| AdminHistory | Chadwick was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1823. In 1832 he was appointed Assistant Commissioner to the Poor Law Enquiry and the following year Royal Commissioner to the same Enquiry, and to enquire into the employment of children in factories. In 1834 he was appointed Secretary to the Poor Law Commission, and in 1836 Royal Commissioner to enquire into a rural constabulary. In 1842 Chadwick published the 'Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population' (known as the "Sanitary Report"). In 1847 he lost his position as Secretary of the Poor Law Commission, but was appointed Royal Commissioner on London sanitation, and Metropolitan Commissioner of Sewers. In 1848 he was created CB and was appointed Commissioner to the General Board of Health. He resigned from the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers in 1849 and from the General Board of Health in 1854. In 1857 he became interested in standing for Parliament and in 1859 stood as candidate for Evesham. In 1865 he stood as candidate for London University but withdrew before the poll. In 1868 he stood for Kilmarknock Burghs. He was created KCB in 1889. See also S E Finer, 'The life and times of Sir Edwin Chadwick' (London, 1952). |
| CustodialHistory | The Chadwick papers were received by University College in 1892, at the same time as Thomas Whittaker was finishing his report on the Bentham papers. Whittaker included the Chadwick papers in his report but not in such great detail. He selected a small number of papers (1), including the draft of Bentham's will, as important enough to place with the more valuable Bentham papers in the General Library. Those papers he saw that he deemed less valuable (2) were placed with the less valuable Bentham manuscripts in the cellars. The bulk of the Chadwick papers (3), stored in 9 large tin boxes, were not catalogued at all by Whittaker and placed by themselves in the cellars. Classes (1) and (2) were moved to the new strongroom in 1911 with the Bentham papers, and the tin trunks were moved with them in 1914. |