Catalogue description FIRE BRIGADE DEPARTMENT: GENERAL

A collection of press cuttings and other items made by Sir Eyre Massey Shaw (Chief Officer of the London Fire Engine Establishment 1861-65 and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade 1866-91) is kept in the Map, Print and Photograph Library and attention is also directed to the specialised Library and Photograph Library at London Fire Brigade Headquarters and the Brigade Museum at Southwark.

Transfered to Albert Embankment c1980

For records of the London Fire Brigade Widows and Orphans Fund 1906-1980 See Acc/730

Records

Metropolitan Fire Brigade 1866-1889 see MBW list

Metropolitan/London Fire Brigade 1889-1941, 1948-1965 see LCC lists

Auxiliary Fire Service 1938-1941 see LCC lists and PRO

National Fire Service 1941-1948 see PRO

Middlesex before 1948 refer to borough libraries

Middlesex County Fire Service 1948-1965 see MCC lists

Note: History Library has several books and pamphlets on fire services in general and London Fire services in particular.

There is also a special collection of photographs etc at Fire Brigade Headquarters, Albert Embankment.

For detailed accounts of the history of the London Fire Brigade, the student is referred to

"London's Fire Brigades" - W. Eric Jackson (Longman's 1966)

"A History of the British Fire Service - G. V Blackstone (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1957)

And the works listed in the bibliographies appended to those works

The following handlists should be consulted for other records relevant to the Brigade

Handlist of Official Publications - for publications the numbered L.C.C series

Handlist of Committee Minutes and Presented Papers - For the minutes and presented papers of the Fire Brigade Committee (1889-1934 and 1947-65) and the Fire Brigade and Main Drainage Committee (1934-41) and their sub-committees.

Handlist of Metropolitan Board of Works records - for pre-1889 records

The Council, on its creation in 1889, assumed responsibility for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade maintained by its predecessor, the Metropolitan Board of Works. On 15 August 1904 the name of the brigade was changed to the London Fire Brigade by virtue of Section 46 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1904.

From 18 August 1941 to 31 March 1948, under emergency legislation, the Brigade and the wartime London Auxiliary Fire Service, in common with the brigades of other local authorities, were merged into a National Fire Service under the direction of the Home Office. The Council resumed control of the Brigade from 1 April 1948.

1833 London Fire Engine Establishment began to operate, being a union of brigades formerly run by individual insurance companies.

(Guildhall Library records)

1836 Society for the Protection of Life from Fire set up, a voluntary society maintaining and manning fire escapes at a number of stations throughout London.

1865 Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act placing responsibility for extinguishing fires and protecting life and property upon MBW. Thus on 1 Jan 1866 Metropolitan Fire Brigade came into existence, commanded by Capt. Eyre Massey Shaw (the new brigade was combination of two bodies described above)

1866 London Salvage Corps established by leading insurance companies to protect property rather than life at metropolitan conflagrations. Plans to disband corps now in preparation (1984) Note minutes of former London Fire Engine Establishment 1833-1865 once in custody of Corps, now with Guildhall Lib.

1889 LCC take over Metropolitan Fire Brigade

1904 Name changed to London Fire Brigade.

1938 Threat of war leads to formation of Auxiliary Fire Service to augment existing brigade; equipment and finance provided by Home Office, training and day to day management closely supervised by London Fire Brigade.

1941 National Fire Service created to unify fire services of entire country; London became one of 11 regions of this Service, the London Fire Brigade and Auxiliary Fire Service being superseded.

1947 Fire Services Act - responsibility for fire brigades placed upon County Councils and County Boroughs nationally.

1948 1 April London Fire Brigade resumed operations.

1948 1 April Middlesex County Fire Service came into operation. Before war fire services in county of Middlesex were responsibility of Urban District and Borough authorities, and at an earlier date parish vestries occasionally provided fire engines for local fires.