Bespoke House History Research

A visit to the local archive office

Archive offices are a goldmine for anyone doing historical research. While digitisation has come a long way and there’s now a huge amount of information online, archives still hold documents you simply can’t find elsewhere – correspondence, photographs, diaries, business records, and more. If you’ve hit a ceiling with your research or want to dig deeper into a particular story, visiting an archive can provide answers… or at least point you toward the next question.

Have you ever wondered…

What kind of records you can find at an archive office?
Are archives free to visit?
Can anyone look at historical records, or only professionals?

Let me tell you more.

Records Held at the Archive Office

Some of the records typically held at archive offices include:

• Parish registers (births, marriages, burials)
• Census returns
• Wills and probate records
• Land and property deeds
• Military service records
• Court records
• Maps and plans

There are many different archives across the UK. These include UK-wide national archives, the largest being The National Archives at Kew. It holds UK government and legal records that go back over 1,000 years, including treasures like the Domesday Book, wartime cabinet papers, and census data.

Local archives focus on regional records. Most counties or local authorities run their own archive services. These often include parish registers, electoral rolls, school and hospital records, and local council and planning documents.

There are also specialist archives that house records on more focused topics – like the Wellcome Library for medical history.

Most archives are free for anyone to use but do usually require:

• Booking an appointment or a readers ticket
• ID to register
• Advance ordering of materials

Visiting my Local Archive Office – West Sussex Record Office

My local archive is the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester, which is part of the Archives Card scheme run by the Archives & Records Association. It’s free to join, but you’ll need to pre-register before your first visit. Once registered, you’ll receive an Archives Card, which lets you access records at 48 participating archives across the UK.

Today’s visit was to view a specific document I’d found using the WSRO’s online search tool: a long-lost probate inventory from 1943, listing the contents and details of my home. I say “long-lost” because the record was filed under an “unidentified road.” The only reason I was able to link it to my cottage was because I knew the name of the man who owned the property at the time.

Reading a wartime inventory taken for probate purposes

The inventory gave me detailed insight into the property in the early 1940s: room sizes, notes on the interior décor, and a list of outbuildings and garden structures.

What really surprised me was how different the land around my cottage looked during the Second World War. The document references a dairy, orchard, cow sheds, pig sties, calf pens, a well, and a coalhouse. While that would have been typical for a rural worker’s cottage at the time, it’s still hard to imagine my quiet little garden having all of that going on!

There were other fascinating details too – like the weekly rent, which was listed as 12 shillings and 6 pence (12/6), the equivalent of around £30–£40 in today’s money.

Inside the house, some of the items that were noted by the surveyor included:

• 3′ walnut chest with 2 short & 2 long drawers
• 3’3 washstand, mahogany chest with 2 short & 3 long drawers
• Oak coal scuttle
• 26′ mahogany Pembroke bin
• Mahogany bow-front washstand
• 3 grey hair rugs
• Sitting room suite of cosy & small chairs & settee
• 4 painted bedroom chairs
• White and red painted tea set
• Beatrice stove
• Pair of Staffordshire dog ornaments

The West Sussex Records Office allows photos of some of their records, for a one-off daily charge. Most people transcribe what they see whilst they are there, and take their notes home with them. You are allowed to bring in your laptop, notepad and a pencil, but no bags, food. or drink. These must be left in a locker before you enter the search room.

Historical Sales Particulars

Whilst I was there, I took the opportunity to read through some of the old Sales Particulars for my local area. These are historical listings for houses and plots of land for sale, or going up to auction. They provide fascinating insights into how those properties looked at historical periods in time, often with great detail and photographs. I also enjoy reading which features the estate agents considered to be appealing to potential buyers, and considering how that has changed (or not) over time. In one advertisement for a property for sale in Horsham, the listing read:

THE CORNER BUSINESS PREMISES
LARGE DOUBLE-FRONTED SHOP
GOOD-SIZED DWELLING HOUSE
DETACHED STABLING AND COACH-HOUSE

OF THE ESTIMATED RENTAL VALUE OF

PER £40 ANNUM

Once I had taken photos of the document related to my house, I took them home to transcribe. The record is hand-written, in pencil, with cursive 1940’s handwriting – and not easy to read. Once I had managed a couple of pages, and I had the context of what was being documented, the story started to piece together.

This is what I love about historical records.. particularly ones like this – lost in the archives under an “unidentified” address. While it might seem mundane at first glance, small snippets of information suddenly bring a place and time to life. Piecing them together helps to build a much bigger picture – and in doing so, they connect you to the real lives once lived in your home.

If you’re thinking about researching the history of your own home, I can’t recommend a visit to your local archive enough. The process is more approachable than it might seem. The staff are very friendly, and even a single document can unlock layers of insight. Sometimes it’s the tiniest details that bring a forgotten past vividly into the present.

I offer bespoke house history tools and services to help you discover the story of your own home.