Names of previous occupants

[NomoneyNohoney]

I'd like to find the names of previous occupants of my property, perhaps going back as far as the 1910 census. Any idea how I can find names?

[staffordian]

I'd like to find the names of previous occupants of my property, perhaps going back as far as the 1910 census. Any idea how I can find names?

Is this UK?

If so, the last census available to view is 1911*, but there is also a 1939 register taken just before the war.

Additionally, sites like Ancestry and Find My Past have some electoral registers which list occupants in later years.

*Edit 1921 is available on Find My Past, but quite expensive to view

[richlist]

* Well I guess a good start would be to check the census........ assuming you can search by address.
* Presumably you know who you bought from.
* Sometimes when I've bought property there has been a list of previous owners in with the legal documents.

[Dod101]

I lived in a house built around 1890 and had a full list of the owners from then to the present. For the first 50 years or so it was rented and I could not get the names of the occupiers but certainly had the later names as they were all owner occupiers. I should think the census of 1911 will help with occupiers and the 1921 census should be released shortly if not already. Can the old voters rolls help?

Dod

[NomoneyNohoney]

The aim here is , I have a postcard photo of the properties which at one time were all shops. I can't really make out the names above the windows, so wondered if a squint at the latest census could help. The photo looks like 1920s, but I'm too cheap to invest money and too much time in something that's just to learn something mildly interesting. I'd like to enhance the shop names if I knew what they were supposed to be.
The earliest documents I have relating back to time of purchase are the 1960s, and there's a large gap between the photo and the names on documentation I have access to, hence the request for ideas. One kindly person has already offered to have a squizz at Ancestry.com for me, so that may provide what I'm after.

[Dod101]

The aim here is , I have a postcard photo of the properties which at one time were all shops. I can't really make out the names above the windows, so wondered if a squint at the latest census could help. The photo looks like 1920s, but I'm too cheap to invest money and too much time in something that's just to learn something mildly interesting. I'd like to enhance the shop names if I knew what they were supposed to be.
The earliest documents I have relating back to time of purchase are the 1960s, and there's a large gap between the photo and the names on documentation I have access to, hence the request for ideas. One kindly person has already offered to have a squizz at Ancestry.com for me, so that may provide what I'm after.

I do not suppose that local trade directories would help? I do not know what they covered but your local archives should be able to provide those and the archivist may be able to help.

Dod

[Stompa]

I do not suppose that local trade directories would help? I do not know what they covered but your local archives should be able to provide those and the archivist may be able to help.

I'd wondered about that too. There are some available online here:

http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digi ... 16445coll4

[ten0rman]

It is possible to obtain Electoral Rolls for particular areas. These are held by The British Library and can be sent by email. I did this six years ago and obtained names and addresses of the people eligible to vote, including young people who became eligible in that particular year, in a particular area, ie although I was only interested in one address, I obtained a copy of the register for that area. From memory, it is necessary to determine some identification codes for the area concerned. Also, I believe that although it was all organised from London, the actual data records are held elsewhere, Boston Spa perhaps, and thus I had to wait for the data to be retrieved and sent to London before it could be photocopied and emailed to me.

Good luck,

ten0rman

[pje16]

staffordian
*Edit 1921 is available on Find My Past, but quite expensive to view

Yes I used FMP and paid the top subscription, a cheeky liberty to charge for the 1921 census on top of what I had paid for already

[bungeejumper]

As suggested above, the 1939 Register is a useful source. Particularly since the 1931 census was lost in a fire. If you can get a period of free access, either Ancestry or FindMyPast will have it.

As also suggested, any property deeds will have names and dates. It's a particular shame that so many documents were destroyed when the property registers were digitised. We have some 19th century docs on vellum!

Of course, if there are any elderly residents in the area, it's always worth asking them? We found out loads about our house from conversations with the village ancients. Some pretty hilarious anecdotes, too. We also know which houses were trading as illegal pubs, and which one used to be Wife Swap Central.

BJ

[Dod101]

As suggested above, the 1939 Register is a useful source. Particularly since the 1931 census was lost in a fire. If you can get a period of free access, either Ancestry or FindMyPast will have it.

As also suggested, any property deeds will have names and dates. It's a particular shame that so many documents were destroyed when the property registers were digitised. We have some 19th century docs on vellum!

Of course, if there are any elderly residents in the area, it's always worth asking them? We found out loads about our house from conversations with the village ancients. Some pretty hilarious anecdotes, too. We also know which houses were trading as illegal pubs, and which one used to be Wife Swap Central.

BJ

I would not have thought that the 1931 census would be available for public scrutiny anyway, at least not for another 10 anyway. Is the 1939 Register publicly available?

Dod

[bungeejumper]

I would not have thought that the 1931 census would be available for public scrutiny anyway, at least not for another 10 anyway. Is the 1939 Register publicly available?

No and yes, in that order. The 1931 census wouldn't have been ready for publication even if it hadn't been destroyed by fire in 1942. (Accident, not war.) 1939 Register is often thought of as a bit of rather good luck, because nobody at the time could have known that the 31 census wouldn't have survived. (Obviously..... )

The 1939 Register is, however, only partial in that many names are still struck out with thick black lines, because the individuals named are still thought to be alive but less than 100 years old. There are many errors in these strikings-out, as I found out when I checked my grandparents' home. But much better than nothing.

I read somewhere that you can make a special request to have some of these blacked-out records revealed, and at the cost of a fee. But I don't know any details.

BJ