Medway Council Heritage Services catalogues
  • Title
    Administration
  • Reference
    RCA/A
  • Date
    1614-1974
  • Level of description
    sub-fonds
  • Extent
    172 boxes
  • Scope and content
    This sub-collection comprises minutes of the council and committees, reports, correspondence, and yearbooks. The earliest minutes of the council date from 1621 and record the election of the mayor and aldermen, matters regarding freemen, traders etc. The idea of having regular committees reporting to the council seems to originate at the beginning of the 19th century when the General Purpose committee was set up. Although the council minutes of April 1650 do mention a 'committee of indemnities', we have no information as to its constitution, role and regularity. With the enacting of the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835, several committees (Estates, Finance and Watch, etc) were appointed. Over the years, their numbers increased according to the responsibilities and powers the City of Rochester exercised.