How to Trace the History of your House

Dr Nick BarrattSticks Research Agency

www.sra-uk.com

The curse of TV: behind the scenes of The House Detectives and Hidden House History

House history in the real world: realistic expectations

House history: the phenomenon

What do you want to find out?• When was the house built?• Who lived in the house?• Flexibility is key!

Establish where your house is located!• Administrative districts are vital (but change…)• Beware: house numbers and names also change• Hidden clues we overlook: house, street names

Research the local community• Historical development of the area is important to

contextualise the occupants or owners• Local study centre for background information and

publications (eg Victoria County History), photos and maps

Getting started

Wider research will be required• Research neighbouring houses and streets• Genealogical skills essential

Work back in time from clue to clue• Start with 20th century owners / occupiers, even if you live in

a 17th property

Research aids• Large-scale modern map marked with historic local

administrative boundaries• Modern photo of the house & street• Update your list of owners & occupiers

Important research techniques

Take a good look at your house• Architectural clues provide dating evidence• R.W. Brunskill, Illustrated Handbook of Vernacular

Architecture• Look at build style of local houses

Pitfalls: rebuilds, salvage & mock-buildsPitfalls: changing uses of ‘houses’Researching fixtures and fittings

• Design registers, specifications and patents• Inventories and insurance records

Your first document: following architectural clues

1. Getting started: OS maps• Track the house through time• Online sources

2. Framework documents for most houses• 20th century occupancy records• 1910 valuation office• Tithe apportionments• Census returns

3. Owners and occupiers4. National and local context

Summary of research phases for documentary evidence

OS maps: what, when and where?

How to use OS maps

Online resources• www.old-maps.co.uk

• www.cassinimaps.co.uk

Related OS sources

Other useful local cartographic material

1. Getting started: OS maps

Electoral lists• Need to know: parliamentary constituency and electoral

ward or division; these change!• Electoral lists arranged alphabetically by street• Reduced suffrage excludes properties

Rate books• Use in combination with electoral lists• Some details of owners as well as occupants

Trade & street directories• Post office, Kelly’s, Pigots

2. Framework documentsTracing 20th century occupancy

Background• 1910 Finance Act: valuation of land & property for tax

• National snapshot of owners & occupiers

• Country divided into districts and sub-districts, surveyors sent round to assess taxable values

• Continued until the intervention of 1st World War, some areas not surveyed

2. Framework documents1910 Valuation Office Survey

Maps• Based on OS maps, 1894-1904

• Duplicate sets made, main set at TNA Individual plots assigned hereditament number

• Maps: often include details of the valuation district in red on the border, or yellow boundary

2. Framework documents1910 Valuation Office Survey

Field books• TNA series IR58 (searchable on TNA Catalogue)

• Arranged by valuation district (see map for details)

• Details include:

• Owner

• Occupier

• Interest

• Description

2. Framework documents1910 Valuation Office Survey

Census returns 1841 - 1911• Start with 1911 & work backwards in time

• Lack of house numbers or names? Try pattern searching, but take care!

• Routes taken by census enumerators are noted

• Cross-reference with other sources eg rates

• Changed house numbers marked on VO maps

• Importance of occupations and local industry reflected in returns: context!

2. Framework documentsCensus returns

Assessment of tithe liability in 1840s• Only covers areas with residual tithes • Arranged by parish; 3 sets made• Maps show liable plots of land or property, each with tithe

rentcharge plot number• Apportionment schedules

• Owner• Occupier• Plot description

2. Framework documentsTithe apportionment surveys

Title deeds: the ‘family tree’ of a houseLand Registry records

• Request registered title and plan• Not all UK covered, only land formerly sold since 1862• Local deed registries

Where are they stored?• Modern deeds: mortgage provider or previous owner• Historic deposited deeds in local archives• Enrolment of deeds: TNA

Sale particulars

3. Owners and occupiersTitle deeds

The English manorial system• Freehold and copyhold land

• Court rolls for property descent

• Rentals and surveys

Estate records• Estate records of principal landowners

• Development of rural land for housing

3. Owners and occupiersManorial and estate records

Probate records: property in wills• Limitations on passing property in wills• Freehold post 1540, copyhold 1815• Reasons for no surviving will

Probate jurisdictions• PCC will registers pre-1858 at TNA & online• PCY will registers pre-1858 at Borthwick Institute• Lower hierarchy probate registries held at local archives• Principal Probate Registry post-1858

Probate inventories

3. Owners and occupiersWills and probate documents

Property disputes in legal records

Equity court bill pleading• Bills and answers

• Depositions

• Decrees and orders

• Exhibits

• Resources at TNA

Equity courts

3. Owners and occupiersLegal disputes

Property based taxes• Hearth tax

• Window tax

• Lay subsidies

Local rates• Poor rates

• Sewer rate books

3. Owners and occupiersTaxation records

Key national events• 2nd World War: bomb census maps• Slum clearance and local authority planning

schemes

Key resources• Utility company records

• Listed building status

• Photographs

4. National and local contextSources for 20th century

Key national events• Coming of the railways

• English Civil War

• Dissolution of the Monasteries

Key resources• Historic maps (development of cities and suburbs)

• Local newspapers

• Insurance records

4. National and local contextSources pre-20th century

Always work back in timePlan your work & keep careful notesBe bold - experimentEnjoy your research!

Further help:www.house-detectives.co.uk

Closing thoughts…