Case Nº 003 · example journey
The House on Rectory Lane
A Victorian villa, eleven households, one bankruptcy, and a wartime requisition the new owners knew nothing about.
Record Nº 004 · from £395
House Histories
Your house had a life before you. I trace the people who built it and lived in it — through deeds, directories, census returns and maps — and give your home its biography.
What I’ll research
- Census returns and electoral rolls: every traceable household
- The 1910 Valuation Survey and tithe maps
- Trade directories, newspapers and sale notices
- Architectural clues matched to documentary evidence
What you receive
- A timeline of owners and occupants, with their stories
- Historic maps showing your plot through time
- Copies of every record found
- A bound house biography — a remarkable thing to leave in a hallway
From the casebook
Questions families ask
How old does the house need to be?
Pre-1921 houses give census coverage and usually rich results. Newer homes can still be researched through deeds, directories and newspapers — I’ll be honest about what’s achievable in the free call.
Do you need the deeds?
They help but aren’t essential. If you have them, wonderful. If not, the Land Registry, county record offices and the records above carry the story.
Is this a good gift?
One of the best — particularly for a new home, an anniversary in a long-loved one, or anyone who says they have everything. See gift vouchers.