Your house has
a story to tell.
I find the people who lived there before you.
Every home has had other lives inside it. Other families, other stories, other moments that happened in the same rooms. I trace them, from the people who first built the house to every occupant since, using the full range of surviving historical records.
The people before you
are still there to be found.
Most people live in a house for years without knowing anything about who occupied it before them. Census records, however, named every person in every household from 1841 through to 1921. For most properties in England and Wales, that is eight complete snapshots of the lives inside your home, each one ten years apart.
Beyond the census there are title deeds, which trace ownership of a property back through successive transactions. Tithe maps from the 1840s show how the land around your home was divided before your street was built. The 1910 Lloyd George Valuation records the condition, value, and owner of almost every property in England and Wales. Local newspaper archives contain references that are often impossible to predict: accidents, court cases, estate sales, even descriptions of houses being constructed.
What emerges from this research is not just a list of names and dates. It is a picture of the different lives that have unfolded in the same place. The framework knitter who raised a family of seven in rooms that now belong to a single person. The widow who took in lodgers. The shopkeeper whose trade directory entry survives when nothing else does.
Every investigation begins with the address and whatever you already know. I give you an honest picture of what the records are likely to yield before any work begins. There are no surprises in the final invoice and no research carried out without your agreement.
Discuss your propertySeely Road, Nottingham
The house photograph and the 1911 census return for the same property. John Brunker McLellan, pianoforte and music seller, lived here with his wife Eliza Anne and their servant Lucy May.
The records I use
to trace your home's history
House history research draws on a wide range of primary sources, many of which have only become fully accessible in recent years. The combination of records available for any given property depends on its age, location, and how well local archives have been preserved.
Census Returns
Eight complete national censuses name every person in every household, recording their age, occupation, birthplace, and relationship to the head. For most Victorian and Edwardian properties this is the richest source of all.
Title Deeds
Deeds record the transfer of ownership from seller to buyer and can chain back through centuries. Held at HM Land Registry, local archive offices, or occasionally in private solicitors' collections. Older properties often yield the most unexpected results.
Tithe Maps and Apportionments
Created to record the ownership and use of virtually every piece of land in England and Wales, tithe records show the landscape before your property was built and often name the landowner responsible for the ground beneath your home.
Lloyd George Valuation
The 1910 Finance Act required a complete survey of every property in England and Wales. The resulting valuation records describe the condition, size, use, and ownership of individual buildings, including many which no longer survive.
Historic OS Maps
Ordnance Survey maps produced at several scales and at multiple dates from the 1860s onwards show when your property was built, how it changed, and what occupied the site before it. Invaluable for understanding the physical development of a building.
Trade Directories and Newspapers
Local trade directories listed businesses operating from specific addresses, sometimes dating back to the early 1800s. Digitised newspaper archives can surface references to a property that appear nowhere else: sales, disputes, tragedies, and notable occupants.
More than a list of names.
A record of lives.
The aim of a house history investigation is not to produce a spreadsheet of occupants. It is to bring the people who lived there into focus, in enough detail that you can understand something about how they lived and what the house meant to them.
Some of the most unexpected findings come from sources that seem unlikely at first. A solicitor's file that survived in a local archive. An old estate sale advertisement that names the rooms and their contents. A newspaper report that places a specific person in a specific room on a specific day over a century ago.
- The full sequence of occupants from 1841, named and described in census returns
- The history of ownership, from the original builder through to successive proprietors
- The site before the house existed, including what occupied the land and who owned it
- The occupations and social circumstances of the families who called the house home
- Any notable events connected to the property, drawn from newspaper and probate records
- The condition, rateable value, and description of the property in the 1910 survey
This is an illustrative example of the kind of timeline a house history investigation can produce. The actual findings for your property will depend on the records that survive.
Choose the depth of investigation
All packages include a written narrative report, copies of key records, and a clear explanation of what was found and what was not. Pricing is fixed, so there are no unexpected costs.
House History Starter
A complete search of all eight available census returns for your address, identifying and naming every occupant from 1841 onwards. Includes a short written summary of who lived there, their occupations, and any notable features of the households found.
- All eight census returns searched
- Occupant timeline produced
- Copies of all relevant census images
- Written summary report (4 to 8 pages)
House History Investigation
A thorough investigation combining all eight censuses with historic Ordnance Survey maps, the 1910 Lloyd George Valuation, tithe records, and local trade directories. Reveals both the occupants and the broader history of the property and its street.
- Everything in the Starter package
- Historic OS maps at key dates
- 1910 Valuation and tithe records
- Trade directory research
- Full narrative report (12 to 20 pages)
House History Full Story
The complete investigation. In addition to all standard sources, this package includes a title deed search through HM Land Registry and local archive collections, newspaper archive research, probate and will searches for key occupants, and where appropriate, an in-person archive visit.
- Everything in the Investigation package
- Title deed and Land Registry search
- Newspaper archive research
- Probate and will searches
- Archive visit where records require it
- Full narrative report (20 to 40 pages)
Not sure which package is right for your property? The free 30-minute consultation is the best place to start. I will look at what records are likely to be available for your address and suggest the most appropriate level of investigation. Many house history projects can be scoped more accurately once I have a few basic details about the property's age and location.
From your address to a finished report
Every house history investigation follows the same clear sequence. You are kept informed at each stage and there are no surprises in the final invoice.
Free Consultation
We talk through your property, what you already know, and what the records are likely to hold. I give you an honest picture of what is achievable and a clear price before any work begins.
Scoping and Agreement
Once you are happy to proceed I confirm the agreed scope in writing, set out what is included, and give you a realistic timescale. Most investigations take between three and six weeks depending on complexity.
Research and Investigation
I work through the agreed sources systematically, following leads where they emerge and keeping you updated on significant findings. If the research opens up interesting avenues I discuss whether you wish to extend the scope.
Written Report
All findings are presented in a written narrative report, structured as a readable account of the property's history. Copies of key documents, annotated maps, and a bibliography are included as standard.
A report you can keep, share, and return to.
The written narrative report is not a data dump. It is structured as a readable account, written in plain English, that tells the story of your property and the people connected to it. It is designed to be read by anyone, not just those with a genealogy background, and to be something you can pass on.
People who want to know what happened
in the place where they live
House history research attracts a wide range of people for different reasons. The common thread is curiosity about a specific place rather than a specific family.
New homeowners
Many people commission a house history shortly after moving in. The question "who lived here before?" is one of the most natural responses to arriving somewhere new, and the census records often provide a surprisingly vivid answer.
Long-standing residents
Others have lived in the same house for decades and find that the longer they are there, the more curious they become about its previous lives. One occupant finding their predecessors can be unexpectedly moving.
Unusual or historic properties
Period houses, converted buildings, and properties with unusual features often carry a history that is particularly worth investigating. The records frequently shed light on why a building looks the way it does.
As a gift
A house history investigation makes a distinctive gift for someone who has recently moved, or for a couple celebrating a significant anniversary in a long-loved home. A report specific to their address is something no catalogue can replicate.
Properties with unexplained features
Sealed rooms, old hearths, blocked-up doorways, unexpected floor levels. Historic buildings often contain physical evidence of former uses that the records help explain. Research and building archaeology can be a powerful combination.
Local history and community projects
Community groups, local history societies, and schools have commissioned house histories as part of wider local history projects. I am happy to discuss group commissions and reduced rates for not-for-profit work.
Frequently asked questions
Find out who lived
in your home before you.
A free 30-minute call is the simplest way to start. Just your address and any questions you have. I will tell you what the records are likely to hold and what a realistic investigation would involve.