Collection PCS - POPLAR COMMISSION OF SEWERS

Identity area

Reference code

PCS

Title

POPLAR COMMISSION OF SEWERS

Date(s)

  • 1629-1847 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

1.63 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

On 18th January 1600 a Commission of Sewers was issued to Sir John Picton and others 'for serten lymitts betwene Lymehouse and Blackwall'. The Commission for 1620 was for 'Stebenheath alias Poplar Marsh', and this with some verbal variations was used for most of the later Commissions.

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. 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 London commissioners had more extensive powers than those in other parts of the country; they had control over all watercourses and ditches within two miles of the City of London as well as newly constructed drains and sewers. After 1800 the London commissioners also obtained powers to control the formation of new sewers and house drains.

Archival history

PCS 1629-1847 Collection 1.63 linear metres Poplar Commission of Sewers

On 18th January 1600 a Commission of Sewers was issued to Sir John Picton and others 'for serten lymitts betwene Lymehouse and Blackwall'. The Commission for 1620 was for 'Stebenheath alias Poplar Marsh', and this with some verbal variations was used for most of the later Commissions.

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. 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 London commissioners had more extensive powers than those in other parts of the country; they had control over all watercourses and ditches within two miles of the City of London as well as newly constructed drains and sewers. After 1800 the London commissioners also obtained powers to control the formation of new sewers and house drains.

Acquired with the records of its successor body.

Records of the Poplar Commission of Sewers, including Letters Patent appointing Commissioners, 1702-1837; writs and warrants, 1662-1847, including writs authorizing the Commissioners to execute their office faithfully, writs discharging certain Commissioners from their duties, writs to summon juries and warrants for collection of rates; registers of orders and decrees, 1629-1847; out letter book, 1828-1843; financial accounts and rate books, 1780-1847; New Testament belonging to the Commissioners, 1797; reference book listing owners and occupiers, 1817; and maps and plans of Poplar showing sewers and levels of land.

PCS/1-13: Letters Patent; PCS/14-62: Writs and Warrants; PCS/63-68: Registers; PCS/69: Correspondence; PCS/70-78: Financial; PCS/79-80: Printed Items; PCS PR/1-5: Maps and Plans.

Available for general access.

Copyright: City of London.
English

Some registers unfit for access, please use microfilm X88/8-9.

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

For the original Commissions of Sewers see The National Archives Crown Office Docquet Books, reference Ind. 4208 and Ind. 4211.

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. April to June 2009 Drainage Water resources Sewerage Engineering Maintenance Environmental engineering Sanitation Waste disposal Sewage disposal People People by roles Commissioners Improvement commissioners Health Public health Water supply Water resources management Sewers Waste treatment Health policy Poplar Commission of Sewers Tower Hamlets London England UK Western Europe Poplar Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Acquired with the records of its successor body.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Poplar Commission of Sewers, including Letters Patent appointing Commissioners, 1702-1837; writs and warrants, 1662-1847, including writs authorizing the Commissioners to execute their office faithfully, writs discharging certain Commissioners from their duties, writs to summon juries and warrants for collection of rates; registers of orders and decrees, 1629-1847; out letter book, 1828-1843; financial accounts and rate books, 1780-1847; New Testament belonging to the Commissioners, 1797; reference book listing owners and occupiers, 1817; and maps and plans of Poplar showing sewers and levels of land.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

PCS/1-13: Letters Patent; PCS/14-62: Writs and Warrants; PCS/63-68: Registers; PCS/69: Correspondence; PCS/70-78: Financial; PCS/79-80: Printed Items; PCS PR/1-5: Maps and Plans.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

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 original Commissions of Sewers see The National Archives Crown Office Docquet Books, reference Ind. 4208 and Ind. 4211.

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

Publication note

Notes area

Note

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