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Maintaining parish council records

Records inherited by the parish council

These should all be kept permanently and preferably should be deposited in the NRO. They include the following. 

Parliamentary Inclosure

  • Inclosure Award and Map - often the root of title to land owned by the parish council (such as surveyor's allotments, poor's allotments, fuel allotments and the parish staithe)
  • Inclosure Act
  • Statement of claims made to Inclosure Commissioners
  • Minutes of proceedings of Commissioners
  • Commissioners' accounts
  • Commissioners' printed extracts from the inclosure award

The Overseers of the Poor

  • Overseers' account books
  • Poor rate books
  • Parish valuations for rating purposes
  • Inventories of furniture and fittings of the workhouse
  • Removal orders
  • Settlement certificates
  • Settlement examinations
  • JP's certificates of appointment of overseer
  • Appointments and contracts of assistant overseer, master of workhouse, surgeon to the parish poor, etc

The surveyor of the highways

  • Surveyors' account books
  • Highway rate books
  • Plans of parish gravel, sand and clay pits and public watering places

Charities

  • Founder's will or foundation deed (but note that this often does not exist)
  • Account books and lists of recipients
  • Papers relating to legal disputes
  • Public notices (inviting applications, advertising auction of lettings etc)
  • Charity Commission scheme

Fire brigade

  • Minute books of association for preservation of property from loss by fire
  • Firemen's contracts
  • Bills for purchase of fire engine
  • Contracts with neighbouring fire brigades for fire cover

Street lighting

  • Lighting Commissioners' minute books
  • Lamplighters' contracts
  • Contracts with gas companies for supply

Burial grounds

  • Burial Board minute books
  • Burial registers
  • Bills for purchase of parish hearse

(See also the list of records generated by the Parish Council)

Miscellaneous

  • Dikereeves' account books
  • Adjoistment books
  • Surveys and plans of the parish