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Finding out about the history of your house can be a fascinating process. But the results can be variable depending on the availability of information sources. Some houses have had a long and complicated history but very few of the primary sources survive. Other houses and sites with a more straightforward past can be well documented.
For houses in Kensington the Survey of London is an invaluable starting point. There are four volumes devoted to Kensington and the research is comprehensive. Even if a house is unremarkable in terms of its architecture, a date of construction can usually be found and often much more.
The situation for Chelsea is more complex. The Survey volumes covering Chelsea were written in the early 20th century so details about 19th century buildings are patchy as these were considered ‘modern’ by the authors. The Chelsea volumes are best for research on older buildings and major subjects such as the Royal Hospital or Chelsea Old Church.
The recent book from the Victoria Counties History series, Middlesex volume 12: Chelsea is partly an attempt to redress the balance by covering 19th and 20th century buildings as well as a comprehensive history of Chelsea.
Rate books list the names of ratepayers. This can help in the dating of a building and the rateable value can give some idea of the size and importance of a property.
Our collections run from the 18th century up to 1966 (when Kensington and Chelsea merged to become one borough). There are gaps in our collection, as the historical significance of this material was not recognised in the past and some rate books were destroyed.
We also have Valuation books for both Metropolitan Boroughs. Vestry and Borough minutes can also sometimes provide further information.
Maps, particularly Ordnance Survey maps, can reveal a great deal about the history of a house. We have an almost complete set of OS maps covering Kensington and Chelsea from the earliest in 1862 to the most recent. Many show individual buildings.
There are also earlier maps by individual mapmakers, parish maps and maps produced for specific purposes e.g. sewer plans.
Maps can be a useful aid to dating buildings and tracing the development of individual sites.
We have drainage plans for a large number of properties in the Borough. These vary in date and coverage but some provide full floor plans. There are also LCC planning applications for Kensington for the period 1872 to 1925.
There is an extensive collection of deeds and other manuscript items relating to properties and people.
We have collected photographs, postcards and artwork depicting places in the Borough since the Library services began. The collection is not comprehensive but is large.
We also have a photo survey done by Council photographers in 1969 to 1971. Although this is incomplete it covers a large number of streets in the Borough and is of increasing importance to researchers.
We have handbills, estate agents brochures and cuttings related to many individual properties.
Discovering who lived in your house in the past can also be interesting. There are a variety of sources to look at:
People eligible to vote in Council and national elections. Available from about 1890.
Available from 1841 to 1901. Census returns list all residents in a property at the time of the census. These take place every ten years and remain secret for 100 years. The returns are on microfilm. Some censuses are now available on the Internet although these services are normally chargeable.
Commercial publications which list businesses and residents alphabetically and by street. Mainly 20th century, although some earlier ones are also available.
As noted above, these list the names of ratepayers (not always the same as residents). They can be a useful additional source.
As well as the sources listed above we have collected information on houses and places of interest for many years and the catalogues have references to cuttings, pictures, periodical articles and many other sources which can help in the search process.
This guide is intended as an introduction to what is available in Kensington and Chelsea Local Studies, but as with ancestor research this is not the end of the story. There are London–wide sources at other libraries and archives. There are also many useful books on the history of London houses and the process of researching a house's history which will enable you to go further with your research.
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