Letters to the Past (not literally, of course!!)

[ryan]

My sincerest thanks to all of you for your wonderful replies!!
Rhondda, I had indeed planned to enclose some of the census returns for the houses. I would be so pleased if I recieved a reply, but I can only hope and cross my fingers that they would be kind enough to send me photos etc.
I'm happy that you guys have given thought to this also, and I'm happy that some of you have had success!!
About knocking on doors: Last Saturday I was walking through Exeter city center to go and visit my Gran in St. Thomas on the oposite side of the River Exe from the high street. I am very familiar with the city and her roads and street names, and I had never heard of 'Beedles Terrace', the place where my lower-middle class Great Grandfather Harold Hopkins was born and raised. Walking down Lower Bridge Street leaving the city centre, my eyes happended to flicker to my right towards the shop windows where I very luckily saw a road sign on the side of a shop stating 'Ratclose Terrace Leading to Beedles Terrace'. The side of the shop was actually concealing Ratclose Terrace, this is why I never notcied it before. My heart skipped a beat, I was so excited. I ran down the Terrace hoping to see Beedles Terrace. I had invisaged it to be a large, majestic old building however, I was upset to see 80s-built appartment blocks, with no other signs pointing to the ancestral Terrace. So, I knocked on a strangers door too embarrased to say I was looking for the place where my ancetsors used to live circa 1900, so I tolled him that a friend had given me bad directions to her home. I asked 'Can you tell me whee Beedles terrace is?'. He replied: 'Beedles Terrace? I'm afraid you're 25 years too late son. It was a big house with many rooms, and it was demolised years ago'.

I was so let-down oh, and 10 minutes letter I had an alergic reaction to some food I ate for lunch and had to go to A & E

Anyways, I will let you all know if I recieve any replies!!

[Clincher]

I helped someone in Oz track down his relative's home in UK. I offered to take a photo of the house (which I did) but as I did so I wondered whether I should be knocking on the door of the present occupiers to ask their permission. I decided that that was carrying politeness too far and didn't. Did I do right?

[pete_uk]

Hi!!
I have been giving serious consideration to writing letters to the houses which some of my Great Grandparents (etc.) used to live in. I have several addresses, which exist today. My reasoning for wanting to do this is that I would love to find out from a complete stranger that their ancestors used to live in my home (not that my home is old enough really). That may sound a little strange to some of you out there, but I’d love to hear your opinions.

Should I write? Shouldn’t I? What should I say? Have you ever done it before?

Thanks!!

It's a great idea BUT.... make sure that they haven't renumbered the houses in the street since your ancestors were living there. For example, most of the houses in the London area were renumbered around 1900.

If you do visit, make sure you take your camera!

Pete

[ryan]

Hmmm, a good point by Pete. I doubt that there is anything which I could do to make sure I have the right house except for cross my fingers I guess.

[Fitty]

Fancy having your house renumbered now!   How good would that be, all out Bills would go to No,21...yeah!!   lol

[cath310859]

 i live in a house a 100yrs old this year  and i would love to know the history  i went on genuki and actually found the name of somebody living at my address and i thought it was great   i cant wait till  the 1911 census comes out

[Clincher]

If the house is in UK it is probable that the electoral registers for 1904 etc would be available for checks NOW!!! (at least for males >21)

[cath310859]

yes it is how do i go about finding that out please
                     cath

[Clincher]

Hallo Cath: I just checked your profile and I would say that the old electoral registers are either in the Reference section of your main town library or (and this would be more likely in my experience) they are in your County Records Office.
Phone them before going tho'