Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1771-1908 (Creation)
Level of description
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.
Repository
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
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Administration of justice
- Administration of justice » Courts
- Environmental engineering
- Environmental engineering » Sanitation
- Environmental engineering » Sanitation » Waste disposal
- Environmental engineering » Sanitation » Waste disposal » Waste treatment
- Environmental engineering » Sanitation » Waste disposal » Waste treatment » Sewers
- Information sources
- Documents
- Water resources » Drainage
- Water resources
- Finance » Fiscal policy
- Finance
- Finance » Fiscal policy » Taxation
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