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Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Service

Records of the Borough of Barking


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): BD2

Held at: Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Service

Title: Records of the Borough of Barking

Date(s): 1882-1965

Level of description: Collection

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

Name of creator(s): Borough of Barking

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Barking Local Board was formed in 1882, and took over many of the functions previously undertaken by the Parish Vestry, including the management of Barking Town Wharf. This local board was succeeded by Barking Urban District Council under the Local Government Act of 1894. The first meeting of the new council, consisting of twelve members was held on 8 January 1895, with Dr H. H. Mason being elected Chairman, Mr E. H. Lister becoming Clerk and Mr C. J. Dawson appointed Surveyor.

Barking Urban District Council was responsible for public services, notably public health, sanitation, lighting, electricity, tramways, highways, libraries and parks, as well as having a jurisdiction over the Barking Burial Board from 1897 and the Barking School Board from 1903. Barking Council went on to apply for a borough charter, which was granted in 1931 and led to the awarding of additional statutory powers in 1933.

Soon after incorporation the council began to plan a new town hall, but the project was delayed by the Second World War. After the war the scheme was resumed with only slight modifications to the original design by Herbert Jackson and Reginald Edmonds of Birmingham. Building work was carried out by the works department of the borough council and the new town hall was opened in 1958. The buildings, on the courtyard plan, occupy a large island site between East Street and Axe Street, and include an Assembly Hall approached from the Broadway. The old town hall, in East Street was sold to the Essex County Council for use as a magistrates' court, and became known as Barking Magistrates Court.

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, building plans and photographs of the Borough of Barking and its predecessors, including the Barking Town Local Board and Barking Urban District Council (1882-1965), relating to the management of the council, public health and housing, highways and town planning, parks, cemeteries and public buildings, education, public libraries, lighting, civil defence, transport, finance, welfare and rates.

Council

Minute books of the Barking Local Town Board, 1882-1894 (BD2/A/1/1)

Committee minute books of the Barking Local Town Board, 1883-1895 (BD2/A/1/2)

Minute books of Barking Urban District Council, 1895-1931 (BD2/A/2/1)

Committee minute books of Barking Urban District Council, 1895-1931 (BD2/A/2/2)

Minute books of the Borough of Barking, 1931-1965(BD2/A/3)

Declarations and acceptance of office books of the Borough of Barking, 1931-1963 (BD2/A/4)

Public health and housing

Minute book of the Barking Town Local Board of Health, 1853-1866 (BD2/B/1/1)

Reports of the Ilford and Barking Joint Sewerage Committee, 1935-1969 (BD2/B/2/1)

General ledger of the Ilford and Barking Joint Sewerage Committee, 1956-1969 (BD2/B/2/2)

Infectious diseases registers of the Public Health Department, 1915-1951 (BD2/B/3/1)

Tuberculosis registers of notifications of the Public Health Department, 1916-1924 (BD2/B/3/2)

Death registers of the Public Health Department, 1936-1965 (BD2/B/3/3)

Research on diphtheria by the Public Health Department, 1958-1961 (BD2/B/3/4)

Photographs of the Public Health Department, circa.1930-1965 (BD2/B/3/5)

Correspondence and papers on housing of the working classes in Barking, 1901-1908 (BD2/B/4)

Correspondence and papers on temporary housing in Barking, 1898-1907 (BD2/B/5)

Correspondence and papers on sewerage and drainage in Barking, 1893-1905 (BD2/B/6)

Correspondence and papers on water supply in Barking, 1895-1901 (BD2/B/7)

File on the National (Coal Strike) Emergency, 1921 (BD2/B/8)

File on population rates in each ward of Barking Urban District Council, 1928 (BD2/B/9)

War damage and repairs ledgers of Borough of Barking, 1940-1945 (BD2/B/10)

Highways and town planning

Correspondence and papers on highways of the Borough of Barking, 1891-1905 (BD2/C/1)

Correspondence and papers on street improvements of the Borough of Barking, 1892-1909 (BD2/C/2)

Correspondence and papers on private street works of the Borough of Barking, 1905-1909 (BD2/C/3)

Correspondence and papers on the Town Wharf of Barking Urban District Council, 1897-1908 (BD2/C/4)

Parks, cemeteries and public buildings

Minute book of the Barking Burial Board, 1884-1897 (BD2/D/1/1)

Register of burials of the Barking Burial Board, 1886-1901 (BD2/D/1/2)

Notices of internment of the Barking Burial Board, 1886-1904 (BD2/D/1/3)

Reports of the Grounds Committee of the Barking Burial Board, 1893-1896 (BD2/D/1/4)

Correspondence and papers on Rippleside Cemetery, 1906-1908 (BD2/D/1/5)

Register of graves at St. Margaret's Churchyard, Barking, 1930 (BD2/D/2)

Correspondence and papers on allotments in Barking, 1908-1910 (BD2/D/3)

Education

Minute books of Barking School Board, 1889-1903 (BD2/E/1/1)

Committee minute books of Barking School Board, 1892-1903 (BD2/E/1/2)

Financial accounts of Barking School Board, 1886-1903 (BD2/E/1/3)

Registers of the Attendance Officer of Barking School Board, 1885-1897 (BD2/E/1/4)

Minute books of Barking Education Committee, 1903-1928 (BD2/E/2/1)

Minute books of Barking Education Sub-Committee, 1903-1922 (BD2/E/2/2)

Minute book of Barking Education Children's Care and Kitchen Committee, 1912-1920 (BD2/E/2/3)

Minute book of Barking Education Boot Committee, 1919-1927 (BD2/E/2/4)

Minute book of Barking Higher Education Committee, 1921-1924 (BD2/E/2/5)

Annual reports of the Barking Education Committee, 1934-1941 (BD2/E/2/6)

Correspondence of the Barking Education Committee, 1903-1958 (BD2/E/2/7)

Newspaper cuttings of Barking Education Committee, 1925-1941 (BD2/E/2/8)

Public libraries

Minute books of Barking Public Libraries Committee, 1888-1928 (BD2/F/1)

Minute books of Barking Public Libraries Sub-Committees, 1890-1894 (BD2/F/2)

Letter books of the Barking Public Libraries, 1889-1919 (BD2/F/3)

Issue books of Barking Public Libraries, 1900-1961 (BD2/F/4)

Junior issue books of Barking Public Libraries, 1924-1952 (BD2/F/5)

Accounts ledgers of Barking Public Libraries, 1889-1969 (BD2/F/6)

Statistics ledgers of Barking Public Libraries, 1956-1959 (BD2/F/7)

Lighting

Correspondence and papers on lighting of Barking Urban District Council, 1896-1906 (BD2/G/1)

Revenue accounts ledger on the installation and analysis of electricity, 1935-1966 (BD2/G/2)

Events

Correspondence on Peace Week, 1936-1937 (BD2/H/1)

File on the accession of King George VI, 1936 (BD2/H/2)

Files on the Coronation of King George VI, 1936-1938 (BD2/H/3)

File on entertainments in Barking, 1934-1940 (BD2/H/4)

File on the Anglo-Soviet Pact Anniversary Celebrations, 1943-1946 (BD2/H/5)

File on the V.E. Day Thanksgiving Service, 1945 (BD2/H/6)

Transport

Correspondence and papers on tramways of Barking Urban District Council, 1898-1902 (BD2/J/1)

Files on light railways in Barking, 1896-1908 (BD2/J/2)

Files on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Bill, 1902-1908 (BD2/J/3)

Petition on the nuisance caused by motor car and bus traffic signed by the residents of Rippleside,1908 (BD2/J/4)

Correspondence with the Kearney Society, 1924 (BD2/J/5)

Finance

General ledgers of the Borough of Barking, 1935-1965 (BD2/K/1)

Rating and valuation

Reports of the Rating and Valuation Committee, 1942-1950 (BD2/L/1)

General and poor rate books for Barking, 1921-1933 (BD2/L/2-3)

General rate demand summary books for Barking, 1934-1964 (BD2/L/4)

Valuation lists of the Borough of Barking, 1930-1965 (BD2/L/5)

Loans ledgers of the Borough of Barking, 1939-1965 (BD2/L/6)

Welfare

Minute book of the Distress Committee of Barking Urban District Council, 1908-1924 (BD2/M/1)

Minute book of the Old Age Pensions Committee of the Borough of Barking, 1923-1934 (BD2/M/2)

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 by appointment at the Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Centre. For further information about visiting the reading room please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8227 2033.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Material within this collection can be reproduced at the discretion of the Borough Archivist. For further information about conditions governing reproduction please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8227 2033.

Finding aids:

For additional information on the content of this collection please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8227 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).

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


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Housing | Accommodation | Building standards | Building design | Construction engineering
Local government | Public administration | Government
Sanitation | Environmental engineering
Urban planning | Urban development
World War Two (1939-1945) | World wars (events) | Wars (events)
Educational management
Libraries
Town and country planning
Transport

Personal names

Corporate names
Barking Local Town Board
Barking Town Local Board of Health
Barking Urban District Council
Borough of Barking

Places
Barking | Essex
Barking and Dagenham