BRIEF HISTORY DURING THE SNOW ERA (1813-58)
Guildhall is the seat of city government for
London. 
The building's existence was first recorded in 1128. Rebuilding
of Guildhall occurred in 1411-91, followed by partial destruction during the Great Fire of
1666, and rebuilding once more in the years thereafter. In 1614, a new Council chamber
was completed and another in 1777. Other than these changes, the structure
has remained the same for much of the nineteenth century, until several architectural
additions were completed in 1862 (including a new roof and library), several years after the death
of John Snow.
City Government
During the lifetime of John Snow, the City of London was run by
the City Corporation, a political
organization that consisted of a Lord Mayor, an upper Court of Aldermen (elected for life to serve various
regions of the city), and the Court of
Common Council (elected by landowners and business owners). The Lord Mayor, who resides in
Mansion House, was elected at Guildhall
each
year by the aldermen. Both the Court of Aldermen and the Court of Common
Council met in Guildhall. In addition, the building was used for offices of staff
and other minor officials, and for hosting important social events. Queen
Victoria was honored many times at the Guildhall.
Public Health
An important function of city government was
maintaining sanitary affairs. In London, the Commission of Sewers was
established in 1669 and eventually gained completed control over sewage, paving,
lighting and cleansing for the City. It too was housed in
Guildhall.
Water was supplied to London residents by private companies. Thus the City and the
Commission of Sewers had no power over the quantity
or quality of drinking water, other than to serve as a voice on
behalf of the people. Like drinking water, medical care for the poor was
also outside the control of the City, with responsibility charged by
Parliament's 1834 Poor Law Act to workhouses under the control of local
officials. Thus a charge to maintain the public's health was not given to
a central agency.
A major change took place in 1848. Parliament
during that year passed a national Public Health Act. This law created a
board of health in each town, to be controlled by the town council. The
board was to be responsible for drainage, water supplies, public health
inspections, and was authorized to appoint local medical officers. All
towns except London were expected to comply. London had successfully fought
back, stating that the Commission of Sewers had a similar responsibility in the
City and did not need the backing of new legislation. Parliament went along,
leaving the City of London as the sole exception to the new bill.
While
resistant to Parliamentary intrusion, the City did make changes, including the
hiring of Dr. John Simon as Medical
Officer of Health -- their first and the second in the nation -- to supervise
local public health activities. Simon became a great medical officer and
leading sanitary reformer with an international reputation. He remained with the City from 1848-1855 before
moving on to a similar post for Greater London, but with the national
government. While with the City, his office was in Guildhall.
Flat Roof, Gog and Magog
After the Great Fire of 1666, Christopher Wren
(1632-1723) supervised the rebuilding of Guildhall, including installation of a
flat roof in the interior ceiling of the Great Hall. It was supposed to
have been temporary, but lasted nearly two centuries. As part of the 1862
renovations, the roof was greatly altered to a richer design. That ceiling
remained until 1940 when it was set on fire during a World War II air
raid. Also included in Guildhall were statues of two legendary giants, Gog
and Magog, mythical warriors with a prominent role in British
history. They stand on both sides of the stairs that leave the Great
Hall, opposite the entering door.
Guildhall is shown in the upper center-right of
cell K 21 in Reynolds' 1859 map, just north of Gresham Street.
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 LOCATION
IN 1859 REYNOLDS MAP
(Quarter
Mile Section - K 21)
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Sources:
Inwood
S. A History of London, 1998.
Lambert
R. Sir John Simon 1816-1904 and English Social Administration, 1963.
Porter
R. London -- A Social History, 1994.
Tames
R. City of London Past, 1995.
The
Times. The City of London, 1927.
Weinreb B, Hibbert C
(eds). The London Encyclopaedia, 1993.
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Map
of Guildhall Interior in 1750
Click
here to see earlier floor plan
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Entertainment
of Queen Victoria in 1837
Click
here to see Great Hall 22 years earlier
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Picture
of Guildhall Exterior in 1842
Click
here to see image 17 years earlier
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Picture
of Interior of Guildhall in 1842
Click
here to see image 17 years earlier
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Picture
of Guildhall Inauguration in 1842
Click
here to see image 17 years earlier
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Site in
Cruchley's London Map of 1846
Click
here to see more details 13 years earlier
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Picture
of Gog in Guildhall
Click
here to see image in Great Hall
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Picture
of Magog in Guildhall
Click
here to see image in Great Hall
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State Ball
for Queen Victoria in 1851
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here to see image eight years earlier
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Old
Ordnance Survey Maps of 1873
Click
here to see details 14 years later
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Map
of Guildhall Interior in 1884
Click
here to see later floor plan
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