1987.
Repository
Archival history
COL/AC 1252-1999 subfonds 45 linear metres Corporation of London
Record keeping practices were first encouraged in the medieval period by the periodic review of local administration and justice conducted by the Crown, particularly when permanent legal and administrative courts developed with professional staff. The Town Clerk, first mentioned in 1274, was responsible for encouraging good record keeping and for the safe custody of the records. The records were kept in the Book House, near the Guildhall, and were inspected regularly by the Aldermen, with new shelving, doors and locks ordered in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Book House was not destroyed during the Great Fire in 1666, but the records were moved during rebuilding and became scattered. In the 18th century new rooms were made available for the records and attention was paid to cataloguing and indexing. In 1876 the first Deputy Keeper or Clerk of the Records, Mr R R Sharpe, was appointed. He was given the title 'Deputy Keeper of the Records' because the Town Clerk held the title 'Keeper of the Records' and had done since the 15th century. Before this it seems that the Guildhall Librarians were often called upon to care for the records and conduct research. In December 1940 a bomb destroyed all the offices and some store rooms, while other store rooms survived the collapse of the building. Some of the more ancient records had already been evacuated away from London. The Deputy Keeper of the Records was retitled the City Archivist in 1987.
Corporation of London Records Office.
Calendars and historical research relating to the City and Corporation of London, 1252-1999. The collection contains calendars and indexes made by clerks to aid their work including calendars and indexes of wills and deeds entered in the Court of Husting, 1252-1616; calendar to Acts of the Common Council 'Liber Legum' (extracts from the City's Letter Books), 1582 and 1585; calendar of various matters dispersed through the City's books and rolls, 1275-1609 and 1713-1717; index to repertories, 1545-1588; copies of articles from the Charter and Liberties of London, 16--; copies of 126 legal cases made on behalf of the City, 16-- - 1755; papers dating to the 17th and 18th centuries collected by William Turner Alchin, Guildhall Librarian, 1845-1865, including material relating to the Great Fire of London, 1666, the Gordon Riots, 1780, and markets.
Also research notes and reports including the collection of Dr R R Sharpe, Clerk of the Records, 1876-1913; research papers intended to replace the Historical Reports destroyed in 1940 by the Guildhall bombing, consisting mainly of reports made by the City Archivist and his predecessors on the historical aspects of institutions of the Corporation and of the City Companies, as well as reports and articles by others, based on research amongst the Corporation's archives; and some publications of the London Topographical Society, 1945-1999.
In sections as follows: ancient calendars, lists and indexes, record commissioners, general, Dr Sharpe's correspondence, Alchin collection, articles of the charter and liberties of London, cases relating to ye City of London, City extracts, historical papers, papers, acts and reports, research papers, slides, negatives, prints, sound recordings, video recordings, films, London Topographical Society.
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998
Copyright: City of London
English
Some material not fit for production.
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
For the City Letter Books see COL/AD Administration, for charters see COL/CH Charters, for extracts and calendars see COL/CS Custumals and for Town Clerks see COl/TCD.
For Corporation of London records relating to museums, libraries and art galleries, see: CLA/076: Museum of London, COL/AC: Archives, COL/CC/BRA: Barbican Arts Centre Joint Working Party (Arts Centre), COL/CC/BRC: Barbican Centre Committee, COL/CC/GHY: Guildhall Yard East Building Committee, COL/CC/LIB: Libraries, Guildhall Art Gallery and Archives Committee, COL/CC/LMC: Library and Museum Committee, COL/CC/MLB: Museum of London Board of Governors, COL/LBD/AD: Libraries and Art Galleries: Administration, COL/LBD/AG: Libraries and Art Galleries: Guildhall Art Gallery, COL/LBD/GHL: Libraries and Art Galleries: Guildhall Library and COL/LBD/MUS: Libraries and Art Galleries: Guildhall Museum.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. February 2009 Sharpe , R R , fl 1876-1913 , Deputy Keeper of the Records, Corporation of London Alchin , William Turner , 1790-1865 , Guildhall Librarian Disasters (events) Records management Archive records preservation Administration Organisation and management Administrative history Riots (events) Gordon Riots (1780) History Historical research Disasters Accidents Fires Great Fire of London (1666) Deputy Keeper of the Records , Corporation of London Town Clerk , Corporation of London Europe City of London London England UK Western Europe
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Corporation of London Records Office.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Calendars and historical research relating to the City and Corporation of London, 1252-1999. The collection contains calendars and indexes made by clerks to aid their work including calendars and indexes of wills and deeds entered in the Court of Husting, 1252-1616; calendar to Acts of the Common Council 'Liber Legum' (extracts from the City's Letter Books), 1582 and 1585; calendar of various matters dispersed through the City's books and rolls, 1275-1609 and 1713-1717; index to repertories, 1545-1588; copies of articles from the Charter and Liberties of London, 16--; copies of 126 legal cases made on behalf of the City, 16-- - 1755; papers dating to the 17th and 18th centuries collected by William Turner Alchin, Guildhall Librarian, 1845-1865, including material relating to the Great Fire of London, 1666, the Gordon Riots, 1780, and markets.
Also research notes and reports including the collection of Dr R R Sharpe, Clerk of the Records, 1876-1913; research papers intended to replace the Historical Reports destroyed in 1940 by the Guildhall bombing, consisting mainly of reports made by the City Archivist and his predecessors on the historical aspects of institutions of the Corporation and of the City Companies, as well as reports and articles by others, based on research amongst the Corporation's archives; and some publications of the London Topographical Society, 1945-1999.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
In sections as follows: ancient calendars, lists and indexes, record commissioners, general, Dr Sharpe's correspondence, Alchin collection, articles of the charter and liberties of London, cases relating to ye City of London, City extracts, historical papers, papers, acts and reports, research papers, slides, negatives, prints, sound recordings, video recordings, films, London Topographical Society.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright: City of London
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
For the City Letter Books see COL/AD Administration, for charters see COL/CH Charters, for extracts and calendars see COL/CS Custumals and for Town Clerks see COl/TCD.
For Corporation of London records relating to museums, libraries and art galleries, see: CLA/076: Museum of London, COL/AC: Archives, COL/CC/BRA: Barbican Arts Centre Joint Working Party (Arts Centre), COL/CC/BRC: Barbican Centre Committee, COL/CC/GHY: Guildhall Yard East Building Committee, COL/CC/LIB: Libraries, Guildhall Art Gallery and Archives Committee, COL/CC/LMC: Library and Museum Committee, COL/CC/MLB: Museum of London Board of Governors, COL/LBD/AD: Libraries and Art Galleries: Administration, COL/LBD/AG: Libraries and Art Galleries: Guildhall Art Gallery, COL/LBD/GHL: Libraries and Art Galleries: Guildhall Library and COL/LBD/MUS: Libraries and Art Galleries: Guildhall Museum.
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English