Trace my house - Promoting an interest in house history

EVERY HOME HAS A STORY TO TELl. We show you how to research the history of your home and to discover  more about its architectural and building past but also about the people that lived in it.

 Discover the history of your house 

         Without leaving home
We have produced a short video showing you how to how to trace the history of your house or your ancestors home without leaving home. Unless you live in a very modern home there is usually something you can discover about the architecture and building as well as details of the people who lived there lives before you. We provide links in Word format to help you follow the video.
Even the most humble home has a hiSTORY and on these pages we help you to discover how to go about uncovering it's story.

If you are new to the experience of tracing the history of your house  then go straight to GETTING STARTED If you already know something about your house history you may find the GUIDES below helpful in showing you what records are available. If you want to find out what others have discovered or to visit a house  then INSPIRATION is for you.
We even show you how to INTERVIEW NEIGHBOURS and where you can find the RECORD OFFICES and ARCHIVISTS Then when you have discovered the history of your house how to KEEP RECORDS  and  WRITE THE STORY.Throughout the site there are lots of links to  experts and other house historians if you get stuck.
If you are interested in discovering more  about your AMERICAN HOUSE we have a whole section just for you which is being added to regularly. If you are interested in tracing your ANCESTORS HOUSE go to that section for more ideas
Click on the Guide below for more details and then click on the subject icon to find out more about how the records can help you trace your house history.
Guide to The census
The CENSUS is taken every ten years since 1841 and is a key document for any house historian.Generally they are only available to view after 100 years. So from 1841-1911 they are available.
guide to The Land Registry
If the house is registered at the Land Registry  you will find details of sales, boundary plans, owners, mortgages and other historical information To find out more about this and Title Deeds read below.
guide to Directories
Trade and Street Directories can be found in libraries and record offices and in some cases online. These will give you the names of occupiers, and sometimes their occupations 
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guide to Maps
Old MAPS are a very important and a vital tool for tracing your house. When all else fails and the name or number is changed, or in some cases the address alters the position on a map will remain constant
guide to Valuation survey
The Valuation Office survey, was a property tax  aimed at raising funds, for the Inland Revenue and  was created following  the 1910 Finance Act .
guide to probate & wills
The information found in Wills and Probate Inventories and Accounts can sometimes provide important information about houses and their fixtures and fittings and how people lived. ​
guide to manorial records
These records  consist of  ‘court rolls, surveys,maps, terriers, documents & books  relating to the boundaries, franchises, wastes, customs or courts of a manor.
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guide to taxation
There is a plethora of tax records but some of them are easier to find than others. Most taxes in the early days were gathered by the Crown on their properties. Then the Government levied taxes  to raise money for specific causes that arose from time to time. ​​Several taxes can be helpful in finding out more about your old  house or its inhabitants.
guide to Other records
Lots of other records may be able to help you trace a house history or it's occupants. Building  plans, insurance records, local and country histories are just some of the items that you can find .

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We RecoMmend

Old maps to help you Trace Your House  at Cassini
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Is your local area covered?

 LOCAL HOUSE HiSTORY We have listed all the County Record offices and libraries that have published local guides to the exciting adventure that is tracing your house history. Check out your local record office
MAPS - The Genealogist has introduced the innovative Map Explorer adding rich functionality to it’s growing collection of map-based records. This is a powerful new tool that overlays historic maps over several modern background maps including Ordnance Survey, Open Street Map and Bing satellite and hybrid road/satellite view.
Maps have been divided up into 3 types of layer that can be viewed on top of each other like sheets of paper. You can then change the transparency of a layer to view the layers below allowing you to see how the area changed over time  See more on our Maps page 
Join us on Twitter every Thursday at 7 -8pm #HouseHistoryHour
The hour is hosted by  leading house historians- 
​Deborah Sugg Ryan Professor of Design History, author & TV presenter on houses, interiors & products
Melanie Backe Hensen Historian, Author, TV, speaker & consultant for BBC’s A House Through Time and for Phil Spencer's History of Britain in 100 Homes 
Gill Blanchard Genealogist and House Historian, Author & Tutor.
Karen Averby Historian & Consultant
Nick Barratt Director of Learner and Discovery Services, Open University. Historian, author, broadcaster
Ellen C Leslie Heritage consultant & historian
Keith Searle House historian, author & genealogist. Owns Trace My house the leading house history website to edit.
Home     Getting Started   Land Reg & Title Deeds     Directories     Census     Maps     Tax     Probate & Wills     Manorial Records   
Other Records  UK House Guides

Ancestors Home   Talking to neighbours      Interesting Houses   Homes of Famous People    House Stories   House Museums   Writing it up 

Trace my American House      Interesting American Houses     More Help and Advice      American House Guides 

​TRACE MY HOUSE IS A FREE INDEPENDENT RESOURCE FOR HOUSE HISTORIANS. IT IS MAINLY AIMED AT HELPING PEOPLE START TO TRACE THEIR HOUSE HISTORY- POINTING THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND SUPPORTING THEIR RESEARCHES
Contact Us      Privacy Policy ​      Terms & Conditions ​​​
OUR ADVERTISING POLICY - This website receives no funding or any other form of award and is run voluntarily to provide information to those who want to trace the history of their house. We would like to say thank you to all those who have or will in future click on the advertisements they find on this page. We know they can be a nuisance  or distraction and we try to make sure that they are relevant to the information we provide and our readers. However the modest income we receive from them keep the web site going. So thank you.  ​

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