New River Company

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.

The New River Company was formed to manage the New River, a 42-mile (68 km) artificial aqueduct which had been completed a few years earlier by Myddelton, with the backing of the King and the City, to supply fresh water to London. During its history, the company maintained a large network of pipes to distribute water around much of North London, collecting rates from water users.

The company's headquarters were at New River Head in Clerkenwell, Islington, and the company became a significant landowner in the surrounding area, laying out streets which take their name from people and places associated with the company, including Amwell Street, River Street, Mylne Street, Chadwell Street and Myddelton Square.

The company was finally dissolved in 1904 when London's water supply was taken into municipal ownership, and its assets were acquired by the newly-formed Metropolitan Water Board.