Collection GB 0074 CLC/272 - COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS OF THE CITY OF LONDON

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 CLC/272

Title

COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS OF THE CITY OF LONDON

Date(s)

  • 1771-1908 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

815 production units.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Early Commissioners of Sewers were solely concerned with land drainage and the prevention of flooding, not with the removal of sewage in the modern sense. In 1531 an Act of Sewers was passed which set out in great detail the duties and powers of Commissioners and governed their work until the 19th century, amended by various local acts. Gradually a permanent pattern emerged in the London area of seven commissions, five north and two south of the Thames, with, after the Great Fire, a separate commission for the City of London. The Commissioners had responsibility to undertake the construction of sewers and drains as well as the paving, cleaning and lighting of the City streets. Its powers were greatly extended by subsequent Acts of Parliament.

Under the City of London Sewers Act 1897, the Commission was dissolved with effect from January 1898 and its duties and responsibilities transferred to the Common Council of the Corporation of London and subsequently exercised by a separate Public Health Department until 1947 when the department was merged in the Town Clerk's Office.

Archival history

GB 0074 CLC/272 1771-1908 Collection 815 production units. Commissioners of Sewers , Corporation of London x Public Health Department

Early Commissioners of Sewers were solely concerned with land drainage and the prevention of flooding, not with the removal of sewage in the modern sense. In 1531 an Act of Sewers was passed which set out in great detail the duties and powers of Commissioners and governed their work until the 19th century, amended by various local acts. Gradually a permanent pattern emerged in the London area of seven commissions, five north and two south of the Thames, with, after the Great Fire, a separate commission for the City of London. The Commissioners had responsibility to undertake the construction of sewers and drains as well as the paving, cleaning and lighting of the City streets. Its powers were greatly extended by subsequent Acts of Parliament.

Under the City of London Sewers Act 1897, the Commission was dissolved with effect from January 1898 and its duties and responsibilities transferred to the Common Council of the Corporation of London and subsequently exercised by a separate Public Health Department until 1947 when the department was merged in the Town Clerk's Office.

The records were transferred to Guildhall Library by the Corporation of London Valuation and Rating Dept in 1921. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Records of the Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London. The records comprise: official documents relating to the case of the Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London v William Bulkeley Glasse and others; sewer rate books, 1771-1874; consolidated rate books, 1790-1908; and Metropolis Main Drainage rate books, 1858-1869.

The collection has been arranged in 4 series:
CLC/272/MS01649: Official documents;
CLC/272/MS02137: Sewer rates;
CLC/272/MS02138: Consolidated rates;
CLC/272/MS02139: Main drainage rates.

Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

English

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Other papers of the City of London Commissioners of Sewers are at reference CLA/006.
Records of the City of London Public Health department are at COL/PHD/AD.
See also the architectural sketch and notebooks of Richard Kelsey who was surveyor to the City of London Commissioners of Sewers, 1832-46 (CLC/B/139/MS00433).
The Commissioners of Sewers also managed the City of London Cemetery, see CLA/052.

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.

August to October 2010. Court of Commissioners of Sewers , Corporation of London x Public Health Department Consolidated rates Administration of justice Courts Courts of Sewers Sewerage Local taxation People People by roles Commissioners Improvement commissioners Environmental engineering Sanitation Waste disposal Waste treatment Sewers Information sources Documents Legal case records Drainage Water resources Fiscal policy Finance Taxation Community charge Sewer rates Commissioners of Sewers , Corporation of London x Public Health Department City of London London England UK Western Europe Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The records were transferred to Guildhall Library by the Corporation of London Valuation and Rating Dept in 1921. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London. The records comprise: official documents relating to the case of the Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London v William Bulkeley Glasse and others; sewer rate books, 1771-1874; consolidated rate books, 1790-1908; and Metropolis Main Drainage rate books, 1858-1869.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The collection has been arranged in 4 series:
CLC/272/MS01649: Official documents;
CLC/272/MS02137: Sewer rates;
CLC/272/MS02138: Consolidated rates;
CLC/272/MS02139: Main drainage rates.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Other papers of the City of London Commissioners of Sewers are at reference CLA/006.
Records of the City of London Public Health department are at COL/PHD/AD.
See also the architectural sketch and notebooks of Richard Kelsey who was surveyor to the City of London Commissioners of Sewers, 1832-46 (CLC/B/139/MS00433).
The Commissioners of Sewers also managed the City of London Cemetery, see CLA/052.

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

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

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

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area