CITY OF LONDON COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: CLA/006
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: CITY OF LONDON COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS
Date(s)	: 1667-1988
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 65.9 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: Corporation of London

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

A permanent Court of Commissioners of Sewers for the City of London was set up in 1667 after the Great Fire of London to undertake the construction of sewers and drains as well as the paving, cleaning and lighting of the City streets. Its powers were greatly extended by subsequent Acts of Parliament.

Under the City of London Sewers Act 1897, the Commission was dissolved with effect from January 1898 and its duties and responsibilities transferred to the Corporation and subsequently exercised by a separate Public Health Department until 1947 when the department was merged in the Town Clerk's Office.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of the Commissioners of Sewers, City of London, covering the regulation, planning and financing of works to maintain and improve drainage, sewers, paving and lighting in and around the City of London. The papers reflect ninteenth century concerns about the pollution of the River Thames.

The collection includes plan books, 1835-1900; plans c 1770s-1840s; administrative records, 1863-1899; deeds, 1680 onwards; Journal of the Commissioner of Sewers, 1680-1898; Proceedings of the Commissioners of Sewers, 1765-1797; minute books, 1827-1898; report books, 1696-1885; printed reports, 1832-1899, including accounts and reports on sewers, pavements, housing, sanitary matters, slaughter houses, food, gas, electric lighting, water, cemeteries, cholera and tramways; letter books, 1768-1851; papers relating to street paving, 1718-1913; papers relating to the Royal Commission on Metropolitan Sewage Discharge, 1853-1903; record of air raid damage to sewers, 1940-1947; financial records, 1667-1918.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

In sections according to the catalogue.

Conditions governing access:

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright: City of London.

Finding aids:

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

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Corporation of London Records Office.

Allied Materials

Related material:

For Corporation of London records relating to the Commissioners of Sewers see: CLA/036: Thames Conservancy Courts, CLA/047: City of London Sessions, CLA/052: City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, CLA/077: Epping Forest, COL/AC: Archives, COL/CC/IMP: Court of Common Council Improvements Committee, COL/CC/ITP: Court of Common Council Improvements and Town Planning Committee, COL/CC/SIC: Court of Common Council Select and Special Committees, COL/CC/SRC: Court of Common Council Special (Revenue) Committee, COL/CC/STS: Court of Common Council Streets Committee, COL/PL: Plans, COL/PLD/PL: Planning Department Plans, COL/SJ: Subject Series, COL/SVD/PL: Surveyor's Department Plans, COL/TSD/PL: Technical Services Department Plans.

See also Public Health Department at COL/CC/PBC.

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

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:
February 2009