London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Clerkenwell 1886

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Clerkenwell, St. James and St. John]

This page requires JavaScript

12
property, yet it was in the nature of it, being occupied for public
purposes—that was, connected with the government of the county.
This Sessions House was occupied for the discharge of the public
service of the county, and he (his Lordship) did not think that
that went beyond the decision in "Coomber v. Justices of Berkshire,"
and the other authorities bearing upon the point. Another question
in the case was as to how far the original Act was to be considered as
not only limiting the rateable value, but fixing it permanently. On
this point, too, he was in favour of the contention for the appellants.
Mr. Justice Hawkins, in concurring, said upon this latter point that
the contention for the respondents was that any part of the Sessions
House built prior to 1777 was to be assessed only at £135 gross value
but he (his Lordship) thought, by the provisions of 18 Geo. III, c. 67,
it had been enacted that if the Sessions House became assessable at
all, it was not to be assessed above £135.
Appeal accordingly allowed, with costs.
Telephone Wires.—The Vestry during the year assessed
the telephone wires of the Parish at a gross value of £13
and a rateable value of £10. Heavy costs were previously
incurred by other Parishes in fighting the question before
the Assessment Sessions, where the assessment was settled
at 6s. gross value per mile. The Vestry are of opinion
that the assessment is a very inadequate one, but they
were not prepared to incur the heavy expenses which would
be entailed by carrying the question to the Superior Courts,
which would swallow up the rates which would be derived
from the telephone wires for many vears to come.

School Board Precepts.—The following is a list of the Precepts of the School Board, on the Parish of Clerkenwell, since it was called into existence by the Elementary Education Act, 1870.

£s.d.£s.d.
18715118918807,43698
187294311218817,90044
18737800218828,067105
18741,8699318839,397162
18753,2671211188411,05422
18764,89749188511,999110
18776,046101188612,89090
18786,0131410188712,210125
18796,371811