Author Topic: Can I find out who was the owner of a property in London in the 1940s?  (Read 1175 times)

Offline Jonquill

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My mother claims to recall being told that the property (73 College Road, Willesden) she lived in as a child in the late 1940s was owned by her grandmother - although this seems unlikely since her grandmother was a cleaning lady that struggled to make ends meet.
Is there any way of ordering the title to the property so that we can find out for sure one way or the other, my mother has a real bee in her bonnet about this    ;D
We are in Australia so it would have to be online or by snail mail.

Online carol8353

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Online ShaunJ

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Re: Can I find out who was the owner of a property in London in the 1940s?
« Reply #2 on: Monday 16 January 17 10:49 GMT (UK) »
I was just about to post the same link as Carol.  Although land registration was not compulsory throughout England & Wales until 1990, London (1899-1902) and Middlesex (1937) were early adopters.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Registry_(United_Kingdom)



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Offline Jonquill

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Re: Can I find out who was the owner of a property in London in the 1940s?
« Reply #3 on: Monday 16 January 17 11:59 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for your replies, using that it link it was no problem getting a copy of the current title. Do you think that they will look for a historical title for me though?


Online ShaunJ

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Re: Can I find out who was the owner of a property in London in the 1940s?
« Reply #4 on: Monday 16 January 17 12:05 GMT (UK) »
It looks like your best bet would be to fill in a Deeds Request Form and see what there is.

https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-property-and-land/copies-of-deeds

"4. Get a copy of the deeds
You may be able to find out current and past information about a registered property, eg previous owners."
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Offline Jonquill

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Re: Can I find out who was the owner of a property in London in the 1940s?
« Reply #5 on: Monday 16 January 17 13:18 GMT (UK) »
Yeah I will give that a try, although I am not feeling overly optimistic :)

Offline rosie99

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Re: Can I find out who was the owner of a property in London in the 1940s?
« Reply #6 on: Monday 16 January 17 13:34 GMT (UK) »
Looking at electoral registers after the war and the register before this property is possibly two dwellings  :-\
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Offline ReadyDale

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Re: Can I find out who was the owner of a property in London in the 1940s?
« Reply #7 on: Monday 16 January 17 13:42 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for your replies, using that it link it was no problem getting a copy of the current title. Do you think that they will look for a historical title for me though?
On the few times I have had need to obtain info from Land Registry, they show owners since it was first registered until present day.

Offline Jonquill

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Re: Can I find out who was the owner of a property in London in the 1940s?
« Reply #8 on: Monday 16 January 17 13:59 GMT (UK) »
Rosie, my mum said that when she was a child her family lived upstairs and there was another family that lived downstairs, so yes you are right.
But my uncle bought the place in the 1960s and as far as I know he bought the whole thing.