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Records of the Amalgamated Engineering Union. The collection has large gaps in the records. However, most of the material contains valuable details on engineers who were members of the union, and on those receiving benefits, for reasons including illness, accidents and deaths.

Records of Associated Metropolitan Water Companies, comprising minutes and accounts of the Metropolitan Water Companies Meetings of Chairmen; minutes of sub committees including the Intercommunication Committee of Engineers of the Metropolitan Water Companies and the Committee for the Management of Works of Intercommunication; and correspondence.

Records of B Hooper and Company, manufacturing chemists, including ledger, order, invoices, prescription books, formula book and labels for products.

This small collection consists of two minute books (containing records of both Directors' and Annual General Meetings) which from 1921, the year in which Caffin and Company was incorporated. There are also various miscellaneous papers, a draft debenture agreement, and a document relating to Caffin (Africa) Limited.

Papers of John William Couchman and Harold Seymour Couchman, surveyors, agents to the lords of the manors of Tottenham and Edmonton and civil engineers, 1789-1938. The majority of the papers are those of John William Couchman who was a civil engineer (in particular, apparently, a waterworks expert) and a surveyor and valuer, but a few later ones relate to his successor, Harold Seymour Couchman.

John William Couchman acted as surveyor and agent to the lords of the manors of Tottenham and Edmonton. Most of the manorial documents are valuations for enfranchisement of copyhold property. These cover the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and are arranged alphabetically under the names of the copyholders. There is also, however, a survey of Tottenham manor of circa 1830 and two rentals of quit and waste rents for Tottenham and one for Edmonton, together with correspondence with the local urban district councils over their purchase of manorial waste.

The remainder of the collection consists of documents concerning property of the Sperling family and of others for whom Couchman acted as agent; his own papers relating to various engineering projects - notably that to provide a drinking water supply for Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, papers concerning the Tithe rent charges for Tottenham (for which he acted as valuer), various sales particulars including one of 1789 for Bruce Castle and Mount Pleasant, and two albums of photographs taken at the end of the last century which are of considerable interest.

Papers of the East London Waterworks Company relating to water supply and distribution, including Engineers' reports; Engineers' correspondence; volumes of accepted tenders; water supply agreements; Collectors' and Inspectors' letter books; indexes to the locations of meters; rating volumes; accounts; plans and diagrams.

The correspondence and papers of Thomas Gold, astrophysicist, 1920-2004. The papers that comprise this collection provide a fascinating insight into Thomas Gold's research, views and life as an academic. They relate to almost very aspect of his career from his work at the Admiralty Signal Establishment, research into the theory of hearing and controversy over his proposal that the surface of the moon would be covered with a layer of fine-grained rock powder, to his advocacy of the contentious theory that oil and gas deposits are non-biological (abiogenic) in origin and his proposal, proved correct, that microbial life exists deep beneath the earth's surface.

Records of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company relating to water supply and distribution, including water supply agreements; laying on books; meter agreements; meter readings; fire report books; water rentals books; pipes records; examination of mains books; papers relating to alterations to pipes and fittings; meter charges; supply and engineering records.

Records of the Greater London Council, 1810-1988. Papers of the Architect's Department including the Building Regulations Division, Street Naming Section, District Surveyors, Education Division, Maintenance Division, Engineering Division, Structural Engineer, Historic Buildings Division, Housing and Town Development Branch, Technical Publications, Photograph Library, Plan Registry, Special Works Branch and Technical Policy Division; and papers of the GLC London Community Builders.

Papers of the Director-General's Department, including papers of the Administration Division, Finance Division, Personnel Division, Registry and Dispatch Division, Record Office and Library, Director-General's Board, Public Health and Safety Programme Board, Ceremonial Office, Entertainments Licensing Group, Ethnic Minorities Unit, Housing and Technical Services Committees, Industry and Employment Branch, Intelligence Unit and Policy Study Groups, Judicial Services Section, Majority Party Secretariat, Member's Support Unit, Minority Party Secretariat, Police Committee Support Unit, Professional and General Services Committee, Programme Office, Policy and Resources Group, Public Relations Branch, Public Services and Fire Brigade Department, Planning Transport and Industry Group, Scrutiny Committee, Secretariat, Scientific Services Branch, Town Development Committee and Women's Committee Support Unit. Also Committee agendas, minutes and papers, periodicals, and publications of the Council.

Papers of the London Fire Brigade administrative branch. Papers of the Public Health Engineering Department, including the Rivers Branch and the Solid Waste Management Branch. Papers of the Housing Department, including the Controller of Housing and Technical Services, the Directors of Housing, the Development Branch, Management Branch, Professional Services Branch, Renewals Branch and Thamesmead Branch. Papers of the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department including the Design and Technical Policy Branch and the Maintenance Branch.

Papers of the Medical Adviser's Department including the School Health Division, Health and Housing Division, Inspectorate, Mental Deficiency case files and Slum Clearance case files. Papers of the Recreation and Arts Department including papers of the Director of Development and Controller of Operational Services, papers of the General Landscaping Division, Housing Landscaping Division, Thamesmead Landscaping Division, Planning and Strategy Division, Architectural Design and Construction Division, General Practice Surveying Division, Entertainments and Fairs Division, Information and Publicity Division, Sports Division, Grants Branch, Open Space and Recreation Branch, Horticulture Division, Open Air Entertainments Division and Parks Department.

Papers of the Supply Department. Papers of the Transportation and Development Department, including papers of the Controller of Transportation and Development, papers of the Construction Branch, Statutory Division, Local Plans Division, Land Use Section, Programme Management and Resources Branch, Cycling Project Team, Chief Traffic Engineer, Traffic Control Division, Plan Registry, Traffic Management Section, Transport Planning Branch, Environmental Management Division, and Policy and Projects Division. Also Greater London Development Plan files, photographs, technical publications, and Greater London traffic surveys.

Also papers of individual members of the GLC including Ken Livingstone, GLC Leader 1981-1986; Paul Boateng, Chairman of GLC Police Committee, 1981-1986; Sir Horace Cutler, GLC Leader, 1977-1981; papers of staff clubs and societies and non-GLC publications concerning the Council and its work.

Records of Harry Neal Limited, building and engineering contractor, 1937-1957, including files relating to building projects worked on by the company including:

• 1/3 Princes Gate

  • 160 Shaftsbury Avenue
  • 5 Portland Place
  • 16 Berkeley Square
  • Grosvenor Square
  • Saint Pancras Way Housing Scheme
  • Oxford Street
  • 117 Baker Street
  • 31 Montagu Square
  • Brompton Road
  • BBC building at 1 Portland Place
  • BBC telephones
  • 11 and 12 Mount Street
  • Dunster House.

  Also office files, financial accounts and file relating to builders accidents.

This exceptionally interesting collection consists of the archives of a London business family, the Howards, and their relations by marriage, the Eliots. The family were based in London, with homes in the City and various places round about, but they also had property and connections in several other parts of England.

The chief interest of the collection is in its quality as the personal record of a group of prosperous manufacturing and merchant families who were members of the Society of Friends. The Eliots were merchants and their account books, which cover both business and private expenses, together with letters and memoranda, reflect a picture of "City" life in the Eighteenth century. They attended the Change, Lloyd's and Child's and Jonathan's and other Coffee Houses, and dealt with a variety of business including trade overseas in cotton and duck cloth and Cornish tin and invested in "a voyage to Lima" and other merchant shipping ventures (including that of the Tuscany, unfortunately "Taken by the French and carried into Marseilles" in 1757). (See especially numbers 905, 928, 929, 944, etc.).

There is interesting material relating to John Eliot's estates supplemented by John Eliot's letters (e.g. Numbers 988-1011), which also mention a "good season" for pilchards, the decline of the docks at Topsham, the appropriation by the Government of some sugar pans near Exeter to use for French prisoners, etc. John's sister Mariabella also purchased in 1765 Pickhurst Farm, Hayes, Kent (Nos. 376-475).

There are amongst this collection a few letters and papers of later Howards, including an interesting pocket diary in which Samuel Lloyd Howard, grandson of Luke, jotted (unfortunately rather roughly in pencil) memoranda and sketches of impressions of his visit to America in 1854 (No. 1618). At sea his ship rescued the crew of the Hannay of Whitehaven, loaded with salt and flying a distress signal-"lay to and took all off, boy, baggage, chronometer, barometers and all".

At all periods the family kept in close touch with their relations in all parts of the country, including the Hows of Aspley, Bedfordshire, the Paces of Westmorland and London, the Leathams of Yorkshire as well as with fellow Quakers. This gives the collection a national rather than a local interest-indeed the family were not primarily associated with any one locality.

A curious document amongst the collection is a receipt dated 1824 for 8. 15s from R. Smith for freeing Hamma Fie, slave to Bentoo Demba, and signed with the mark of Madeba, Alcaide of "Birkow" (No. 1617/p.12). The Society of Friends Committee for African Instruction supported some missions, and Richard Smith, a friend of Luke Howard, was in Africa in the 1820's.

Quaker marriage certificates, of which there are several examples (eg. Nos. 117, 565, 1273, 1274, etc) give full details of both parties and are signed by members of the Meeting as witnesses. Birth certificates (e.g., Nos. 1275-1286, 1390-1393) give the date of birth and name, and were signed by witnesses to the baby's birth. The Society of Friends was in advance of both the State and established Church in respect of such documentation.

Records of Howards and Sons Ltd, manufacturers of pharmaceutical chemicals, 1902-1956. Comprising documents in English, French, German and Dutch, the collection reflects the company's active involvement in the world quinine market, especially in the years immediately following World War I (1918-1920), as well as its membership of the Association of Quinine Manufacturers in Allied Countries and the Quinine Manufacturers' Association at that time.

Records of Howards and Sons, manufacturers of pharmaceutical chemicals, 1798-1950, including records relating to the formation of the company; records of partnerships; memoranda and articles of association; notices of resolutions; papers relating to formation of company in 1903 and its reconstruction in 1920; records of shareholders; records of debenture stockholders; Company seal and Board memorandum books.

Papers relating to property owned by the Company, including leases and related papers; insurance records; records of building work and plans of the laboratories and factories at Plaistow, Stratford and Ilford. Financial accounts and bank statements; records relating to staff including wages books and pension papers.

Papers relating to manufacture and trade including papers relating to patents, licences and agreements; records of experiments; records of stock, production and trade, including accounts, correspondence, price lists, advertisements and newscuttings and papers relating to exhibitions. Papers relating to the manufacture of quinine, including patents and agreements; records of production and trade, including records of supply of bark, accounts, technical and business reports, correspondence, price lists and newscuttings.

Records relating to subsidiary companies including Hopkin & Williams Ltd.

Hopkin and Williams Ltd., Thorium Branch; Thorium Ltd.

Hopkin and Williams (Travancore) Ltd.

Hatton Contract Co. Ltd. and Golden Eagle Syndicate; James Anthony and Co. Ltd.

Agatash Estates Ltd.

Barking and Ilford Navigation Co. Ltd.

British Camphor Co. Ltd.

Demerara Development Co. Ltd.

Drogueria de la Estrella Ltda., Buenos Aires; Methylators Ltd. and O. Wallis and Co. Ltd.

Papers relating to the Howard family and associates, including John Williams, Joseph Jewell, R. J. Law. Also photographs and drawings; and a collection of printed technical and historical works relating to the work of the company, including a history of the Company, biographies and local history.

Records of J Tylor and Sons Limited, brass founders and manufacturers of sanitary appliances, including registers of patents granted to the company; specifications for water meters and sanitary appliances; patent certificates; certificates of registration of design, with designs attached; sales catalogues; and company histories.

Records of J J Lane Limited, engineers, 1873-1957, including letter books, printed catalogues and brochures illustrating the company's products, Sales particulars for disposal of plant, machinery, stores and equipment on winding-up of company and article from journal "Laundry Record and Journal" giving brief history of company.

Records of the Kent Waterworks Company relating to water supply and distribution, including engineer's reports; water supply agreements; records of supplies laid on and cut off; meter books and water rent books.

Records of the Lambeth Waterworks Company relating to water supply and distribution, including engineer's report books; Inspector's report books; water supply applications and agreements; supply registers; water meters; constant supply registers; registers of fires; water rent registers; engine time books and statistics; house surveys and works in progress.

Board minutes relating to production of the trade magazine Lightning.

Papers of W J Manktelow, comprising notebooks compiled during the Chemist and Druggist Course at Brighton Technical College, Sept 1937-June 1938.

Meteorological journal kept at Sunbury Vicarage, 1795-1839, by the Revd James Cowe. The introduction includes Sunbury harvest tables, 1799-1839, by R C Bayard; statistical tables of meteorological data; and 2 photographs and a plan of Sunbury Vicarage garden.

Proposals prepared by the County Engineer and County Architect, Middlesex County Council, including:

proposed extensions to Willesden Polytechnic, 1902

estimate for a new bridge across the River Colne near the Upper Mill, Stanwell Moor, 1904

alterations to Town Hall, Feltham, 1905

estimate for Magistrates' Court House, Uxbridge, 1906

specification for reconstruction of Colham Bridge over the Grand Junction Canal at Yiewsley, 1906.

Minute book of the Mining and Metallurgical Club, 1910-1916, with a note dated 2010.

Records of the New River Company which were separated from the main collection and used for exhibitions, including minutes; papers of the Surveyor; papers of the Engineer; negotiations for the supply of water; property papers; correspondence; reports; royal charters; agreements; legal papers; newspaper cuttings; papers relating to shares; contracts and specifications of works; and papers relating to staff.

Correspondence files of the New River Company, including Secretary's letter books; letter books of staff members including engineers, supervisors and surveyors; general letter books and estate letter books.

Records of the New River Company relating to water supply and distribution, including pipe order books; papers relating to works carried out; Engineer's papers; materials and fittings; papers relating to water supply; standpipe books; papers relating to Collectors; water rent account books and water rent rates; river and water gauges; pipe order books; river and water gauges; statistical returns and reports.

Collection of various legal and financial records, including papers regarding court proceedings, receipts, notes, assignment, insurance policy, bonds and papers relating to chemists and druggists, including letters requesting supplies and a trade card. The documents refer to locations in Covent Garden and the City of London.

Responses to a questionnaire by Paul Plaut, designed as research for Die Psychologie der produktiven Persönlichkeit, from prominent scientists and artists in Germany and Austria on their views about science and creativity. There are some interesting responses from outside the German speaking countries (Miguel de Unamuno, John Galsworthy), but the bulk of the contributions represent the views of German-speaking academics and artists. Responses to the scientific questionnaire include Albert Einstein, Fritz Haber and Erwin Finlay Freundlich as well as lay figures such as Gustav Radbrüch and Wilhelm Hellpach. Communications from writers range from letters by Heinrich and Franziska Mann to a postcard from Elsa Laska-Schüler. Architects write about their work and new ideas (Erich Mendelsohn) and some of the painters give insights into their creative development, notably Wassily Kandinsky, Otto Dix and Max Pechstein.

Papers collected by the antiquary George Scott. As well as catalogues of Scott's library (and many printed books) the collection includes George Scott's financial accounts; extracts from forest laws; abstracts of Treasury accounts; register of Queen Elizabeth I's out-letters; orders relating to the Cinque Ports; and a book of prescriptions. Also a diary of scientist Robert Hooke, 1671-1683. Please note this diary is available only with advance notice and at the discretion of the Assistant Director (Heritage).

Pocket book entitled "Tables and Memoranda for Engineers", published by M T Shaw and Company Ltd, containing useful information for engineers such as mathematical formulae, calculations, the strengths of various materials, the width of types of pipe, the hardness of different soils, the areas of circles and so on.

Articles of partnership in the company of Simpson and Thompson, engine makers, 1825.

Records of Smith Kendon Limited, 1826-1987. The collection mainly comprises the papers of Donald Smith and his capacity as Managing Director and Chairman of Smith Kendon Limited, including papers relating to the formation of the business such as articles of partnership and certificates of registration; deeds and other legal documents relating to property owned by the company; insurance policies; inventories; correspondence; minutes of meetings; Donald Smith's business diaries; sales figures; financial accounts; papers relating to stock and stock control; papers relating to sales; papers relating to products including recipe books; advertising; reports; staff records and papers relating to the Second World War.

Circular relating to the election of a new President of the Royal Society, 1820; letters and notices of the Society of Antiquaries, 1837-1862.

Records of the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company relating to water supply and distribution, including Engineers' report books; Supervisors' report books; service pipe agreements; meter agreements; trade supplies report books; constant supply orders; building supplies registers; meter supplies records; fire report books; engine and coal accounts; calculations and statistics; works diaries; mains supply map books and registers of complaints.

Records of Sparks, White and Company Limited, wholesale druggists and distillers' chemists, comprising an index to a bought ledger c 1830; sales ledger 1859-62 and 1874-81; bought journals and sales day books 1834-61; general accounts 1836-7 and 1850-7; fruit department account book 1910-1942; letter books 1847-1855; and a business diary 1838.

Records of the Staines Reservoir Joint Committee, comprising progress reports from the Engineer.

Papers of the Steedman family and related families the Faulconers and Crisps, including bills, apprenticeship indenture, certificates, marriage settlement, pedigrees, sacrament certificates and a history of the firm of John Steedman and Company, Walworth.

Letters from Thomas Laugher to the manager of his colour manufacturing business about the progress of the business in Laugher's absence.

Deed of partnership between Cuthbert Coates Smith and Bernard Edgar Aylwin to trade for five years as engineers as The Vaal Motor and Launch Company, 9th January 1902.

Plans made by the Engineer's Department, West Ham Borough Council, 1894-1966. The collection includes building plans, site plans, proposals for projects and Ordnance Survey maps. The maps have been amended by the engineers to show proposals or extent of works. The proposals include swimming pools, recreation grounds, public baths, sewers, new roads and unemployment relief works. There is a large amount of material relating to Whipps Cross Hospital, including contract plans. A detailed index of the plans can be found in hard copy at the LMA Information Area.

Records of the West Middlesex Waterworks Company relating to water supply and distribution, including Engineer's reports; Engineer's diaries for technical matters and workmen's time; Inspectors' technical diaries; revenue survey volumes; water supply and distribution volumes and files.

Records of Whiffen and Son Ltd, manufacturing chemists, 1752-1972, including history of the company; articles of partnership and other contracts and agreements; legal documents relating to property; correspondence; circulars; financial accounts; papers relating to shares and shareholders; stock records; newspaper cuttings; photographs; staff wages books and pensions papers; records relating to staff associations and sports clubs including minute books; reports on chemical manufacture, laboratory notebooks and chemical analyses; papers relating to sales; papers relating to imports and foreign suppliers; advertisements; registers of product labels; samples of packaging; rules, regulations and legislation regarding factories and safety measures; papers regarding the Second World War including war damage to factories and papers relating to staff on active duty.

Also records of Saint Amand Manufacturing Company Limited including ledgers, letter books and journals.

Records of the Worshipful Company of Engineers, 1982-2008, comprising an official printed copy of the charter of incorporation with an associated letter, court minutes, 1982-2008, and annual reports and accounts, 1984-2007.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESS: These records are stored at the Guildhall Library site rather than the LMA Clerkenwell site. Researchers wishing to access these records should do so at the Guildhall Library Rare Books table. The Library is open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 16:45. Researchers will need to have an Archives History Card or a Library Readers Card. An archivist will be available at Guildhall Library on Thursday mornings to answer any queries.