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.
Associated Metropolitan Water CompaniesRecords from the Lee Conservancy Board Engineer's Office at Enfield Lock. The engineer appears also to have been responsible to the Lee Conservancy Catchment Board (for example, see Acc 2423/062).
The collection consists of nineteenth and twentieth century plans, papers and volumes concerning the Lee Conservancy Board, the Lee Conservancy Catchment Board, and the British Waterways Board, covering many aspects of maintenance work on waterways and administration. The papers comprise:
- Plans 1760-1954 (ACC 2423/P/0001-3786) A large proportion of the collection consists of plans, many reused with annotations. Items relate to repair work on sewers and buildings, improvements to rivers and pumping stations, and the purchase of land for new projects.
- Parliamentary Plans 1840-1965 (ACC 2423/PP/001-041) Plans produced for or submitted for Parliamentary Sessions to illustrate forthcoming work on waterways, for example, sewerage work, or waterways affected by the construction of railways.
- Specific Plans 1867-1964 (ACC 2423/R/001-076) A set of plans illustrating large projects, which seems to have been kept as a set distinct and separate from the main ACC 2423/P plan series by the placing of the letter `R' before each original plan number.
- General Plans 1828-1974 (ACC 2423/X/001-300) A collection of more general plans relating to projects focusing on improvements to the Lea River and Navigation, the Stort River and Navigation, the Bow Back Rivers and the Grand Union Canal.
- Ordnance Survey Maps 1838-1955 (ACC 2423/05/001-139) Maps used to plan forthcoming work, with frequent annotations, particularly for the drafting of courses for sewers.
- Engineers' Reports and Letter Books 1858-1961 (ACC 2423/001-136) Sets of volumes and files recording reports, contracts and specifications, and other maintenance records.
- Administrative and Legal Documents 1829-1977 (ACC 2423/AL/001-119) Administrative files relating to accidents and damage, together with inventories of assets, minutes of meetings, and engineers' reports. Legal documents include material on agreements for sale and tenancy, the conveyance of property, and contracts.
- Engineering and Maintenance Records 1892-1978 (ACC 2423/EM/001-097) Records relating to the maintenance and improvement of waterways, including development plans, moratorium surveys, pumping records, and related graphs and operation sheets.
Typescript of unpublished work: 'Ancient and Modern History of Irrigation in Ceylon: Being a collection of notes from various sources relative to the ancient and modern irrigation works of Ceylon', with photographs, by Leonard T Burgess, of the Irrigation Department, Ceylon, 1932
Burgess , Leonard T , fl 1932 , Irrigation Department, CeylonCorporate records of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, including Court of Directors minute books; General Board minute books; Committee of Accounts and Works minute books; Finance and Audit Committee minute books; Parliamentary Committee minutes; Secretary's report books; agenda books; correspondence; letter books; legal papers; register of stock and share holders; stock and share ledgers and other records; dividend books; registers of wills; bond records; contracts and specifications.
Chelsea Waterworks CompanyFinancial records of Chelsea Waterworks Company, including annual account books; annual reports; accounts ledgers; journals; cash books; bills books; revenue ledgers; meter accounts; and order books.
Chelsea Waterworks CompanyGeneral records of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, including correspondence relating to water charges; printed circulars and forms; newspaper cuttings; and reference material.
Chelsea Waterworks CompanyProperty records of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, comprising land purchase registers and rent books.
Chelsea Waterworks CompanyPurchase records of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, including works day books; day books; Pipe Yard day book; stock books; and records relating to the delivery and consumption of coal.
Chelsea Waterworks CompanyStaff records of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, including register of employment; wages accounts and wages books.
Chelsea Waterworks CompanyRecords of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, including papers relating to steam engines and other machinery; service records of workmen; sick pay regulations; deeds and other legal documents relating to company property; financial accounts; legal case records; Parliamentary papers; licences and historical notes.
Chelsea Waterworks CompanyWater supply and distribution records of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, including engineer's reports; meter inspection reports; storekeeper's reports; water supply aggreements and applications; supply records; meter registers; district water services records; collector's rate books; special supplies records; parish assessments and rates; statistical records; stopcock registers; pipelaying and works records; cartage books; meterological data and water analysis records.
Chelsea Waterworks CompanyMinutes and presented papers of meetings of the London County Council, 1889-1965. Also minutes and presented papers of London County Council Committees and Sub-Committees, as follows:
Air Raid Precautions Committee
Appeals Committee
Asylums Committee
Bridges Committee
Building Acts Committee
Central Public Health and Medical Services Committee
Children's Committee
Civil Defence Committee
Contagious Diseases Committee
Corporate Property and Endowments Committee
Education Committee
Emergency Committee
Entertainments Committee
Establishments Committee
Evacuation Committee
Finance Committee
Fire Brigade Committee
General Purposes Committee
Health Committee
Highways Committee
Historical Buildings and Records Committee
Housing Committee
Improvements Committee
Industrial Schools Committee
Inebriates Committee
Local Government Committee
Main Drainage Committee
Midwives Committee
New and Expanding Towns Committee
Parks and Open Spaces Committee
Parks (special entertainments) Committee
Parliamentary Committee
Public Assistance Committee
Public Control Committee
Public Health Committee
Restaurants and Catering Committee
Rivers Committee
Roads Committee
Smallholdings Committee
Stores Committee
Theatres Committee
Town Planning Committee
Water Supply Committee
Welfare Committee
Welfare of the Blind Committee
Works Committee
Please note that copies of these minutes and papers are on open access in the Information Area.
LCC , London County Council x London County CouncilPapers 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.
Couchman , John William , fl 1840-1900 , surveyor and civil engineerMinute books of Gas Committee, 1865-1873; minute books of Gas and Water Committee, 1873-1889; committee papers 1865-1889 and reports, 1874.
Corporation of LondonMinute books of various Select and Special Committees of the Commissioners of Sewers and the Public Health Department, 1882-1929, including committees on the provision of electric lighting, school board expenditure on sanitation, the Engineer's Department, the construction of new offices, the provision of uniforms for inspectors and officers, the London Building Acts Amendment (1905) and the Metropolitan Water Board (Various Powers) Bill. There are also minutes of a joint sub-committee of the Improvements and Finance, Streets and Sanitary Committees.
Corporation of LondonRecords of the East London Water Works Company, 1899-1903, consisting of contract drawings and a timetable of a visit made by members of Portsmouth Water Works Company to East London Water Works.
East London Water Works CompanyFinancial records of the East London Waterworks Company, including general ledgers; journals and cash books; Collectors' accounts volumes; analyses of expenditure volumes; minor financial volumes and rating files.
East London Waterworks CompanyCorporate records of the East London Waterworks Company, including Court of Director's minute books; legal papers; Committee papers; title deeds; correspondence and letter books; papers relating to stocks, shares and debentures; Parliamentary papers; papers relating to royal commissions on water supply; Secretary's files; press cuttings; and plans.
East London Waterworks CompanyProperty records of the East London Waterworks Company, including rental ledgers; particulars of land purchases; notices and plans of intended purchase and schedule of deeds.
East London Waterworks CompanyStaff records of the East London Waterworks Company, including Officers' guarantees; papers relating to salaries annual holidays and sickness; and staff lists.
East London Waterworks CompanyPapers 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.
East London Waterworks CompanyPrinted volume relating to the Edinburgh Water Company, and containing the following manuscript items:
- Copies of letters between James A.Balfour, clerk to the Edinburgh Water Company, and Richard Mackenzie, Writer to the Signet, of Abercromby Place. 4-6 Dec, 1844. (2 leaves. 12" x 7").
- Copy of a report to the Parliamentary Commissioners under the Edinburgh Water Company Acts of Parliament regarding the Company's accounts from 11 Nov 1843 to 11 Nov 1844, prepared by Robert Christie, accountant, of 26, St.Andrew Square, Edinburgh, at the request of the Commissioners. The report was made on 28 Dec 1844, and presented to them on 8 Jan 1845. (4 leaves. 12" x 7").
- Copy of the report of the Law Committee on the above report, signed by John Brown, Chairman of the Committee, 5 Feb 1845. (6 leaves. 12" x 7").
- Copy of a report of an adjourned meeting of the Parliamentary Commissioners held on 8th February 1845. (2 leaves. 12" x 7").
- Summons of reduction by the Edinburgh Water Company against the Lord Provost of Edinburgh and others: printed form of citation completed in manuscript and signed by Robert Gordon, messenger-at-arms, on 3 May 1845. (Single sheet. 4½" x 7").
Records of the London County Council Fire Brigade Department, 1822-1965, including subject and policy files on general topics including correspondence on question whether horses can smell fire and locate scene of outbreaks; participation by Brigade in International Horse Shows; surprise inspections of stations by the Chief Officer; passing of information on fires to firms of fire assessors; the funerals of Sir Eyre Massey Shaw and Sir Lionel Wells; drills and competitions; Women's Fire Protection Force; emergency arrangements during the 1926 General Strike; pamphlet on National Fire Brigades Association; International Fire Exhibition, Paris; mutual arrangements between brigades for extinguishing fires; London Fire Brigade Questions and Answers Book; liaison with press; displays and demonstrations at exhibitions and events; London Fire Brigade Museum; reorganisation of the Brigade (1934); visits by officers to foreign fire brigades; the Royal Commission on Fire Brigades and Fire Prevention; Departmental Committee on Fire Brigade Services (Riverdale Committee); Fire Brigades Act, 1938; insurance companies' contributions towards the cost of the Brigade; Central Advisory Council for Fire Services; press cuttings; transfer of Fire Services from National Fire Service to local authorities after Second World War.
Subject and policy files regarding fires and special services, including papers on: fires aboard ships; fires on tramcars; fires in dance halls, factories, workshops, warehouses, Government and LCC buildings, hospitals, nursing homes, massage establishments, chimneys, hotels, clubs, lodging houses, restaurants, fried fish shops, places of public entertainment, houses, flats, tenements, schools, colleges, churches, church halls, University buildings, wharves, docks, gasworks, gas mains, departmental stores, shops and retail markets; fires involving explosives; static electricity as a cause of fire; reports on serious fires; legal right of Brigade to enter premises on fire; Society for the Protection of Life from Fire; special services including gas escapes, lift accidents, railway accidents and pumping operations during flooding; fires of doubtful origin or caused by arson and incendiaries; City fire inquests; lives lost at fires; electrical hazards at fires; organisation at large fires; oil fires; fires and panics; special reports on individual fires; fires involving celluloid; reports on fires by fire prevention officers; register of fires and other incidents attended by the Brigade Control Unit.
Subject and policy files regarding appliances and equipment including land steamers, horses and stabling, motor vehicles, motor pumps, Merryweather's pumps, escape vans and turntable ladders, electrical turntable ladders, foam tender, fireboats "Alpha", "Beta", "Gamma", "Massey Shaw" and "Raidwood", smoke helmets, respirators and breathing apparatus, chemical fire extinguishers, fire escapes, asbestos protective equipment, air foam. Also Stores Ledgers and registers of accidents to vehicles and appliances.
Subject and policy files relating to communications including street fire alarms, fire alarm telegraph systems, fire telephones, malicious false alarms, automatic fire alarms, radiotelephony, messages, Watch-room and Control Room procedures, teleprinters, radio installations, list of automatic fire alarms and fire telephones connected to each station.
Subject and policy files relating to fire prevention, including tests of fireproof flooring; inspection of public, government and Council buildings; fire precautions at various buildings including hospitals; petroleum storage; petrol fires on barges; celluloid risks; explosives; electric high voltage and neon signs; household fire protection rules; revised fire drill rules for schools; automatic sprinkler installation; foam installations to deal with petrol and oil fires; automatic drencher installations; means of escape in case of fire; Advisory Committee on the Amendment of the London Building Act, 1930; fire prevention arrangements on ships and Tube railways; Fire Prevention (Business Premises) Order, 1941.
Subject and policy files relating to water supplies including liaison with Metropolitan Water Board in cases of water shortage at fires; hydrants and hydrant tablets; maps showing locations of hydrants; hydrant registers. Subject and policy files relating to Fire Brigade buildings, particularly London Fire Brigade Headquarters at Albert Embankment.
Original fire reports, containing detailed reports concerning individual calls to fires, including false alarms, including: address of fire, occupiers of premises, business or trade carried on, where fire started, particulars of fire, times of calls, method of extinguishing fire, fire appliances in attendance and fire station called. Also daily return of fire calls, compiled under section 31 of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act, 1865, which required the Fire Brigade to supply each fire insurance company with a daily return of fires occurring in the Metropolis. The information generally duplicates that of the fire reports.
General reports and publications, including Memoir of James Braidwood; pamphlets and order of proceedings; handbooks; lectures; reports; articles; guidebooks; memoranda, orders and instructions; order books, statistics and log books. Also photographs.
LCC , London County Council x London County CouncilFinancial records of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, including half-yearly accounts; ledgers; journals; cash books; liabilities; balance books; revenue ledgers; office rate books; Collectors' recoveries and meter collections.
Grand Junction Waterworks CompanyRecords of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, including Court of Directors' papers; legal papers; parliamentary papers; investments records; plans; engine and coal accounts; contracts; staff records and property records.
Grand Junction Waterworks CompanyCorporate records of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, including Court of Directors minute books; Committee books; Court record books; General Assembly minute books; Directors' reports; correspondence and letter books; registers of shareholders; stock ledgers; mortgage records; and contracts records.
Grand Junction Waterworks CompanyGeneral records of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, including examples of forms printed and distributed by the company; general index of drawings; papers relating to rate assessment appeals; valuation of tools and working plant; and papers relating to Parliamentary Acts and Royal Commissions.
Grand Junction Waterworks CompanyPurchase records of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, comprising stock books.
Grand Junction Waterworks CompanyStaff records of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, comprising staff wages books.
Grand Junction Waterworks CompanyRecords 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.
Grand Junction Waterworks CompanyLetters Patent appointing Commissioners, 1810-1839; orders and proceedings (minutes of the Commissioners), 1625-1847; assessments and accounts, 1664-1834; assessments for the maintenance of the levels and marshes of East Greenwich, 1775-1809; annual estimates of expenditure for the Commission, 1790-1833; reports of Committees to the Court on various matters (assessments, surveys, and so on), 1833-1847; petitions, reports, legal papers, opinions of Counsel, jury presentments and surveys, 1810-1845; contracts, agreements and tenders relating to works, 1826-1845; correspondence, 1825-1839; A survey of East Greenwich with table of owners and occupiers, survey by Timothy Skynner, 1745 and enlarged copy of the 1745 plan of the land of East Greenwich showing survey alterations and the tenements and buildings which have been erected to July 1834, 1834.
Greenwich Commission of SewersLetters patent appointing Commissioners, 1860; volume of presentments with schedules of owners and occupiers of property, 1860; Minutes of the Commissioners, 1894-1934; deeds of grant and agreements allowing construction or maintenance work to take place, 1886-1941; surveys and plans, 1721-1858, including surveys of Dagenham, Barking and East Ham Levels by James Bermingham, ordered by the Commissioners of Sewers, 1735-1742, "plan of Lands in the Valley of the River Roding over which it is proposed to extend the jurisdiction of the Commissioners", 1854 and maps of Wicklands Level, Westbury Level and Little West Marsh, 1858.
Havering Level Commission of SewersLetters Patent appointing Commissioners, 1811-1837; qualification books, containing signatures of Commissioners acknowledging their allegiance to the sovereign, 1812-1847; standing orders of the Court, 1812-1826; minutes, copies of warrants, and presentments, 1683-1688; minutes of the Commissioners, 1716-1847; General Committee minutes, 1813-1847; Committee of Accounts minutes, 1813-1847; Committee of Works minutes, 1818-1847; entries of bonds and contracts, 1814-1841; specifications for contracts for new sewers, 1839-1847; description and particulars of sewers built by contract, providing name of contractor, place, length of sewer, 1821-1837; out-letter books, 1812-1847; in-letter books, 1840-1847; petitions for new sewers, 1812-1848; petitions for drains from houses to sewers, 1812-1848; clerk's monthly reports upon sewers ordered to be built upon contributions being paid, 1842-1847; complaints and applications from householders and others, 1813-1848; Surveyor's order books, 1812-1846; Surveyor's report books, 1811-1847; financial records, 1812-1849; rate books, 1779-1848; a collection of the public statutes relating to sewers and the local acts for Holborn and Finsbury Division, 1830; registers of sewers, 1849; maps and plans, 1745-1846.
Holborn and Finsbury Commission of SewersThree printed share certificates of the Kent Water Works (incorporated 1809), signed by Samuel Taylor, clerk and secretary, and sealed with the embossed paper common seal of the company. Certificate 175 (7 Oct 1809) was owned by Folliot Scott Stokes of Shorter's Court, London; certificate 468 (17 Oct 1809) by Joseph Petty Toulmin of Lombard Street, London; and certificate 756 (17 Oct 1809) by Harry Ambrose [Hardy] of the Phoenix Fire Office, London. 175 is endorsed with a certificate, 22 Nov 1811, saying that all the instalments on the share had been paid.
Kent Water Works CompanyCorporate records of the Kent Waterworks Company, including Board of Directors' minute books; Committee minute books; Secretary's reports; correspondence and letter books; legal papers; records relating to shares, stocks and dividends; and contracts.
Kent Waterworks CompanyFinancial records of Kent Waterworks Company, including statements of account; ledgers; journals; cash books; revenue ledgers; allocation of expenditure books; receipts books and collector's accounts.
Kent Waterworks CompanyGeneral papers of the Kent Waterworks Company including press cuttings; papers relating to the Royal Commission on Water Supply; legal case papers and indexes.
Kent Waterworks CompanyPurchase records of the Kent Waterworks Company including stock books, store book meters, and weigh bridge books (containing descriptions of goods and their weights).
Kent Waterworks CompanyStaff records of the Kent Waterworks Company, including wages accounts sheets; papers relating to salaries and pensions book.
Kent Waterworks CompanyRecords 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.
Kent Waterworks CompanyFurther records of the Lambeth Waterworks Company, including Board papers; Secretary's reports; correspondence; legal papers; Parliamentary papers; contract papers; engineer's reports; inspector's reports; foreman's reports; papers relating to water supply; property records and staff records.
Lambeth Waterworks CompanyCorporate records of the Lambeth Waterworks Company, including minute books of the Committee of Management and Directors; Committee minute books; agenda books; Director's reports; correspondence and letter books; legal papers; papers relating to stocks and shares; dividend books; registers of bonds; and contracts records.
Lambeth Waterworks CompanyFinancial records of the Lambeth Waterworks Company, including ledgers; journals; cash books and day books; Collector's rent and revenue records; water charges records; road watering and meter account books.
Lambeth Waterworks CompanyStaff records of the Lambeth Waterworks Company, comprising establishment books.
Lambeth Waterworks CompanyRecords 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.
Lambeth Waterworks CompanyRecords of the Lee Conservancy Catchment Board, including minutes of Board meetings; papers relating to staff including wages and superannuation; papers regarding the Sadler's Mill stream diversion; papers regarding flood relief and defences; correspondence and papers of the Association of River Authorities; papers relating to clearing the river; petitions; rainfall statistics; fishing rights; papers regarding members of the Board; drainage schemes; public relations files; papers regarding the Water Resources Act 1973; reports; papers regarding the acquisition of properties; and agreements for works, clearing, drainage, diversions, improvements, flood prevention, land sales and so on.
Lee Conservancy Catchment BoardHistory of the London Bridge Waterworks, 1780.
London Bridge Waterworks CompanyFinancial records of the London Bridge Waterworks Company, including cash books; Treasurer's accounts; monthly balances; Collector's accounts; arrears books; papers relating to rents; water rents lost by collectors and receipt books.
London Bridge Waterworks CompanyCorporate records of the London Bridge Waterworks Company, including Committee of Managers minute books; General Meetings of the Proprietors minute books; shareholders register; stock ledgers and transfer books and dividend books.
London Bridge Waterworks CompanyPurchase records of the London Bridge Waterworks Company comprising stock books, inventories and valuations.
London Bridge Waterworks Company