CLERK'S DEPARTMENT: STANDING JOINT COMMITTEE

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: MCC/CL/SJ
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: CLERK'S DEPARTMENT: STANDING JOINT COMMITTEE
Date(s)	: 1892-1966
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 12.08 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: MCC | Middlesex County Council x Middlesex County Council

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

In most counties the chief function of the Standing Joint Committee was the control of the local police force, but, owing to the fact that Middlesex was within the Metropolitan Police Area under the jurisdiction of the Home Office, its Standing Joint Committee did not have these duties.

In 1888 most counties had shire halls, guildhalls and other buildings in which courts and quarter sessions were held and where the officers dealing with county administration were accommodated. It would have been impractical that one building should be under the control of two distinct bodies - the justices and the county council - but also unnecessary for the county council to have separate premises. The Standing Joint Committee was accordingly given charge of all matters relating to accommodation for the quarter sessions and all property which was used jointly with the county council.

The Committee also controlled the officers who served both the quarter sessions and the county council, such as clerks of the peace who were also clerks of the council. In addition the Committee considered the provision of petty sessional courthouses and appointed clerks to the justices.

From 1953 Magistrates' Court Committees were established which largely took over the work of the Standing Joint Committee.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Middlesex County Council Clerk's Department relating to the Standing Joint Committee, 1892-1966, including papers relating to the appointment of Court staff including the Clerk of the Peace; papers relating to the maintenance of courthouses including Acton, Brentford, Ealing, Enfield, Feltham, Teddington, Tottenham, Uxbridge, Wealdstone, Willesden and Wood Green Courthouses; correspondence regarding places of detention for juveniles; registers of admission and discharge for Willesden place of detention.

Papers relating to the Middlesex Guildhall, including historical notes; papers on the rebuilding of 1910-1913, including plans and opening ceremony; papers regarding general maintenance; papers relating to staff facilities including the canteen; files relating to the general management of the Guildhall including Court accommodation, cloakrooms, fire precautions, heating, lighting, ventilation and parking; and papers relating to the maintenance staff.

Papers relating to the Middlesex County Record Office, including accessions registers, schedules of documents, correspondence, registers of documents issued to visitors, enquiries, reports on the calendaring and repair of Sessions records, exhibitions and wartime measures to protect the documents.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

MCC/CL/SJ/01: General; MCC/CL/SJ/02: Middlesex County Record Office; MCC/CL/SJ/03: Middlesex Guildhall; MCC/CL/SJ/04: Courthouses; MCC/CL/SJ/05: Places of detention; MCC/CL/SJ/06: Middlesex County Record Office and Middlesex Guildhall.

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation 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:

Acquired with the records of its parent authority, the Middlesex County Council, and with successor authorities.

Allied Materials

Related material:

For more records relating to court houses see MCC/CL/L/MC, MCC/CL/L/SJ and MCC/CL/MC.

Publication note:

For further information on the history of the Middlesex County Council please see Middlesex by Sir Clifford Radcliffe (2 editions, 1939 and 1953), LMA Library reference 97.09 MID; and The County Council of the Administrative County of Middlesex: 76 years of local government, 1 April 1889 to 31 March 1965, by Middlesex County Council (1965), LMA library reference S97.09 MID.

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:
April to June 2009