Description

Admin History:

The council that governed Hull from 1835 was created after the 1835 Municipal Reform Act. Hull became a county borough in 1888 and was awarded city status in 1897. The documents within this collection show how the electorate and ratepayers engaged with the council, how the council recorded its involvement with Royalty, significant events and with other organisations, how it regulated its own business and recognised community members. This also covered the appointment of High Stewards, Honorary Consuls and visits by Naval vessels.

The Common Clerk, later Town Clerk, attended all meetings of the bench or common council, and was clerk to the Magistrates, the Court of Record, The Mayor and Sheriff's Court. During the period covered by the correspondence within this collection, the Town Clerks were as follows:- George Codd (dates of office 1823-1837), Thomas Thompson (1837-1858), Robert Wells (1858-1871), George Christopher Roberts (1871-1875) and Charles Spilman Todd (1875-1884). With regard to the Writs for Proclamation, the sheriff was required to issue such a writ under certain conditions, either under statute or to summon the council. In the years just after the creation of the new council in 1835, committees were seen an essential part of Corporation's organisation and would commission reports on specific issues. Usually these reports would have been received by the committee that commissioned them.

Under the Municipal Reform Act of 1835 the administration of the municipal charities was transferred from the corporation to a board of trustees. The corporation retained an interest in some of these through its right to nominate inmates to the hospitals.

The origins of Hull's Court of the Common Council go back to the 1598 Charter which specifically identifies that Aldermen should make up the Court. The Court was the governing body of the Corporation and in some places administered buildings and was specifically referred to in legislation. The Common Council was involved in the election of civic officers and committee members, appointed aldermen to oversee ward elections, appointed representatives to other bodies, reviewed the proceedings of council committees and elected persons to institutions such as the Hull Charterhouse. The Court of the Common Council of Hull met for the last time in March 1974 when it was superseded by the new Hull City Council created as part of the local government reorganisation.

The Corporation of Hull was entitled to collect dues from ships using it's port, although the origins of this is obscure and is assumed to have been included in the grant of the port in the charter of Richard. The water bailiffs were officers appointed by the Corporation of Hull to collect these dues.

Description:

C TCC/1 Council correspondence 1836-1879

C TCC/2 Petitions and memorials addressed to the Council or from the Council of Hull 1836-1894

C TCC/3 Standing Orders 1846-1990

C TCC/4 Official Year books 1897-1959

C TCC/5 Writs for Proclamation 1838-1874

C TCC/6 Records relating to the municipal charities 1820-1881

C TCC/7 Records relating to council members 1836-1974

C TCC/8 Formal Council documents 1995

C TCC/9 Records relating to the Court of Common Council 1897-1922

C TCC/10 Records relating to Hull City Council policies and practices 1912-1971

C TCC/11 Papers relating to recommendations for Honours and Licensing matters 1951-1971

C TCC/12 Financial Papers 1836-1875

C TCC/13 Reports to the Council 1836-1860

C TCC/14 Loyal and Other Addresses from the Council to Royalty and other significant dignitaries 1840-1885

C TCC/15 Council correspondence with the Hull Dock Company 1849-1893

C TCC/16 Records relating to the appointment of Water Bailiff and Steward at the Mansion House 1835-1866

C TCC/17 Council copy resolutions books 1872-1876