Want to be a House Detective?

Finding out about the history of a property is very popular but can sometimes be difficult.  Houses during their lifetime often have a number of uses or may be converted from other types of property, such as inns or farms.  Conversions of a house often make it difficult to image what the original property may have looked like.  Here are a few sources, available at Derby Local Studies Library and elsewhere, to help you:

Observation 
The first sign of the possible age of a house can be found by looking at the house itself and at the other houses and buildings round about.  Books on the history of the area can often given an approximate date for the houses and streets nearby.  Background books on building styles and architectural methods may help.

Maps  Derby Local Studies Library holds a complete set of Ordnance Survey 25 inches to a mile and 6 inches to a mile maps.  There is a complete set of the First Edition c.1880 and Second and Third Editions on microfilm or hard copy for the whole of Derbyshire.

Census 
Census returns for the whole of Derbyshire and some border parishes are held for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 on microfilm.  These show addresses and members of each household present on the night the census was taken.

Trade Directories  A set of directories is held from 1808 to the 1950s on microfiche, with some in book form as well.  These usually give a history of the town or village have lists of private residents and a trades section.

Sales Catalogues  There are a number of these in Derby’s Local Studies collection.

Electoral Registers  Derby Local Studies Library holds electoral registers for the City and former Borough of Derby from 1832 to the present and a number of Poll Books for Derbyshire from 1710 onwards.  Early registers do not give full addresses.  Remember house numbers, names and street names can change over time.

Rate Books  Derby Local Studies Library has a number of rate books for Derby parishes beginning in 1840 and continuing up to the 1960s.  These lists owners, occupiers, addresses and the rateable value of the property.

Building Plans  The collection of building plans at Derby runs into many thousands.

Photographs and Engravings  The collection of photographs held by Derby Local Studies Library covers Derby and many villages in the county.  The photographs are mainly street scenes with some individual buildings such as churches and inns.  These date back to the 1850s.

Taxation Records  Land tax records are available at Derby Local Studies Library on microfilm.  These show lists of owners and occupiers with a description of the property.  Hearth Tax returns for Derbyshire 1662-1670 have been printed and show names of residents in a particular parish with numbers and hearths.

Catalogues and Indexes  A search of the catalogues and indexes in the library may lead you to other, less obvious, items of use.

Warning!
Some of our sources, such as electoral registers and building plans, relate to the City or Borough of Derby. This used to be a lot smaller than it is today.  If your house is in Spondon, Littleover or other suburbs it may not be included within Derby records. 

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