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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Oxfordshire => Topic started by: IgorStrav on Saturday 12 September 20 20:11 BST (UK)
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I'm trying to track down the inhabitants of a house on the edge of the Elms Estate in Oxford in the 1939 register.
I cannot find the street name (or pin down the house itself) as it is today, even though I know the house had been built by then, so the road was probably renamed at some point.
I've not been successful in finding details of renaming of streets in the area, can anyone point me towards a source of information?
This was a time of extensive building at the foot of Cumnor Hill, when Elms Estate was created.
Thanks for any suggestions.
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http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/xtra/name_changes/index.html
might be helpful.
ADDED: Part way down the page is a link to a pdf file with a fuller list.
Philip
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Thank you, Philip!
Tantalisingly there is a name on the extended list which is adjacent to the road I am searching for - Springfield Road, Botley, Oxford - but Springfield Road itself is not mentioned.
Springfield Road is a small, joining road, between Hurst Rise Road and Hutchcombe Road, both of which appear on the 1939 register, and was possibly known as one or other of these two names at the time.
But I am unable to discover which, or clarify the numbering.
I've previously explored aerial photographs of the area, and see that the house in question had not been built in 1935, when other surrounding houses do appear.
I don't have sight of the deeds - which presumably do settle the precise date it was built - but believe it must have been in the late 1930's in which case there should be an occupant in 1939.
The search continues!
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Presently Montagu Road is connected to Hurst Rise Road via Hutchcomb Road and Springfield Road - moving East/West.
The 1938/44 map on "Old Maps" shows those two roads as "Hurst Road".
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Thank you!
Will have another look at the 1939 Register
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1938/44 Map
https://maps.nls.uk/view/97772774
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1937 Map
https://old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/448384/205730/12/101173
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Thank you!
The 1937 map shows the house I'm looking for, but suggests that it is part of Hurst Rise Road (it's the one on the right hand side of the pair of houses with long gardens just as Hurst Rise Road forks.
I cannot see a Hurst Road on the 1939 Register (Berkshire/Abingdon), but there is a Hurst Rise.
However, I can't pin down house numbers very easily.
Many thanks for highlighting the 1937 map which confirms the date which I had previously believed the house was built.
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The 1959 map shows numbering. But zooming in is restricted.
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It doesn't seem clear when the roads were renamed - or when Hutchcombe Road was extended to the top of the hill.
As you may have gathered, I am researching my own house, and I probably need to do a little more personal investigation in terms of estimating the age of surrounding houses to get a better idea.
The 1939 register is frustrating in that it probably does show the residents of my house - but I cannot pin down which number it will have been called at the time.
Thank you for the Old Maps reference - a fascinating site! For anyone researching a specific area, just subscribing for a month at £9.99 seems relatively good value for money.
;D
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The 1959 map shows numbering. But zooming in is restricted.
You can see the numbers quite clearly on the 1/1250 map https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/448320/205742/13/101329
stan
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The 1959 map shows numbering. But zooming in is restricted.
You can see the numbers quite clearly on the 1/1250 map https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/448320/205742/13/101329
stan
Thanks, Stan - but sadly this is the same as today, so gives no clues to 1939 Register, where Springfield Road is not mentioned and I am having to guess what number it might be in either Hurst Rise Road, or possibly Hurst Rise (both roads appear in the Register).
As it happens, both 2 Springfield Road and 15 Hurst Rise Road match exactly in design (which is a slightly unusual footprint) and were evidently built by the same builder in 1936/37, on a corner site.
Whether they were both originally numbered as Hurst Rise Road, or in different roads, seems to be impossible to determine.
I would be able to find out definitively, I assume, by consulting the Deeds which would show the first owners post construction, and possibly the original address, but these are currently held by the Building Society.
I'm a little surprised not to be able to find, despite the kind help here, when Springfield Road itself came into existence.
There must have been renaming activities carried out when the whole area was redeveloped, first in the 1930's and then - apparently - in the 1960's, when it looks as if Hutchcomb Road was extended up the hill (it is actually Cedar Road at the top, where it joins Lime Road).
However, I cannot as yet find any reference to the introduction of the new name, why it was chosen etc. Local roads reflect the farms and hills in the vicinity, as well as tree names (and also, in the Elms Rise development, the names of the builders).
No particular importance in pinning all this down - it is purely interest on my part to find out the first occupiers - but yet another example of how research can lead you into other interesting by-lines such as when your locality was built, how names were chosen, what numbers houses originally had and when they were altered, etc.
;D
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Unfortunately house numbers have only been recorded on 1/1250 maps since 1946, and on basic scale 1/2500 maps since 1955.
Stan
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I would be able to find out definitively, I assume, by consulting the Deeds which would show the first owners post construction, and possibly the original address, but these are currently held by the Building Society.
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Have you checked https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-property-and-land
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Thank you, yes I have seen that site and indeed bought a copy of the plan the other day.
You can only obtain information about owners since 1993 though - not as far back as the original owners in 1937.
I think the Deeds themselves will show all owners, I can recall the Deeds of my father's house showing everybody.
I walked down Hutchcomb Road today and was able to see the difference in ages/styles of house from the top (Cedar Road) which are similar to the rest of the Elms Estate, built in the 1930's, and the more modern houses in Hutchcomb Road itself down to the junction with Springfield Road. These must have been built rather later.
After the junction with Springfield Road, the houses in Hutchcomb Road change again and revert to the same style as the rest of the estate, probably 1930's, as it continues.
I had never looked in so much detail before, and whilst my original query hasn't been resolved, it certainly has shown me much more about the local area and its history.
Thank you for your interest!
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Thanks for the info. about the Land Registry site only covering 1993 on - a useful snippet.
Good luck with the search