Collection SKCS - SURREY AND KENT COMMISSION OF SEWERS

Identity area

Reference code

SKCS

Title

SURREY AND KENT COMMISSION OF SEWERS

Date(s)

  • 1569-1854 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

24.73 linear metres

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. 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.

Letters Patent for the Surrey and Kent Commissioners of Sewers were issued in 1554. Its minutes begin in 1570 and it was the earliest of the London Commissions to be established on an organised basis. The area of its jurisdiction ran from East Molesey in Surrey to the River Ravensbourne, and included Lambeth, Southwark, Bermondsey, Newington, Deptford, Rotherhithe, Clapham, Battersea, Camberwell, Vauxhall, Wandsworth, Putney, Barnes, Kew, Lewisham, Walworth, Kennington, Nine Elms, Peckham and New Cross. The area of jurisdiction remained the same throughout the three centuries during which it functioned. It is worth pointing out that the areas listed above are no longer in Surrey and Kent but are part of Greater London.

Archival history

SKCS 1569-1854 Collection 24.73 linear metres Surrey and Kent Commissioners of Sewers

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.

Letters Patent for the Surrey and Kent Commissioners of Sewers were issued in 1554. Its minutes begin in 1570 and it was the earliest of the London Commissions to be established on an organised basis. The area of its jurisdiction ran from East Molesey in Surrey to the River Ravensbourne, and included Lambeth, Southwark, Bermondsey, Newington, Deptford, Rotherhithe, Clapham, Battersea, Camberwell, Vauxhall, Wandsworth, Putney, Barnes, Kew, Lewisham, Walworth, Kennington, Nine Elms, Peckham and New Cross. The area of jurisdiction remained the same throughout the three centuries during which it functioned. It is worth pointing out that the areas listed above are no longer in Surrey and Kent but are part of Greater London.

Acquired with the records of its successor body, the Metropolitan Board of Works. An additional presentment roll was received in 1963 (AC/63/057).

Letters patent appointing Commissioners, 1727-1840; writs to swear in Commissioners and to summon juries, 1727-1830; qualification book containing forms of declaration of £100 property owners, 1834-1844; court minutes and presentments, 1569-1642; court minutes, 1677-1781; court orders, 1703-1781; court minutes and orders, 1781-1847; General Purposes Committee minutes, 1820-1847; plans and sections of sluices, sewers, washways, culverts, roads, streets and wharves; original presentments of juries, not reproduced in full in the minutes, 1743-1793; out letter books, 1833-1848; financial records, 1789-1854 and rate books, 1723-1848.

SKCS/1-9: Letters Patent; SKCS/10-16: Writs; SKCS/17: Qualification Book; SKCS/18-64: Court Minutes and Orders; SKCS/65-68: General Purpose Committee; SKCS/69-258: Original Contracts; SKCS/259-301: Presentments; SKCS/302-305: Correspondence; SKCS/306-330: Financial Records; SKCS/332-918: Rate Books; SKCS/919-920: Printed Papers; SKCS/P and SKCS/PR: Plans and maps.

Available for general access.

Copyright: Depositor.
English

Mostly fit, some rolls are too fragile to be handled. Microfilm is available.

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

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 Lambeth (district) Lambeth Clapham Surrey Vauxhall Camberwell Western Europe UK England London Putney Surrey and Kent Commissioners of Sewers Health policy Waste treatment Sewers Water resources management Water supply Sluices Drainage Water resources Sewerage Environmental engineering Sanitation Waste disposal Sewage disposal People People by roles Commissioners Improvement commissioners Health Public health Bermondsey Newington Wandsworth (district) Wandsworth Deptford Rotherhithe New Cross Lewisham Kew Greater London Lewisham (district) Southwark (district) Southwark Battersea Walworth Peckham Richmond-upon-Thames Kennington Barnes Richmond upon Thames Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Acquired with the records of its successor body, the Metropolitan Board of Works. An additional presentment roll was received in 1963 (AC/63/057).

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Letters patent appointing Commissioners, 1727-1840; writs to swear in Commissioners and to summon juries, 1727-1830; qualification book containing forms of declaration of £100 property owners, 1834-1844; court minutes and presentments, 1569-1642; court minutes, 1677-1781; court orders, 1703-1781; court minutes and orders, 1781-1847; General Purposes Committee minutes, 1820-1847; plans and sections of sluices, sewers, washways, culverts, roads, streets and wharves; original presentments of juries, not reproduced in full in the minutes, 1743-1793; out letter books, 1833-1848; financial records, 1789-1854 and rate books, 1723-1848.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

SKCS/1-9: Letters Patent; SKCS/10-16: Writs; SKCS/17: Qualification Book; SKCS/18-64: Court Minutes and Orders; SKCS/65-68: General Purpose Committee; SKCS/69-258: Original Contracts; SKCS/259-301: Presentments; SKCS/302-305: Correspondence; SKCS/306-330: Financial Records; SKCS/332-918: Rate Books; SKCS/919-920: Printed Papers; SKCS/P and SKCS/PR: Plans and maps.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright: Depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

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