Page "London Metropolitan Archives" Paragraph 26

Another important collection is the archives of Thames Water Predecessors.

The archive comprises the records of major institutions which supplied water to the metropolis between 1582 and 1974.

Up to 1902 the work was largely carried out by private companies operating under increasing public control as time went on.

The records of each company have been catalogued separately except in cases where takeover occurred.

The companies include London Bridge Waterworks Company and the New River Company.

In 1902 all the smaller private institutions were taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board which assumed supply responsibilities for an area covering.

The surviving records include corporate material such as board minutes and legal papers, accounts, staff records, engineering and technical files, plans, photos and property records.