| AdminHistory | Until it became part of the Whitechapel District Board of Works in 1855 (and ultimately the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney in 1900), the Liberty area existed outside of the prevailing system of parochial governance. The 'liberty' is a term which originated in the Middle Ages and was traditionally defined as an area in which rights reserved to the king had devolved into private hands. Liberties were often marked by a certain lawlessness among the inhabitants, but this did not stop them later becoming units of local government administration.
Until 1686 the Liberty of the Tower comprised the area within the wall and land on Tower Hill. In 1686 the Liberty was separated from the City. It included Little Minories, the Old Artillery Ground (see L/OAG), the Precinct of Well Close [or Wellclose] and parts of the Manor of East Smithfield in the Parish of St Botolph without Aldgate.
The Liberty had its own vestry meetings and overseers of the poor. It also had its own courthouse and prison. The Court House at Well Close Square covered Wellclose Precinct and parts of the Manor of East Smithfield in the Parish of St Botolph without Aldgate which were part of the Liberty.
In 1836 the Wellclose Precinct and part of the manor area comprised the following streets:
Cable Street
Graces Alley
Harards Alley
King Street (Parish of St Botolph Without)
Matilda Place
Neptune Street
North-East Passage
Parsons Street
Queen Street
Sharps Buildings
Ship Alley
Shorter Street
Well Close Square
Well Street
The Constable and other officers of the Tower administered the Liberty. From 1874 William Green (1830-1917) was High Constable of the Liberty of the Tower of London.
Before 1855 parish vestries had met to discharge the business of both ecclesiastical and secular local government of conventional parishes. A generalised system of local government, separate to ecclesiastical concerns, slowly took shape. It was the 1855 Metropolis Management Act which saw a major break from the old tradition of local administration in London. The Liberty of the Tower of London joined with the following areas to become became part of the newly created Whitechapel District Board of Works:
- Parish of St Mary Whitechapel
- Parish of Christchurch
- Parish of St Botolph Without Aldgate
- Parish of Holy Trinity, Minories
- The Precinct of St Katherine
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Liberty of Old Artillery Ground
Under the terms of the 1855 Act, Schedule B vestries elected a total of 619 members to serve on the London District Boards; more specifically, the nine constituent bodies of the Whitechapel Board elected 58 members: the Tower liberty elected one of these members.
The Whitechapel Board was a separate unit of local government (see ref: L/WBW). The Board oversaw public health and sanitary conditions until the creation of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney in 1900. A few residual responsibilities remained with an Tower vestry after 1855. |
| CustodialHistory | This collection was kept by William Green (1830-1917), High Constable of Tower Hamlets and his son-in-law Albert Arthur Henry Brown. The records were passed down through the family to descendant Mrs Ann Brown, the family historian, who donated them to Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives in 2025.
Mrs Ann Brown (donor)'s research on William Green and his family:
William Green was born in 1830, in Sittingbourne, Kent. He was named after his grandfather, of Ipswich. He died in 1917 in Leyton, Essex.
William came to London and married Sara Woods at St John's, Hackney, on 13 August 1849 when he was about 19. They had many children.
He married twice. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Etheredge when he was 52. Their eldest daughter Elizabeth Dorothy (Dorothy) married Albert Arthur Henry Brown. They also had another daughter, Daisy Adina Green and a son, Tom.
Albert Arthur Henry and Dorothy Brown had three sons who all became Church of England rectors - John, Basil and Howard. They also had a daughter, Jean Brown (our donor writes: 'I gifted her documents when she was a WREN officer during the Second World War, to Reading Archives').
Provenance of the documents in this collection:
Our donor writes: 'Reverend Arthur Basil Etheredge Brown was my father-in-law. Great Auntie Daisy Green, lived at Camborne Rectory in Cornwall in her final years with Reverend Arthur Basil Etheredge Brown and family, to be looked after. She died aged 91. So I spent quite a bit of time with her, finding out about the Brown/Green family history. Also Uncle Howard knew I was interested so also gave me items and information.'
More about William Green and his career:
The 1851 Census finds William aged 21, a fireman, born Kent, and Sarah, 28 born in Edgefield, Norfolk. They have a ten month old baby daughter, Emily born in Kentish Town, Middlesex. They are living in St Andrew Undershaft, City of London, ward of Aldgate.
Our donor writes: 'From 8 July 1850 to 27 February 1854 William worked for Hackney Fire Brigade. In 1852 William was on duty at St Paul's Cathedral for the Duke of Wellington's funeral, as a fireman, and was there all night being in the Whispering Gallery at the time of the actual service (see his service booklet deposited, L/TOL/5).
He was then engineer for Hackney, then Superintendent by 1861. I have his typed 'Testimonials booklet' with 9 pages of references for him between 1857-1862. James Braidwood, Superintendent of the London Fire Brigade recommended William referring to the improvements made to Hackney when William was employed there and recommends him to go on the Board of Works to help Wandsworth too. William was in control of five engines (with horses) and responsible for over 13,000 houses. He later became the High Constable of the Liberty of the Tower of London.'
Our donor writes 'Daisy Adina Brown's handwriting says the following:-
"He was not a 'Peeler' a type of policeman from Robert Peel's time but he was in the tradition of the High and Petty Constables which went back to Henry VIIth time. The old order was abolished in 1869 having run side by side with Peel's police. Even after he retired he put on his old uniform and went annually to Beat the Bounds, till about 1900". (see his 1888 diary)'.
'In 1874 he was Chief Constable of the Liberty of Tower of London and Inspector of Weights and Measures area and kept a little book, 'The Rights and Privileges and charter and list of Magistrates of the Liberty of the Tower of London'. (see him listed on last page of book, address:- Court House, Wellclose Square, and Portland Terrace, Commercial Road.) The Courthouse was part of 'The Kings Arms' which Daisy visited when she was about eight in 1900. There were two cells like cages which were put into the London Museum. From 1686-1894 Wellclose had their own Constable and William was it for all this time. I have the New Testament Bible from Wellclose Square which Daisy kept. This was the actual book that prisoners had to hold to swear their oaths on when being examined [now deposited, see L/TOL/4]. Plus I have the pewter 'Pint Measures pot' stamped with the Tower symbol, that he used to check quantities being sold, were correct [now deposited, see L/TOL/6]. (see 1888 diary) and also the Rate books of the area [now deposited, see L/TOL/2-3]. Someone else has the brass weights of 7lb, 2lb and a half pound weight?
In 1894 he was at the opening of Tower Bridge. Great Auntie Daisy told the story that her father William led the way over Tower Bridge, when it was opened, carrying the mace (which is still in family hands in Devon).'
In census returns he is recorded as follows:
1881 Census: High Constable and Inspector of Weights, living at 49 Grove Road, Mile End Old Town.
1891 Census: retired High Constable, living at 2 Clifton Terrace, Church Road, Leyton.
1911 Census: former High Constable, Tower Hamlets, living at 21 Church Road, Leyton, Essex, in a 7 roomed house - with his wife Elizabeth aged 63, born Stepney. Married for 29 years and had 3 children. Two were with them: Elizabeth Dorothy, 23, born Leyton, doing household duties; and Daisy Adina Green, 18, student commercial, born Leyton.
William Green died on 28 May 1917 at 21 Church Road, Leyton, Essex. According to his Funeral Card he was aged 87 and interred in Leyton Parish Churchyard.
We would like to thank Mrs Ann Brown for providing these details and for donating the collection. |