House History Hunting in the UK
How do you find out about your homes past? This fascinating subject is becoming more and more popular. Various archives are becoming ever more accessible on the internet, however a full house history still needs personal trips to the County Records Offices and the Local Studies Library.
A full house history entails not only finding out when it was build, but also details of any previous buildings on the site. It will take in all the people and events associated with your house and you will need to delve into a whole range of records.
New Table of Contents
Getting Started.........
With so much to find where should you start?The first step is to visit your Local Studies Library and get a modern map with your house clearly identified on it. You should also be able to find there the invaluable early Ordnance Survey maps of the 1880s and 1900s.
The next step is to find your house on one of the land surveys, like the tithe survey of the 1830s & 1840s which you should find at your local County Records Office. The later 1910-1915 Valuation Office Survey is also important. It identifies and describes every property in the land. You should be able to find your local Valuation books also at the County Records Office.
Once you have found a previous owners name prior to 1900 you will be able to search the Census records (many are online) at your local library or the County Records Office. These provide information on all the occupants, their names, ages, place of birth and occupation.
Different types of property have their own research quirks. Cottages, town houses, manors, mills inns and farms are all served with their own records and are all well worth researching. A cottage may well be simpler to trace than a manor house.If you are researching the history of a farm or farmhouse then you will also want to investigate the National Farm Survey of 1940-1943, held at Kew. It details each farm and gives much information about the occupants.
If your house is a former church property, like an old vicarage or rectory, the the collection of diocesan records will provide a wealth of information.
House Histories for Beginners
Featured Lenses!
-
Family History and Genealogy Headquarters
-
Family History and Genealogy For lenses to do with searching your family history, genealogy, family history. These are hand-picked lenses, selected for their relevance and originality. There are lots of large lists around if you need more info....
-
Preserve your Family History
-
Genealogy is a written record of your ancestry (Family tree). It is the study of your legacy, your family history, of your ancestors and members of your family tree. It is not just a collection of dates, places and facts. It is much more p...
-
Finding out about your home's history in Washington DC
-
Live in Washington DC? Interested in the history of your home? Here are some links to help you get to know a little more. I'll add more information as I have time - and as I find out more.
-
Genealogy and Family History
-
Searching for one's Genealogy and Family History and constructing the family tree is not as hard as it used to be. In the past, the tedious process began by interviewing as many people as you could find who might know something, some of which may hav...
Blog Posts from Google
- A Genealogy Place for Tennessee… « Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog
- There is a power in having a unique genealogy place where you can learn new techniques, discover new sources, share your excitement when you find something no one else has unearthed; and, THIS IS THAT PLACE! ...
- WILLS : Genealogy Query
- Genealogy query detail for surnames WILLS. ... Cross Search on other websites: View all matching genealogy records for the following surnames: Footnote.com - WILLS. View images of documents including naturalizations, birth and death ...
- The Accidental Genealogist: New Genealogy Gems Podcast App for ...
- I'm happy to share this press release from Lisa Louise Cooke about the brand new Genealogy Gems Podcast iPhone/iTouch app. Now there's no excuse for missing a single episode of this outstanding online genealogy radio show! ...
- Ask Olive Tree Genealogy a Question: Newspapers are a great ...
- Do you have a genealogy question you would like to ask me? Do you want to know where to find certain genealogy records? Let Lorine help! Every day I will choose one question to answer. Send your query about your ancestors to me then ...
Helpful & Interesting Links!
- The National Archives | Research, education & online exhibitions | Getting started | House history
- The National Archives of the United Kingdom: House history - your guide to resources and expert advice.
- The Online House Detective - for tracing the history of your house using architectural clues, document research, research framework, online gallery & case study
- ??
The Online ??
The
Online House Detective Welcome
to the home page of the House Detectives, a property research
and consultancy organisation run by TV historians Dr Nick
Barratt and Dr Jonathan Foyle. We offer research
services, consultancy, works
Please Sign My Guestbook!
-
Reply
- Redmoonrider Redmoonrider Feb 16, 2009 @ 8:10 am
- Very good lens - on a fascinating subject. I sell vintage postcards and a lot of people have bought them from me to get a snapshot of their past, be it location or the name and address the card was sent to. It is all connected and a fascinating hobby. Well done on this lens! Five stars to you!
-
Reply
- LeeD LeeD Sep 16, 2007 @ 11:56 am
- It's fun to find out the history of your house - but you might be surprised at what you learn! Just like with your ancestors, you never know! See what I found out about mine when you visit my lens on how to make a family tree.
Helpful Books
The English House: English Country Houses & Interiors
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $31.50 (as of 01/05/2010) 
The Regency Country House: From the Archives of Country Life
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 01/05/2010)
The Jacobean Country House: From the Archives of Country Life
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $44.17 (as of 01/05/2010)
Genealogy, Family & House History on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Discount Magazine Subscriptions
Family Tree Magazine
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $24.00 (as of 01/05/2010)
List Price: $29.94
Family Tree Magazine - England Edition
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $105.12 (as of 01/05/2010)
List Price:
BBC History Magazine
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $44.47 (as of 01/05/2010)
List Price: $45.50
Family History Books
The Family Tree Problem Solver: Proven Methods for Scaling the Inevitable Brick Wall
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 01/05/2010)
List Price: $19.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Trace Your Roots with DNA: Use Your DNA to Complete Your Family Tree
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 01/05/2010)
List Price: $16.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Genealogy Handbook: The Complete Guide to Tracing Your Family Tree
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 01/05/2010)
List Price: $16.95
Family Tree Maker for Dummies
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $21.36 (as of 01/05/2010)
List Price: $24.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photograph
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 01/05/2010)
List Price: $24.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
by 1SquidAddict
Making lenses for Fun and Profit and Showing Others how to do the Same!
(more)Explore related pages
Border Reiver Families
- Have you traced your family history? Do you know the origin of your name? Have y...
Genealogy...Creating an Awesome Family Tree- Creating a Family Tree is fun and easy. We have gone back to the 1600's with our...
Genealogy Products Reviewed- As a keen Genealogist I know that there are a wide variety of Genealogy Products...
Genealogy and Family History- Searching for one's Genealogy and Family History and constructing the family tre...
Geneology- Wouldn't it be fantastic to find your family roots? Are you feeling alone and wa...
The World of Genealogy Research- After spending a few years researching my own family tree I wanted to "bran...
