| Located At | Staffordshire Record Office |
| Stoke on Trent City Archives |
| Level | Collection |
| Doc Ref No | D3023, D3742, 3922/2, 6763, D7273, D7458/2; SD 1023; SD 1220; SD 1234; SA/PW |
| Title | Records of the Staffordshire Potteries Water Board, (formerly the Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company, later incorporated into Severn-Trent Water Authority) |
| Administrative History | The Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company was formed in 1846 and incorporated in an Act of Parliament of 1847, in which it was empowered to lay water mains to Hanley, Stoke, Burslem, Tunstall, Fenton, Trentham and Newcastle. In an Act of 1849 Longton was added to the limits of the supply. Through an Act of 1853 the supply was also extended to Kidsgrove and Goldenhill. The Company extended its power to acquire land and construct works through Acts in 1888, 1912, and 1922.
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Company Parliamentary Bill, 1888: In 1888 the Company went to Parliament to obtain powers to acquire land and to construct works at Hatton, to lay mains to Hanchurch and to construct a reservoir there, and to lay a main through to Trentham and Hanford to Trent Vale.
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company Act, 1912: In 1912 an Act was obtained giving the Company power to construct a Pumping Station at Mill Meece, and another at Cresswell near to Blythe Bridge.
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company Act, 1922: In 1922 an Act was obtained, reviving powers which had lapsed owing to the war, to construct an additional reservoir at Hanchurch alongside the existing reservoir. This Act also authorised the laying of an additional gravitation main from Hanchurch Reservoir to Newcastle. This Act also permitted increased charges to be made for domestic and trade purposes.
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company Act, 1924: Local authorities had first approached the Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company in 1899 to take over the undertaking, but no agreement was reached. In 1924, the Town Councils of Stoke on Trent and Newcastle and the then Wolstanton UDC promoted a Bill to purchase the undertaking of the Company. Under the Staffordshire Potteries Water Board Act, 1924, the local authorities took over the undertaking under the title of The Staffordshire Potteries Water Board, on the 1 Jan 1925.
Under Acts of 1928, 1937, and 1949, the Board extended its powers to provide wells, boreholes, re-pumping sites, reservoirs, water towers, etc.
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Board Act, 1928: The Water Board promoted a Bill to revive the powers obtained by the Water Works Company in 1912 and allowed to lapse, for constructing a pumping station at Cresswell and laying a pumping main from Meir Reservoir to Blurton.
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Board Act, 1937: A Bill was promoted in the 1936-37 Session of Parliament to provide for wells and boreholes at the Peckforton and Tower Wood sites, a reservoir on Bulkeley Hill from which water will gravitate to a large storage reservoir at Coopers Green, a re-pumping station, and a trunk mains to connect with the existing trunk mains at Tunstall. This Bill was unopposed, receiving Royal Assent in 1937.
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Board Act, 1949: Powers were granted by The Staffordshire Potteries Water Order to install a pumping plant, a water tower, a filtration and chemical plant, and to lay a main from the station to connect with the Wall Grange Works where an additional pumping plant was installed.
In 1974 the Staffordshire Potteries Water Board was merged into the newly-formed Severn Trent Water Authority (see separate catalogue).
(Information used in this introduction and in descriptions of the Company throughout this catalogue are taken from 'Pure and Wholesome Water for One Hundred Years - The Story of the Staffordshire Potteries Water Undertaking,' William Salt Library, ref: sub p box C/2; second copy since deposited as D7273/4/1.) |
| Date | 1845-1974 |
| Description | There are series of correspondence, legal papers, and technical papers relating specifically to individual Parliamentary Acts and to the works that they have permitted. The information given in the administrative history has been provided to give an overview of these Acts and to provide a context for the various series of records.
Note: 6763 has not yet been catalogued. It includes minutes 1933-1937; official papers including reports; plans of sewers, drains and engine buildings, 19th-20th cent.; collections of rainfall and reservoir data; photographs, 20th cent. (overnight advance notice required for production of photographs). The bulk of the plans relate to the City of Stoke on Trent. Also includes plans for Burton Pumping Station 1886 and designs for iron bridge 1867. In quantity it consists of 65 volumes (12 box equivalents), 4 boxes of documents, 5 boxes of photographs, and 29 rolls of plans. Please ask for further information.
SD 1023, 1220 and SA/PW are also uncatalogued.
SD 1220 consists of Staffordshire Potteries Water Board parliamentary acts.
SD 1234 consists of meter books for Stoke-on-Trent and other areas in North Staffordshire, c1939-1950, a plumbing ledger, 1929-1938, Staffordshire Potteries Waterworks and Water Board Acts, 1847-1945, and a map showing distribution areas as defined by Staffordshire Potteries Water Board Act, 1937.
SA/PW consists of 20 letter books and loose secretary's correspondence, late 19th century |
| Extent | (D3742 32 boxes; 154 volumes)
D7458/2 six plans |
| Copyright | Any questions concerning the publication of images of documents in this collection should be directed to the County Archivist, Staffordshire Record Office, Eastgate Street, Stafford ST16 2 LZ. |
| Related Material | See separate catalogue for records post-1974 (Severn Trent Water Authority) |