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Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Service

Records of the Borough of Dagenham


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): BD1

Held at: Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Service

Title: Records of the Borough of Dagenham

Date(s): 1926-1965

Level of description: Collection

Extent: Exact extent unknown until arrangement and description is complete.

Name of creator(s): Borough of Dagenham

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Dagenham Urban District Council was established in April 1926. This new council, composed of primarily members of the old parish council and was led by the first chairman, Mr A. E. Reeve, set up its offices at Valence House.

The new council was responsible for public health, drainage, cleansing, allotments and the fire brigade, previously undertaken in Dagenham by Romford Rural District Council. In addition to this it purchased lands for parks and cemeteries, established clinics and introduced electric lighting.

During the interwar years these services grew and expanded. As a result the Civic Centre was built and then opened by Sir Kingsley Wood on 16 October 1937. The council became a Municipal Borough, known as the Borough of Dagenham and the Charter was presented by George Lansbury on 1 October 1938.

The London Government Act of 1963, created the London Borough of Barking in 1965. The constituent parts were almost all of the Borough of Barking and the greater part of the Borough of Dagenham. At the time of the amalgamation the combined population of Barking and Dagenham was around 180,000, the northern tip of Dagenham having been incorporated into Redbridge and a small area of Barking in Newham. The borough was renamed the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in 1980.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

This collection comprises the following minute books, departmental records, financial accounts, correspondence and photographs of the Borough of Dagenham and its predecessors, including Dagenham Urban District Council (1926-1965), relating to the management of the council, general purposes and open spaces, public health and housing, libraries, highways and street lighting, welfare, education, town planning, finance and rates.

Council

Minute books of Dagenham Urban District Council, 1926-1938 (BD1/A/1)

Minute books of the Borough of Dagenham, 1938-1965 (BD1/A/2)

Photograph albums of the Mayor's Office, 1928-1965 (BD1/A/3)

General purposes and open spaces

Minute book of the General Purposes, Parks and Open Spaces Committee, 1926-1927 (BD1/B/1)

Photographs of children and staff involved in the Dagenham Play Leadership Scheme, 1957-1965 (BD1/B/2)

Dagenham allotments rent ledgers, 1945-1951 (BD1/B/3)

Public health and housing

Ledgers for the Housing and Small Dwelling Acquisition Act, 1926-1927 (BD1/C/1)

Report on air raid damage to properties in Dagenham, 1939-1945 (BD1/C/2)

Correspondence on mass radiography in Dagenham, 1956-1960 (BD1/C/3)

Libraries

Borrower's register of Dagenham Libraries, 1930-1943 (BD1/D/1)

Analysis of book stocks at Dagenham Libraries, n.d. (BD1/D/2)

Correspondence files of John G. O'Leary, Borough Librarian, 1950-1952 (BD1/D/3)

Highways and street lighting

Private street works ledgers of the Borough of Dagenham, 1932-1939 (BD1/E/1)

Welfare

Reports of the Dagenham Evacuation Liaison Officer, 1939-1945 (BD1/G/1)

Education

Minute books of Dagenham Education Committee, 1946-1965 (BD1/H/1)

Minute book on convalescent treatment of Dagenham Education Committee, 1948-1965 (BD1/H/2)

Minute book on youth services of Dagenham Education Committee, 1948-1990 (BD1/H/3)

Town planning

Registers of deposits of the Surveyor's Department, 1932-1955 (BD1/J/1)

Photographs kept by the Engineer's Department, circa. 1940-1960 (BD1/J/2)

Civil defence

There is a substantial amount of uncatalogued material relating to civil defence in the Borough of Dagenham. Further information about this material can be provided on request (BD1/K)

Finance

General ledgers of the Borough of Dagenham, 1926-1965 (BD1/L/1)

Expenditure ledgers of the Borough of Dagenham, 1930-1965 (BD1/L/2)

Revenue and capital accounts ledgers of the Borough of Dagenham, 1938-1957 (BD1/L/3)

General cash books of the Borough of Dagenham, 1930-1962 (BD1/L/4)

Accounts cash books of Dagenham Urban District Council, 1926-1929 (BD1/L/5)

Receipts cash books of the Borough of Dagenham, 1936-1940 (BD1/L/6)

Urgency cash books of the Borough of Dagenham, 1930-1965 (BD1/L/7)

Rating and valuation

General rate books for Dagenham of the Borough of Dagenham, 1930-1965 (BD1/Q/1/1)

General rate books Chadwell Heath of the Borough of Dagenham, 1930-1962 (BD1/Q/1/3)

General rate books for Beacontree Heath of the Borough of Dagenham, 1933-1964 (BD1/Q/1/3)

General rate assessment books of the Borough of Dagenham, 1928-1962 (BD1/Q/2)

General rate summery books of the Borough of Dagenham, 1935-1961 (BD1/Q/3)

Valuation lists for the Borough of Dagenham, 1933-1964 (BD1/Q/4)

Loans ledgers of the Borough of Dagenham, 1926-1964 (BD1/Q/5)

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The arrangement of this collection is based on the functions of the organisation, as well as chronology.

Conditions governing access:

The material within this collection is open to research and can be viewed by appointment at the Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Centre. For further details about visiting the reading room please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8557 2033.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Material within this collection can be reproduced at the discretion of the Borough Archivist. For further details about conditions governing reproduction please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8557 2033.

Finding aids:

For more information about the contents of this collection please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8557 2033.

Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

The material within this collection was previously in the custody of various committees and departments that made up the Borough of Barking and its predecessors, including Barking Urban District Council.

ALLIED MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Catalogued by Clare Sexton, Assistant Archivist in accordance with ISAD(G).

Rules or conventions: 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.

Date(s) of descriptions: The fonds level description was created in 2005 and updated in 2011. It was then added to Aim25 in 2014.


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Defence | State security
Health policy | Health
Housing | Accommodation | Building standards | Building design | Construction engineering
World War Two (1939-1945) | World wars (events) | Wars (events)
Educational administration
Libraries
Local government finance

Personal names

Corporate names
London Borough of Dagenham

Places
Dagenham | London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
Barking and Dagenham