Possible to find out who has lived in my home before?

ferry

Apologies if this is in the wrong section but just out of curiosity...is it possible to find out the history of who has lived in my house from new to my ownership?

Thanks
F

G_M

Of course it is - if you put in enough effort.

However if you mean is there a database/website/library where you can enter an address and get a list back - no.

The Land Registry will have data on owners since the property was 1st registered (any time from mid 1960s on) but I believe will only release it with a court order (data protection).

Who has the 'Deeds'? Some properties have bundles of deeds/conveyances going back years which are passed between owners. Solicitors sometimes store them for owners, mortgage lenders used to keep them. I have mine going back around 80 years in a dusty file upstairs. Checked for yours?

Otherwise - local library? Local history society? Local papers? Elderly neighbour? private detective?

googler

I'm in Scotland, and the package of deeds for my home carries the names of every previous owner, from the land owner transferring it to the developer, and from the developer to previous owners. Start there?

00ec25

national census - at least you will get a feel if its a new name every 10 years

Sugared-frog

You could go to the local council/library and look up the Electorol Roll for past years. Or maybe there is a local history group in your area - I've managed to find out some of the details about the house I'm buying from the information that a local history group had put online including trade directories etc. And I'm intending to do more investigation later - I might even join the local history group and get to know some of the other residents. I even found a planning application for a garage in 1946. And from what I can see the road was renumbered at some stage.

Census is a good idea - but I might have to wait a while as the house I'm buying wasn't built until the 1920's .... but I've tried to find the first inhabitants on the 1901 and 1911 census's.

Mallotum_X

00ec25 wrote: »

national census - at least you will get a feel if its a new name every 10 years

Only up to 1911.

Your local/nearest main library may have electoral records that you can search though, and should be able to pint you in the right direction.

Barneysmom

look in the house for clues too if there are any.
I lived in a house that was built in 1898, a terraced house.
Scratched on the side entry wall were the names of all the previous owners, I put mine there too, never seen it before anywhere :cool: