House History Research

Nature of Source

Introduction
Exploring the history of your family’s home can reveal fascinating details about an ancestor’s wealth, heritage and social status. It also sheds light on the previous residents who once lived there. There are several essential steps and resources to guide you in uncovering your property’s past. By combining an inspection of the building itself with documentary research, you can create a detailed account of a family home. By methodically working through these tools and sources, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your home’s history.

Exterior of the Building
The building materials and architectural features provide clues about the property’s age. Key elements to consider are:

• Brickwork which became widespread by the early 16th century in England, replacing timber frame or stone which are likely indicators of an older structure.
• Timber framing indicates construction before the 17th century.
• Roof type and window styles have distinct elements defining specific time periods.
• The architectural styles such as Tudor, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian each have distinctive external features.

Date Plaques
Plaques on properties should be treated with caution as many are inaccurate and misleading. They may indicate a year of construction or show when modifications or renovations were made. Some were added much later simply for decorative purposes.

Internal Features
Internal features offer evidence of a property’s age such as:

• Fireplaces whose design and materials changed substantially throughout different time periods.
• Floor construction such wooden floorboards or stone flagstones.
• Ceiling height which generally increased during the Georgian and Victorian periods. Ceiling beams also offer clues to a property’s age.
• Staircase designs which evolved over time reflecting different architectural periods.

Documentary Research

Census Records Online
Findmypast offers a dedicated feature to search census records (1841-1921) by address or building but be aware that enumerators often invented their own numbering system. If a direct address search is not available for a specific census year, platforms such as Ancestry provide browsable census street indexes. The 1911 census in particular provides the full address and more detailed property information including for the first time, the number of rooms in each dwelling for all households. The census also describes the type of building such as ‘shop’, ‘hotel’ or ‘private house’. In the early 19th century and before, houses were generally identified by the owner’s name rather than a street address or house name or number.

Tithe Maps and Apportionments (1836)
Tithe maps and their accompanying apportionment are useful documents for early 19th century property details. They provide detailed information about properties and buildings including detailed maps showing the layout of land and property boundaries. The accompanying schedules provide the names of the owners and occupiers.

Historic Maps
Maps can reveal how a property and area developed over time. Types of maps include:

• Ordnance Survey maps: The first series began in the 1840s.
• Enclosure maps: These show land redistribution in the 18th-19th centuries.
• Estate and manorial maps: These are often very detailed maps focussed on a specific area.
• Fire insurance maps: The maps can include details of the building materials used.

Sales Catalogues
Estate agents or auctioneers produced detailed catalogues when marketing property or land for sale. These often contain detailed descriptions of rooms, property features, floor plans and photographs as well as descriptions of surrounding land and outbuildings. Previous owners may also be stated.

Newspaper Advertisements
Local newspapers frequently carried adverts for sales of properties which may provide a description of the house for sale or rent, property features and sometimes mention previous owners or occupants.

Deeds and Land Registry
Property deeds contain crucial information and will show the chain of ownership over time and may include property boundaries and rights of way. Restrictions or covenants on a property will be noted.

Additional Resources
The following sources could assist in researching a property and its inhabitants:

• County & Local Histories
• Electoral rolls and registers or Burgess Rolls
• Enclosure Maps and Awards
• Estate Records and Maps
• Feet of Fines/Final Concords
• Fire Insurance Registers, Plans and Maps
• Hearth Tax
• Land and Property Records including Title Deeds
• Land Tax Assessments & Returns
• Land Registry records from 1862 onward
• Maps & Gazetteers
• Photographs, Prints & Postcards
• Rate Books
• Return of Owners of Land
• Tithe Award Records
• Trade and street directories
• Valuation Office Field Books & Maps
• Valuation Rolls & Stent Rolls (Scotland)
• Wills and Probate
• Window Tax

Where Found

County Records Offices
Local archives hold a wide range of records for researching house histories including:

• Deeds and Title Documents
• Rate Books
• Valuation and Taxation Records
• House Sale Particulars
• Estate Records
• Enclosure Awards and Maps
• Ordnance Survey and Historical Maps
• Census Returns
• Electoral Registers
• Local Directories
• Wills and Probate Records
• Historic photographs

Historic England Archive
The Archive holds research material on buildings and places including estate sale particulars, social and local history and archaeological sites including many historical photographs.

HM Land Registry
The non-ministerial department is responsible for the registration of the ownership of land and property in England and Wales and holds the register of title to land in England and Wales.

Registers of Scotland
RoS is a non-ministerial government department responsible for compiling and maintaining Scotland’s public registers relating to land, property and other legal documents. The department holds the Land Register of Scotland and the General Register of Sasines.

Period Covered

1200 – Onwards

Genealogical Value

• Names of vendor and buyer.
• Address and location of property.
• Description and boundary of property and land.
• Names of tenants and occupiers.
• Date of construction and previous sales.

Further References

• Adolph, Anthony. Tracing your Home’s History: Collins, 2006
• Alcock, Nathaniel Warren. Documenting the History of Houses: British Records Association, 2003
• Alcock, Nathaniel Warren & Hall, Linda. Fixture & Fittings in Dated Houses 1567-1763: Council for British Archaeology, 1994
• Austin, David & Dowdy, Mac & Miller, Judith. Be Your Own House Detective: BBC Books, 1997
• Backe-Hansen, Melanie. House Histories: The Secrets Behind Your Front Door: The History Press, 2019
• Barratt, Nick. Nick Barratt’s Beginner’s Guide to Your Ancestors Lives: Pen and Sword Books, 2010
• Barratt, Nick. Tracing the History of Your House: PRO Publications, 2006
• Barratt, Nick. House History Starter Pack: The National Archives, 2002
• Barratt, Nick. Greater London: The Story of the Suburbs: Random House, 2012
• Bell, Yvonne. The Edwardian Home: Shire, 2005
• Blanchard, Gill. Tracing Your House History: A Guide For Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books, 2013
• Brittain-Catlin, Timothy. How to Read a Building: Collins, 2007
• Brooks, Pamela. How to Research Your House: Every Home Tells a Story: How To Books, 2007
• Colin and O-lan Style. House Histories for Beginners: Phillimore, 2006
• Cox, Alan. Sources for the Study of Public Housing Guildhall Library, 1993
• Davidson Cragoe, Carol. How to Read Buildings: A Crash Course in Architecture: Herbert Press, 2008
• Goodenough, Richard. Researching The History of a Country House: A Guide to Sources and Their Use: Phillimore, 2010
• Hall, Linda. Period House Fixtures & Fittings 1300-1900: Countryside Books, 2007
• Iredale, David. Discovering This Old House: Shire Publications, 2002
• Jones, Will. How to Read Houses: A & C Black Publishers, 2013
• Laws, Bill. Nails, Noggins and Newels: An Alternative History of Every House: The History Press, 2006
• Myerson, Julie. The Story of Everyone Who Ever Lived in our House: Flamingo, 2004
• Olusoga, David & Backe-Hansen, Melanie. A House Through Time: Picador, 2020
  Stewart, Rachel. The Classic English Town House: New Holland Publishers, 2006
• The Story of Where You Live: Reader’s Digest, 2005
• Thom, Colin. Researching London’s Houses: Historical Publications, 2005
• Yorke, Trevor. The Victorian House Explained: Countryside Books, 2005
• Yorke, Trevor. The Edwardian House Explained: Countryside Books, 2006
• Yorke, Trevor. The 1930s House Explained: Countryside Books, 2006
• Yorke, Trevor. Georgian & Regency Houses Explained: Countryside Books, 2007
• Yorke, Trevor. British Architectural Styles An Easy Reference Guide: Countryside Books, 2008
• Yorke, Trevor. Tudor Houses Explained: Countryside Books, 2009
• Yorke, Trevor. Timber-Framed Buildings Explained: Countryside Books, 2010
• Yorke, Trevor. The 1940s and 1950s House Explained: From Blackout to Sunlight Nostalgia: Countryside Books, 2010
• Yorke, Trevor. Arts and Crafts House Styles: Countryside Books, 2011
• Yorke, Trevor. Tracing the History of Houses: Countryside Books, 2011
• Woodforde, John. The Truth About Cottages: A History and an Illustrated Guide to 50 Types of English Cottage: I. B. Tauris, 2007 (Preview available from Google Books)
• Woolf, Alex. Past in Pictures: A Photographic View of Home Life: Wayland, 2013

Websites

HM Land Registry
The non-ministerial department is responsible for the registration of the ownership of land and property in England and Wales and holds the register of title to land in England and Wales.
The National Archives Research Guide
How to look for records of Houses. This guide provides some suggestions for where to find records and what kind of information you might find.
Registers of Scotland
Registers of Scotland is the government department responsible for compiling and maintaining public registers of land and property ownership in Scotland. RoS is responsible for maintaining the Land Register of Scotland and the General Register of Sasines.
National Records of Scotland
Research Guide: Buildings. This guide is a general introduction to the types of sources in National Records of Scotland which can help you trace the history of castles, houses, schools, churches, mills, railway stations, and other buildings.
National Library of Scotland
Research Guide: Maps for Researching House and Building History. The guide highlights some of the most relevant maps to use as documentary sources for researching buildings and houses covering rural and urban areas.
Historic England
How to Find Out about Your Home’s History. Every home has a story to tell, and this page will help you understand what you can do to uncover its architectural history and help trace the occupants of your house over time.
Historic England
6 Steps to Finding Out Your Home’s History Online. You can trace the architectural history of your house through old maps, photographs and written records, and many of these useful resources are online.
Historic England
Trace Your Home’s Architectural History.
The National Archives Blog
Top tips for researching the history of your house.
Who Do You Think You Are?
How old is my house? The best house history websites. Inspired by BBC Two’s A House Through Time? Jonathan Scott shows you how to trace the history of your house.
Findmypast Blog
An expert’s guide to house history: here are the key sources you’ll need to discover the history of your house.
BBC Family History
Using Written Archives to Discover the History of your House, by Nick Barratt.
Trace My House
The site aims to guide you through the process of finding out more about a house with suggestions and practical advice and links to useful sites, books and records.
Lifelines Research
Our Ancestral Places. The site provides guidance on exploring the lives of ancestors through specific buildings like homes, schools, workplaces and churches to broader areas such as parishes, towns and counties.
Yale Books
Pevsner Architectural Guides. The guides were founded by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, a distinguished architectural historian (1902-1983) and comprise of four series covering England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The guides provide a comprehensive survey of the architecture of the United Kingdom..
Warwickshire County Record Office
Research Guide: House History.
Essex Record Office
User Guide: Research your House’s History.
Surrey Heritage
How to trace the history of your house.
The London Archives
Research Guide: House History. There are a wide range of documents available at The London Archives for researching the history of a London house, its occupants and the local streets. This guide outlines the most useful original records and digital sources available.
Ashwell Museum
Researching the History of Your House.
Researching Historic Buildings
Researching the history of houses. The online guide by Jean Manco includes hints on planning a research programme, and clues to finding and understanding useful sources. There are introductions to a wide range of building types and architectural styles, the development of towns and villages and ecclesiastical sources.
British History Online
A Survey of Documentary Sources for Property Holding in London before the Great Fire. Discover property histories for five parishes in the central Cheapside area. Archival sources for the history of property holding in London from the earliest times until 1666.
Real Homes
How old is my house? Working out the age of your home. Emma Lawrence, head of casework at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, explains how to work out which era a property belongs to.
Janine Stone & Co
Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes: A Guide To Period Architecture.
House Beautiful
Homes through the ages: Tudor, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, by June Walton
Landed families of Britain and Ireland
The site presents research into the landowning families of the British Isles and the country houses which they owned.
thehunthouse
Old Maps and Books. A site for people who love maps, books, London and history. Resources include: Two lists of London Street name changes that occurred between 1857-1929 and between 1929-1945; A finding aid for London Postal Districts by name and number with a current map; A list and map of the Metropolitan Boroughs used in the street name list; A list of every street in London in 1938.

Online Databases

HM Land Registry
Search for land and property information. Find information about a property in England or Wales, even if you do not own it. You can download copies of the property summary, title plan and title register for a property in the service.
Gloucestershire Family History Society
Gloucester Copy Leases, 1524-1881. Search indexed and transcribed Gloucester copy leases dating held at Gloucestershire Archives. The records contain the name, address and status or occupation of the tenant, the owners, the date of each lease and the type and location of each property.
Findmypast
Discover the history of your home. Search for an address in England and Wales to start discovering your house’s history. The address each facility incorporates British censuses from 1841 to 1921 and the 1939 register. The electoral registers collection is also searchable by address.
The Genealogist
Map Explorer. The feature provides georeferenced historic maps laid on top of modern background maps showing changes to the landscape over time. The feature allows users to locate an ancestor’s house as well neighbouring properties as well as shops, local pubs, churches, places of work, railway stations and parks. Historic map collections include large scale detailed Ordnance Survey maps covering England, Scotland and Wales between the 1890s and 1960s. Record sets linked to the maps include: the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census returns, the 1939 Register, Tithe Awards, Valuation Office Field Maps/Lloyd George Survey, War Memorials, cemeteries and churchyards from across the country and Booth Poverty Maps of London 1898-1899.
Historic England: Find Photos: Online descriptions of over 12 million historical photographs, documents, plans and drawings of historic buildings, scenes and archaeological sites dating from the 1850s. The archive, held by the Historic England Archive, contains images relating to England’s industrial heritage, social history and architecture including towns, villages, scenes. Specialist collections include the Nigel Temple Postcards collection
Historic England
Find historical photos, drawings and reports. Online descriptions of over 9 million historical photographs, documents, plans and drawings of historic buildings, scenes and archaeological sites dating from the 1850s. The archive, held by the Historic England Archive, contains images relating to England’s industrial heritage, social history and architecture including towns, villages, scenes. Specialist collections include the Nigel Temple Postcards collection.
Britain from Above
Historic England: Search over 95,000 oblique aerial photographs consisting of the oldest and most valuable photographic negatives in the Aerofilms collection, dating from 1919 to 1953. The collection itself holds over 4 million aerial photographs covering the whole of England and dating from the early 20th century to the present day and is available to view in the Search Room in Swindon.
Historic England
Heritage Gateway. Search for information on England’s historic sites and buildings, including images of listed buildings. The website allows you to cross-search over 60 resources, offering local and national information relating to England’s heritage.
Historic England
The National Heritage List for England. Search the official, up to date, register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England including listed buildings, battlefields, monuments, parks, gardens and shipwrecks.
trove.scot
Inhabited House Tax Rolls, 1778-1798. The tax rolls include all houses valued over £5 per annum with the names of the householders. Trove.scot allows users to find out about listed buildings and other designated places, view archive photography and explore the past of your local area.

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