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Private company

New River Company

Water company in London, 1619–1904

The New River Company, formally The Governor and Company of the New River brought from Chadwell and Amwell to London, was a privately owned water supply company in London, England, originally formed around 1609 and incorporated in 1619 by royal charter. Founded by Hugh Myddelton with the involvement of King James I, it was one of the first joint-stock utility companies, and paved the way for large-scale private investment in London's water infrastructure in the centuries which followed.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

Jul 1, 1619Founded1
  • Industryinvestment, water supply1
  • Legal formjoint-stock company1

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Sir Hugh Myddelton, 1st Bt by Cornelius Johnson
Photo: Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

The New River Company, formally The Governor and Company of the New River brought from Chadwell and Amwell to London, was a privately owned water supply company in London, England, originally formed around 1609 and incorporated in 1619 by royal charter. Founded by Hugh Myddelton with the involvement of King James I, it was one of the first joint-stock utility companies, and paved the way for large-scale private investment in London's water infrastructure in the centuries which followed.2

The story

Founded by Hugh Myddelton on Jul 1, 1619.1

Leadership

Who has led New River Company, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Chief executive

  1. Hugh Myddelton1619–now
197019801990200020102020

Acquisitions

  1. Succeeded York Buildings Company1
  2. Succeeded London Bridge Waterworks1
  3. Succeeded Hampstead Water Company1
  4. Succeeded by The New River Company Limited1
  5. Succeeded by Metropolitan Water Board1

Timeline

  1. Jul 25, 1904Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. Jul 1, 1619Founded Founded1
  3. 1619New chief executive Hugh Myddelton becomes CEO1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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