| Description | Seventy volumes, containing draft minutes taken at meetings of the Bedford Level Corporation. These volumes fall into five series - the first (BLC2/5/1) containing minutes of meetings held in London and Ely between 1674 - 1683, the second (BLC2/5/2) containing minutes of meetings held in London between 1693-1756; the third (BLC2/5/3) containing minutes of meetings held in Ely and out in the Fens between 1694-1755; the fourth containing minutes of meetings held between 1760-1813, and the fifth containing minutes of meetings held in London and Ely between 1813-1920. The second and third series of Minute Books run concurrently, and should be used together to gain a fuller understanding of the activities of the Bedford Level Corporation. In many cases, the handwriting in these Minute Books is challenging to read.
These draft minutes were later transcribed and expanded upon in Corporation Orders (see BLC2/3/1), Conservators' Proceedings (BLC2/3/2) and Proceedings of the Bedford Level (see BLC2/3/3). |