25-01-08, UpMyStreet ©
The mass of information available on the internet has made the previously onerous task of historical research much more accessible. According to Simon Harper of Ancestry.co.uk:
"With the large volume of useful historical records now online to help us trace the history of homes, more and more people are taking the time to find out who lived in their house before them."
Researching your property's history can be as engrossing as delving into your family tree. Our guide will help you to date your property, find out about previous owners and get a feel for your neighbourhood's past.
1. Look at your property's title deeds
The title deeds of your property can help you trace previous owners and occupiers. If they're not in your possession, check with your solicitor or mortgage company. They may also have older title deeds and documents relating to the property, including estate and family papers.
2. Check if the land is registered
The system of registering land in England and Wales with the Land Registry developed gradually through the nineteenth and twentieth century. Around 60% of properties are registered - buy title registers and plans online for £3 each. The Registers of Scotland looks after records for Scotland. You can search the Register of Sasines for land ownership records as far back as 1599, with records from 1875 available online.
3. Look at the architecture of your home
The architectural features and style of a property can tell you a lot about the period in which it was built - consult our guide to architectural styles on the right of this page, and use a house dating tool to get an approximate date.
Architectural movements are shaped by social and political change - such as the trend towards smaller homes during the economic depression of the 1920s - as well as being cyclic in nature. Architectural revivals are common, such as the Gothic revival in the Victorian period, and the mock-Tudor style popular in the early 20th century.
4. Research the local area
Brush up on your knowledge of local history to place your property into a wider context. In particular, find out when and why your town was built, and if any events or influences shaped its housebuilding.
Carry out some research at your local library and county records office, where you can search old maps, newspaper cuttings and parish boundary records. If you are unsure which parish your property falls into, consult Bartholomew's Gazetteer of Places in Great Britain. There are over 10,000 parishes in England and Wales, and many historical records and maps are calculated at this parish level.
5. Use the internet
The free information available on websites such as Wikipedia has revolutionised historical research. UpMyStreet user, David, was able to trace his road's history back to the 1800s:
"Through a bit of online research - literally starting with a simple Google search - I managed to find out that the road in Croydon I was moving to was on the site of a former military academy owned by the East India company. Our road is named after a prominent military figure."
6. Use national resources
Make the most of national as well as local services to conduct your research. The UK National Archive is particularly useful, with its store of historical records and information on the documentation available in other locations in the country.
Search census records online as far back as 1841 and use the electoral roll to trace former inhabitants. Building up a picture of past residents can help place your property in its social context, including the likely demographic and occupations of past residents, and the size and make-up of families who lived there.
7. Talk to your neighbours
Your neighbours, particularly long-standing locals, may have a wealth of knowledge about the history of the area and its properties. Mentioning your research will quickly reveal any enthusiasts or amateur historians.
8. Look at old maps
Maps literally place your home in its physical context, allowing you to trace the changes and continuities in the local area. Start with recent local maps - your local library should have a ready supply for you to view - and work your way backwards. You can approximate a date for your property by ascertaining when your home or road was first recorded.
The first Ordnance Survey map was published in 1801 for the County of Kent. There are over a million old maps in the Ordnance Survey archives.
9. Find old photos
Photos also provide pictorial evidence of what your home or road was once like. Francis Frith has 120,000 old photos in its archive, and allows you to search by postcode to find your nearest local snaps. Look out for postboxes, churches, pubs and old shops for familiar landmarks.
10. Plot your home's history
Specialist websites such as Ancestry.co.uk provide access to census data, local history records and old phone book directories. Combined with the rest of your research, this can help you to chart your home's history - in a timeline or whatever format you prefer - and can truly enrich your experience of living there.
Research your local area:
- Neighbourhood profiles - find out what Church Stretton is like now
- House prices - look at property sale prices from 2000 onwards
- Property trends - trace historical price trends from 1995 to now
- Your council - contact details for your local council
- Population figures - local population breakdown by age
- Find your local library - research your local area's history
Local history challenge
Tell us some history - scandalous or otherwise - about your home or where you live.
I managed to find out that the road in Croydon I was moving to was on the site of a former military academy owned by the East India company. Our road is named after a prominent military figure.
David Groves
Architectural styles by period:
- Tudor (1485 - 1603): half-timbering, steep roof, tall and narrow windows, large chimneys
- Jacobean (1603 - 1660): flat roof, columns and pilasters, decadent detail
- Georgian (1714 - 1837): two chimneys, matching housefronts, large sash windows, brick walls, contrasting window frames, porticos
- Victorian (1837 - 1901): slate roof, three stories, bay windows, ornate finish, Gothic and Renaissance revival, ordered room layout
- Edwardian (1901 - 1919): red brick, gables, semi-detached, mansion blocks, functional design, less decoration
- 1920s and 1930s: functional, smaller, mock-Tudor and Georgian revival, plain doorways and lintels, Art Deco, geometric
- 1940s: angular and shiny surfaces, wooden panelling, tiled fireplaces
- 1950s: open plan design, streamlining, picture windows, minamalist, high-rise, prefabs
With the large volume of useful historical records now online to help us trace the history of homes, more and more people are taking the time to find out who lived in their house before them.
Simon Harper, Ancestry.co.uk
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Your comments (39)
Clare (Chester-le-Street), on 18/03/2008 at 15:26
I feel that this is not the correct site to discuss ghosts etc. I was looking for coments that might help in my search for information about the history of where I live.
Jual (South Somerset), on 16/03/2008 at 23:52
I can't believe how many mean people there are here, just because some of you don't have as many senses as others it is not a good reason to insult them! I wish I could earn the kind of money some of you professionals do for not knowing what I am talking about and going round insulting people!
Jual (South Somerset), on 16/03/2008 at 23:38
jayne wrote:
Rational Thinker wrote:
jayne towgli wrote:
Im not sure what was on the spot where our house was built many many years ago, but what i can say is that it is definatly haunted, i myself and my daughter have seen a lady in a white gown, very cold spots in certain areas of the house, and my father who has an adjoining annex has also heard voices calling him ada, and telling him to join them, not bad feelings at all, all good i hasten to add.
Jayne of Thanet - as a professional of many years standing I come across delusion such as yours quite often. Houses are not haunted because ghosts do not exist. I'm araid that leaves us with two choices - you say these things deliberately to seek attention or you say them because in some way your mind tells you that they are true, when patently they are not. Seek help, preferably not from any charlatan who may seek to play to your obviously already gullible character.
I take it your a sceptic then, and you have obviously never seen one as we have, maybe one day you will have the experience, so please don't say I've got a screw loose, in not so many words.
I have had many experiences involving spirit, some not so good but most have been wonderful and left me feeling very good. The 'professionals' who make comments like the one above make me very angry, I wish I could earn the kind of money they earn for not knowing what I am talking about! What an insult to people who happen to have more senses than they do and totally unnecessary. I am not seeking attention and can't believe it is my mind telling me that these experiences are true because on some occasions I have been given information that I couldn't possibly have known otherwise but on investigating turned out to be correct. Some of the information I have received has turned out to be very helpful.
James (Wokingham), on 10/03/2008 at 06:23
Its great that a lot of people are finding out about the history of their home.
James (Wokingham), on 10/03/2008 at 06:16
Its great that a lot of people are finding out about the history of their home.
Skip to comments | Add a comment
Peter (Denbighshire), on 23/02/2008 at 09:13
As Richard says , this topic is unsuitable for this site - perhaps it needs to be exorcised?
Shmanye (Haringey), on 22/02/2008 at 12:00
Seriously this is absolute nonsense
Realist (Wyre), on 05/02/2008 at 17:42
Humans are driven to believe that there is something more about them than flesh, blood and intellect. The main driver for this is called the ego and is very powerful - there MUST be something left after we die???!
This has lead to superstition of all sorts including monotheism which for some reason people think more plausible than black magic or any other such nonsense....
One can understand this in the dark ages or during the hegemony of the church in mediaeval times but now when we can explain most natural occurrences through science it is really an ignorant indulgence which avoids serious thought about most things.
Oh dear God or no God it doesn't matter he/she/it does not intervene, but let's forget celebrity, obscene riches, consumerism and supernatural nonsense and act on climate change, poverty, war, disease and living the life here and now well......
Graham,Liverpool (Liverpool), on 05/02/2008 at 08:44
having moved into our house 9 years ago I did some searching along the lines of the lines of the article above. The local Record Office was a very good source of information, with street directories, census records, newspapers and maps. By taking notes and following the leads, I was able to find the name of the builder, the first occupiers, what they did, even a photo of someone who lived here 115 years ago. Since 1880, our house has been a "school for young gentlemen"! home to an insurance underwriter and his large family. turned into flats, then bedsits, back to flats, and now its home to 9 people, ages 2 to 96. Learning about the house revealed a lot about the history of the area and the people who have lived here in Toxteth Park. There is still more information to find, and the search goes on. No ghosts...yet
John Smith (Southwark), on 01/02/2008 at 13:03
Well I definitely believe in ghosts and just like us, there are friendly ghosts as well as the not so friendly type. People here are writing what they have experienced or what they believe in. It is wrong of others to deride them or to direct them to other sites. By the way I would feel rather uncomfortable confronting a ghost.
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