Genealogy Chat

I have ancesters who lived in the same house in Chelsea from about 1810 until 1881.
Any ideas please how I could find out if they owned it or just rented it.
I live abroad so visiting record offices isn´t possible.
Marion

HI Marion

It is a fair assumption that if they lived in the same property for a long time they probably owned it, but just to say my husband's ancestors rented two adjacent cottages for nearly 80 years before his grandfather bought them in about 1935.

I also know of a fairly wealthy family in London who paid lump sums for periodic leases rather than outright purchase.

The national archives might have bundles of papers regarding property transactions for individuals. There are some online.

Margaret

Whilst the first Land Registry Act was in 1865, the Registry today only came into being in 1925, so it is unlikely that they would have details of ownership back as far as 1810. By all means give them a try and let us know how you get on.

I would also suggest that unless you are aware that the family were of considerable wealth it is unlikely that they would have owned their own property.

The large majority of the population rented privately, from a modest room in a house to a grand residence in the country. Mainly due to the fact that borrowing and mortgages had not become commonplace, only the richest people could afford to own their own homes.

My mum's family lived in the same house for over 70 years and payed rent to the local land owner.

It wasn't until the 1950's that home ownership became the norm.

I would also add that today, most London properties are still leased, with the freehold being held by landowners such as the Duke of Westminster.

Thanks to everyone for your replies.
Think it was probably too early for Land Registry records as I first found them there in about 1803 & various members of the family were living there until at least 1885,
Think it unlikely that my 3xggrandfather owned it as he was a soldier based at Chelsea Barracks. Far more likely to have been on a long lease. My husband tells me that here in Spain it was quite usual until fairly recently for rented property to pass down the generations for several decades.They would have to have been fairly well heeled to own property in Chelsea & my 3xggrandfather died when he was 42
At least I have been able to trace them without too much difficulty. Marion

some of OH's relations have been yeoman farmers on the same farm in Yorkshire since at least 1870 ...... and are still there. They hold it on a lease from the owner ..... who HAS changed over the years!



sylvia

You could try Access to Archives. I wanted to find out about our house so I typed the road name in their search box and up popped our house. It told me the document reference and its location. In my case I wandered to the local archives and looked at the document. It told me how the builder financed the building and also who the first tenants were.

However, if there is anything for yours, I'm sure they would be able to either scan or copy the document

I'd still try national archives. I have rellies doing property leases back in 1830 and 1840 that I have found on there. Anything is worth a try.

Margaret

Nothing can be assumed....
I have ag labs who bought land in Suffolk - and built 4 houses themselves - this was in the 1870's. Two houses were lived in by the family, the other 2 rented out. Eventually the family sold them and moved from the area. Two of the houses are still standing - and are holiday lets!

I have a mariner ancestor of my grandfather who bought a newly built two up two down house - on a 100 year leasehold from the church - in Southampton in 1841. The house was owned - and lived in - all this time by the same family. Mum was born there in 1930 - the place was bombed in 1939 - 2 years before the end of the lease - which was still held by the church!.

My g grandparents on my grandmother's side moved into rented property in Southampton in about 1902. When they died, my great uncle lived there.
After WW11, the council took over the property - it was still rented.
In the 1960's the council offered to put in an inside bathroom and toilet -
g uncle refused (I think they managed in the 1980's!!)
G uncle lived there until his death in 2006 - that's over 100 years of the same property being rented by the same family!

Thank you all so much for your help & suggestions.Am inclined to believe that the house was rented on a long lease, but would love to know who actually owned it. It´s possible it could have belonged to the military as my 3xggrandfather,His father & at least 1 of his sons were in the army. maybe as long as there was a serving soldier in the family, they were allowed to rent it. Hopefully,will find out one day & it will all fall into place.
Thanks again all.
Marion