Genealogy Chat

This isn't related directly to my family tree, but my daughter has recently moved to an old cottage in a nearby village (Rodmell, Sussex), and we thought that we would like to find out some of its history. I looked in the 1901 census: there were only 231 inhabitants at the time, so it was easy to look at all the original records. However each household is just numbered (1-51), so there is no indication of who lived where (even now the postal addresses just give the name of the cottage with the village name, without a street name).

Does anyone know if there is any other way of finding this out?

Regards, Steve

I would have thought the house deeds may help.

Look in the library too for documented village history.
You may find mention of particular families living at certain addresses. Together with the census, this might narrow the search.
You might find the property mentioned in the address column of the baptism, marriage or burial registers for the parish too.
Other entries might pinpoint other families which you might find on the census.
Gwyn

The library might have a reasonable-scaled map of the period which would show you where all the properties were at the time. That, with the census and your walking boots should help!

Jill

Hi Steven
If you go to http://www.landregisteronline.gov.uk
you can download details of the property which may give some useful information. I did this recently for my daughter on a house which she has since bought and we found details of a covenant put on the land in 1913 and names of the people involved. I think it cost £6 which included a map. You would need to know the postcode of the cottage to do this.
Maureen

Thanks everyone! I have found that property 40 contains a licenced victualler, so I will have to check back from there - most of the houses are old, but one can't always be sure whether a single cottage now may have been 2-3 separate households in 1901, or vice versa. I think that I will check old maps in the library of the Sussex Archeological Society.


Steve

Here is a pub
1881
Stephen Baker Harriett abt 1822 Piddinghoe, Sussex, England Head Rodmell Sussex

If there is only one then number the houses yourself.

Another idea - search the local graveyard and/or church records. People often had their place of residence on their graves, i.e. Fred Bowman of New Buildings Farm Aston Eyre, Shropshire, born in Appleby. This is the inscription of the grave of my husband's grandfather who died in 1952. We still have not managed to find the named farm, and we have no idea how he came to be born in Appleby, we assume that his parents who lived on the other side of the country were there for the horse fair.
Also if their was a village school, there may be old registers surviving with children's addresses.
Good Luck
Eileen

Try the "Find my Past" site - that's good for addresses and who lives where