Home is where the past is

HOUSE history has become a boom business. Membership of the Society of Genealogists, which represents professional researchers, has doubled to 15,000 over the past 10 years, and it is estimated that 100,000 people belong to regional genealogical organisations. When the 1901 census was launched online in January, with much fanfare and publicity, the site crashed as more than one million people tried to log on at once.

Owners chop and change homes and in doing so stamp their identity on each house. The job of the house historian is to peel away the layers to show the house in its various stages of development and, hopefully, trace the house's story back to when it was built.

The internet has eased the job of the house historian; once the teething problems are resolved, you will be able to search the 1901 census records (www.census.pro.gov) for addresses as well as family names, making it possible to find out who was living in your house a century ago, and how old they were and their occupations, at the press of a button.

Other records offices also have information online, but the easiest way by far to gather the largest amount of information still comes from studying the primary sources: this will mean digging up title deeds, going through the details of contracts of sale, and picking out clues from huge ledgers of domestic and business accounts.

There are practical applications for carrying out house histories. House historian Patricia Marr has carried out research for consulting engineers preparing accurate bids to restore old properties. "From their point of view, it shows clients that they have carried out a thorough investigation of the property," she says.

On another occasion, in the course of a restoration, she was able to trace the mysterious flooding of a property to the fact that the building was sited on a former 19th century mill pond. There are also disputes over land ownership and change of use of buildings which can only be resolved by tracing the property's past.

House historian Dr Nick Barratt has researched four series of the BBC's House Detectives and is the author of Tracing the History of your House. He says: "House history is a logical extension of genealogy, and the research of one can often lead you into the other." Dr Barratt has a website, www.house-detectives.co.uk, for firsttime house historians, which gives tips and guidance on how to get started, and there are timesaving links to research agencies that can help with information.

For the beginner, there are two key dates to research: the 1830s tithe apportionments and the 1910 valuation office survey, which should provide names of owners and occupiers at these key dates. For information before 1830, research can take you to local libraries and county record offices (for example, in central London this could include the Corporation of London record office and the Guildhall Library).

From then on, your search can be as broad and inclusive as you wish: "You can make it what you want," Barratt says. "But you'll need to be brave enough to experiment with different sets of sources: historical trade directories, house inventories, parish registers and even letters and diaries.

"The investigation begins with the fabric of your house," he says, "but you'll end up unearthing clues about the people who used to live there."

Marr, who researches the histories of properties in Essex and Suffolk, starts any project by first speaking to those who commissionedher to establish the limits of the search, and get as much firsthand information, such as deeds, as possible.

One of the most important sources is the county record office, where documents, such as historical maps, give an easy indication of the age of the house. Then it's on to the process of going back through the tithe awards for the parish and the censuses.

Marr says: "Surprisingly, it's the very abundance of records that causes problems," says Marr. "It is impossible to find a point at which I can sit back and say 'I've finished this house history'.

"At the end of any search, be it the county record office or another archive, I submit a report on what I've learned so the client is kept fully informed at all times. Sometimes they may want to put a cap on the total cost of the research, say pounds 3,500." A house historian costs around pounds 315 an hour.

Sally and Peter Allen: 'We do wonder who has lived here before, but we also have niggling worries that I might unearth some dastardly deeds' THE Allens live with their two children in a three-storey, early 19th century house in Camberwell, convenient for the City, where Peter works. The building has many of the original architectural features including a magnificent sweeping central staircase. Since moving there last September, the Allens have been keen to find out more about its history; it is part of a close in which a dozen gracious homes appear to have been built around the same time.

The properties were built as semidetached pairs, all have impressive porticos at the front and wrought-iron balconies at the back. "The houses around here are quite distinctive," says Sally, "and the neighbours are very interested in their history."

House historian Dr Nick Barratt and colleague Dr Carol Davidson- Cragoe, an architectural historian, agreed to undertake some preliminary research on the house to show what a simple, initial search could reveal.

Barratt first headed to the Public Record Office. It contains a wealth of information concerning the state and individuals: maps and plans, details of land transfers and electoral registers. Barratt discovered the Parish of St Giles tithe map of 1845 on which the Allen's property is clearly marked. This was confirmed by reproductions of contemporary maps owned by the Allens' neighbours. These earlier maps also indicate that, at that time, much of the land in Camberwell was used by market gardeners who provided London with fresh produce.

The PRO also holds the census of 1901. This information is still not online, but anyone can carry out research at the archives. The census shows that the house was lived in by Francis Plumpton, a businessman who traded in aerated water.

To go back before 1901, Barratt went to the Family Records Centre, which archives details of births, marriages and deaths, and holds the censuses from 1841-1891. These show once again that the house was inhabited by prosperous lower-middle class families employing servants, evidence of the area's growing status as a gentrified suburb of London. The census of 1851 shows that it was lived in by a "fundholder", Thomas Allfort, with his niece and their two servants.

What is striking is that the profile of the family living in the house hasn't altered much in 150 years, despite the fact that, postwar, Camberwell was a relatively depressed area. Now, highly desirable Victorian family houses are being snapped up across the city, and the Allen family is similar to the original occupants: Peter Allen is a Lloyd's broker, and the household includes the Allens' children, three-year-old Holly and one-year-old Sam, as well as a live-in nanny.

"I would also go through the maps at the Southwark Local Studies Library and the London Metropolitan archives," says Barratt. "Private papers of the original landowners should also contain invaluable information on the development of the close and the surrounding area, and may even include correspondence with builders and architects."

Architecturally, Davidson-Cragoe says the style of the property is consistent with late 1830s design. "Looking along the street you can see that it was one of four pairs of houses built by the same person, as the portico details are almost identical," she says. "It is useful to compare your house with the neighbours' to see what has changed. Doors, windows and woodwork are all good clues to the date of the building."

One of the archives Davidson-Cragoe referred to was the National Monuments Record, which has information on the buildings and social life of London.

"The next step would be to visit the Southwark Local Studies Library and the Guildhall Library," she says.

So how does Sally feel about the new information? "It's very interesting, and quite clearly there is an enormous amount of history attached to the area," she says.

But at the moment Sally hasn't decided whether to delve further into the history of the building. "I do wonder who has lived here before, but I also have niggling worries that I might unearth some dastardly deeds, or a period of unhappiness here. This is the first house we've had as a family and for us, this is a happy, family house and that's how I want it to stay."

Tips for carrying out your own house history

. Set your research goals, but keep them realistic.

. House history is time-consuming, so be prepared for many hours spent searching archives or travelling.

. Always corroborate sources against others; it is easy to take evidence at face value because it "fits" an existing theory.

. Be prepared to encounter problems with source material, for example, illegible writing or missing words.

. Read as much about the local area as possible before you start, as this will contain clues.

Contacts

Public Record Office: Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Surrey (020 8392 5300) Family Records Centre: 1 Myddleton Street, EC1 (020 8392 5300) London Metropolitan Archives: 40 Northampton Road, EC1 (020 7332 3820) National Monuments Record: 55 Blandford Street, London W1 (020 7208 8200) House detectives: www.house-detectives.co.uk English Heritage: PO Box 569, Swindon, SN2 2YP (0870 333 1181), www.english- heritage.org.uk

Picture captions

Sally and Peter Allen, with children Holly (left) and Sam, in front of their late-1830s Camberwell house, once the property of a Victorian water entrepreneur

Adjoining the Allens' kitchen is a light-filled breakfast room with broad views of their garden

The drawing room was once part of a larger ground-floor room which the Allens have divided up

House historian Dr Nick Barratt and architectural historian Dr Carol Davidson-Cragoe at work in the Public Record Office archives The sweeping staircase is one of the many original architectural features still evident in the Allens' house

(6) Each owner will make their own changes to the property, leaving clues for the house historian regarding the way they lived. The Allens have changed what was once a large, ground-floor room into a study (left) and a drawing room

Copyright 2002
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