Signed Minutes of the Hogsmill Drainage Joint Committee (1932-1939), later the Hogsmill Valley Joint Sewerage Board (1939-1960) and later the North Surrey Joint Sewage Board (1960-1965), 1932-1965 and signed minutes of Meetings in Committee, Hogsmill Valley Joint Sewerage Board and North Surrey Joint Sewage Board, 1958-1962.

Minutes of the Joint Drainage Committee, 1915-1916; minutes of the Wandle Valley Joint Sewerage Board, 1917-1962; minutes of Wandle Valley Main Drainage Authority, 1963-1965; Orders, 1960-1962; Members attendance books, 1928-1965; registers of documents sealed, 1917-1965; register of tenders, 1948-1965.

Letters 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.

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.

Minutes 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.

Minute 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.

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.

Staff records of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, including register of employment; wages accounts and wages books.

Corporate 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.

Corporate 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.

Staff records of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, comprising staff wages books.

Purchase records of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, comprising stock books.

Financial 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.

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.

Corporate 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.

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.

Further 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.

Financial 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.

Records of the Metropolitan Water Board Survey Department, including terrier volumes; registered dockets; files on land acquired; deeds registers; and files regarding rates assessments.

Legal papers of the New River Company, including case papers; deed registers; correspondence; contracts; valuations; agreements; leases; papers relating to compensation and arbitration; petitions; and papers relating to land purchase.

Records of the New River Company relating to stocks and shares, including registers; dividends receipt books; pamphlets; ledgers; indemnities; share transfers; certificates and reports.

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.

Corporate records of the Staines Reservoir Joint Committee, including Committee meeting attendance books, proceedings books and minutes; legal papers relating to property, rating, water supply, stocks and shares, Parliamentary issues and contracts; correspondence and debenture stock volumes.

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.

Property records of the West Middlesex Waterworks Company including trade rental books and rental volumes.

Papers of The Society of Medical Officers of Health, 1856-1998, comprising the constitution, 1892-1993; council records, 1856-1997; records of the general purpose committee, 1937-1981; records of the standing and temporary committees, and working parties and joint meetings, 1892-1996; general meeting records, 1856-1997; attendance books, 1872-1965; financial records, 1892-1996; members lists, 1895-1997; publications and official publicity, 1856-1997; historical material, 1866-1908; comments and evidence c 1879-1998; miscellaneous files, c 1879-1998; records of special interest groups, 1920-1997; papers, minutes and publications relating to the Society's Faculty of Community Health, 1988-1998; public health literature and sources, 1902-1997; files relating to the journal The Medical Officer, 1897-1973; non-Society records documenting public health measures, policies and issues in the first half of the 20th century; and minutes, files, transcripts of papers, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera relating to the regional Branches and Groups of the Society, 1875-1997.

Records of the River Plate Trust Loan and Agency Company Ltd, 1876-1978, including minutes, ledgers, registers, accounts, annual reports, legal documents, insurance records, staff records, letters and files, some relating to subordinate companies (Ref: A); and records of the subsidiary companies it administered:
River Plate and General Investment Company Ltd, comprising minutes, 1888-1965, ledgers, 1888-1941, and annual reports, 1889-1983 (Ref: B);
Mortgage Company of the River Plate Ltd, comprising minutes, 1888-1965, ledgers, 1888-1953, and annual reports, 1888-1981 (Ref: C);
Compagnie Française des Chemins de Fer de la Province de Santa Fé, comprising circulars to bondholders, 1891-1947, and reports, 1936-1947 (Ref: D);
London Trust Company, comprising ledgers, 1889-1928, registers of stock, 1889-1958, and miscellaneous papers, 1819-1974 (Ref: E);
Entre Rios Railway Company, comprising reports, 1891-1900, and circulars and minutes, 1933-1947 (Ref: F);
Cucuta Railway Company, comprising Presidents' reports, 1926-1936 (Ref: G);
Montevideo Waterworks, comprising reports and accounts, 1880-1940, and notices and circulars, 1949-1953 (Ref: H);
Consolidated Waterworks of Rosario, comprising reports and accounts, 1897-1946, and notices and circulars, 1930-1955 (Ref: J);
Rosario Drainage Company, comprising reports and accounts, 1898-1947, and notices and circulars, 1955 (Ref: K);
Buenos Aires Central Railway, comprising minutes, 1916-1944 (Ref: L);
Buenos Aires and Lacroze Tramways, comprising minutes, 1932-1940, and reports and accounts, 1933-1941 (Ref: M).

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.

Letters Patent appointing Commissioners, 1691-1837; minutes, agendas and reports, 1659-1847; minutes and reports of other Committees including the Committee of Accounts, Committee for Improvement of the Sewers, Committee of Rates, Committee of Works and Occasional Committee; petitions and reports, 1683-1798; papers presented to the Court, 1777-1847; Surveyor's Reports of work performed by leave of the Court, 1809-1847; information and reports from the Clerk of Works on cases of surreptitious drainage, 1810-1848; Surveyor's Reports of Work done at the charge of the District, 1775-1848; journal of large works in progress, 1838-1848; contracts and specifications, 1811-1847; presentments (a 'Presentment of the Jurors' was required before work could be carried out or a rate levied. With a few exceptions the Westminster presentments consist of lists of owners or occupiers of land and houses on whom rates could be levied), 1668-1843; decrees, (decrees gave authority for the levying of rates for work on the sewers), 1675-1847; abstracts by the Clerk of Works of work performed on the sewers, recording the amount of time spent and materials used, serving as a check on the contractors' bills, 1810-1846; copies of letters and notices sent by order of the Commissioners, 1776-1848; financial accounts, 1701-1847, including contractor's bills and payments to workmen; rate books, 1703-1848; law suits and legal opinion, 1820-1840; registers of sewers and drains, 1812-1845, including new sewers; printed reports and papers, 1830-1849, including financial accounts, statements of income and expenditure, opinions of Counsel, reports by solicitors, reports of Surveyors, proposals for changes to the management and structure of the Commission, regulations and memorandums; maps and plans of properties, sewers, districts drained by specific sewers, maps of parishes and maps of London and Middlesex, 1762-1847.

MBW/1901-1908: Thames Floods (estimate of works required to repair damage caused by floods and estimates of works for defence against future flooding)

MBW/1909-1910: Redistribution Of Vestrymen (cuttings from minutes)

MBW/1911-1913: Water Supply (reports on the metropolis water supply)

MBW/1914-1916: Letters (in-letters, petitions, applications and out-letters)

MBW/1917-1919: Advertisements

MBW/1920-1924: Newspaper Cuttings

MBW/1925-1928: Staff Lists (including duties of officers)

MBW/1929-2309: Finance (including registers of contracts and agreements, salary books and rate books)

MBW/2310-2420: Printed Reports (including annual reports of the Board and Committees, architect's, engineer's and fire brigade reports, papers circulated to Board members, Bills and Acts of Parliament)

MBW/2421-2445: Contracts And Specifications for work on sewers, drains and embankments.

MBW/2446-2653: Plans (plans submitted to Parliament, plans of local improvements arranged by parish, plans of artisan's dwellings, plans of the metropolis water supply, plans of Thames floods, plans of parks and open spaces, plans presented to the Board and to various Committees to accompany reports, memorials and proposals for improvements, creation of parks, drainage, bridges, roads and tunnels, plans of railways)

MBW/2654-2656: District Surveyor (monthly returns and drainage applications)

MBW/2657-2663: Bridges (Accountant's Department papers concerning claims of the bridge companies whose bridges were acquired under the Metropolitan Toll Bridges Act 1877 and the Metropolitan Bridges Act 1883)

MBW/2664-2682: Thames Floods (volumes of duplicate copies of notices served on riparian [situated on the banks of a river] owners under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879 and Metropolitan Board of Works (Various Powers) Act, 1882, with associated plans and riverfront elevations)

MBW/2683-2685: Financial Records (Accountant's Department papers)

MBW/2686-2807: Thames Floods (plans and estimates for flood prevention works and plans of river frontage with elevations of riparian [situated on the banks of a river] properties)

MBW/2808-2812: Thames Soundings

MBW/2813-2830: Specifications (volumes of specifications for housing, fire stations, bridges, drainage, parks, embankments and sewers)

MBW/2831-2837: Contract Books and Registers

MBW/2838-2840: Rate Books

MBW/P: Plans

MBW/OW: Office of Works (papers relating to the Chelsea Bridge and Embankment, Westminster Bridge, Battersea Park, Kennington Park and Victoria Park)

MBW/BC: Bridge Company (papers relating to Vauxhall Bridge)

Records of the New River Company, comprising lease of a watercourse from main water pipe at back side of Saint Clement Danes to the private dwelling house of Thomas Dows, gentleman, 1697.

Records 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.

Records of the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association, later known as the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association; including minutes; agendas; constitution; annual reports; records relating to property and structures (fountains); correspondence; bequests and trusts; staff; financial accounts; plans; photographs; printed material including press cuttings and histories, and case files relating to individual fountains.

Records of Metropolitan Water Board predecessors, 1870-1969, comprising contracts, tenders and specifications for construction, improvements and other works.

Purchase 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.

Financial 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.

General 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.

Corporate 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.

Purchase records of the London Bridge Waterworks Company comprising stock books, inventories and valuations.

Stock transfer records for the London Bridge Waterworks Company, comprising book of wills for deceased shareholders and elevation and plan of the great engine for the fifth arch of London Bridge.

Records of the Metropolitan Water Board Water Examination Department, comprising annual reports, monthly reports and research reports.

Property records of the New River Company, including rent and arrears books; rents payable registers; rent and acknowledgements books; ground rents registers; building estate insurances; fire insurances and leases.

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.

Records of the Shadwell Waterworks Company, comprising financial material including rent books; cash books; receipt books; wage books; account books and some papers relating to works carried out.

Financial records of the Staines Reservoir Joint Committee, including half-yearly accounts; journal; cash book; ledgers; register of wills and papers relating to payments to solicitors.

Financial records of the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company, including accounts; ledgers; journals; cash books; revenue ledgers; Collector's accounts; bankers books; disbursement books; and building supply accounts.

Purchase records of the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company, including works stock book; volumes recording good returned to stores; and volumes recording coal use.

Financial records of the West Middlesex Waterworks Company, including ledgers; cash books and journals.

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.

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