st giles on the heath devon

[katiet]

Hi I was wondering if anyone can help me,my great nan paid for and built a dwelling in st giles in the1920s it stayed in our family until 1980 and was then sold on ,e ,however I can't find any record of it being built and it doesn't show on the ordinance survey maps until the 70s, but iknow it was built before as family members were born there and people were evacuated there during the war,does anyone know where I could possibly find out more info,have tried all the obvious ones,I just want proof that our family did own and build it, many thanks in advance

[cemetery friends]

Land Registry where a government department /agency recorded transactions on the purchase and sale of land in England and Wales was introduced by the Victorians. It did not become compulsory to register land until the 1960's. In many cases land owners were content for their solicitors or depositaries such as banks to hold the title records ["deeds"] but often they were lost in fire, floods or simply lost when family members could not trace them many years later due to marriage breakups, family disputes etc.

Many people realised the worth of a government department owning copies of the transcations and often these official copies were used in probate disputes or arguments in boundary disputes with neighbours. As the property was sold in the 1980's it was most certainly "registered" then however it was not necessarily registered when built as official registration was at that time an optional choice. However it seems fairly certain that on becoming "registered" HM Land Registry would have required a search of the history of the land and possibly copies of any contracts.

You can pay a fee to find the history of transactions see http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/public/property-ownership but there is no guarantee it will go back to when the house was built but a good chance that you may find more detail. Otherwise contact your family who sold it in the 1980's as their solictor handling the sale would have been asked to provide evidence of title including planning permission.

[katiet]

Hi thanks for reply, I tried land registry and it wasn't registered until the 80s and they only have the history after that,the original family members have all passed away,when I tried the solicitors who handled the sale they told me that as the sale was over 10 years ago they do not hold any record of it now! So bit of s tuff one,thanks again

[katiet]

Hi everyone,I was on here last week regarding an old family home,i wanted to trace the history of it as my nan was born there,however everything I tried has drawn a blank,land registry,parish records,old rate books,I can't find anything that shows when the house was built,I think late1920s,do you think it makes a difference that the house had no electricity,and the water was from a well?any suggestions where to look now?many thanks

[ggrocott]

When tracing the history of a house I would have a good look at maps of the local area and see what was there at different times.

If you think it was built late 1920s who by?  What local firms were building in the area, have there records been preserved.  Where is this house?

[katiet]

I have checked old maps and it doesn't show on any maps till the70s ,the house is called hill crest,and its st giles on the heath devon