Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1629-1847 (Creation)
Level of description
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.
Repository
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
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Water resources » Drainage
- Water resources
- Engineering
- Engineering » Maintenance
- Environmental engineering
- Environmental engineering » Sanitation
- Environmental engineering » Sanitation » Waste disposal
- Health
- Water resources management » Water supply
- Water resources management
- Environmental engineering » Sanitation » Waste disposal » Waste treatment » Sewers
- Environmental engineering » Sanitation » Waste disposal » Waste treatment
- Health » Health policy
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