There are many records that can help trace a history of a house and who lived there, sources such as electoral rolls, trade directories, censuses, newspapers, maps and deeds. These can provide lots of useful and interesting detail but sometimes it is difficult to pinpoint the exact year a house was built.
Planning applications would be one record which would give this detail, however, these only began in the late 1940s. Before this it is necessary to look for other records. "Drainage Applications" are a good alternative source and can often tell you when a house was built. For example Hackney Archives have a comprehensive collection of Drainage Applications for the area since 1856, these include details of who made the application and accompanying plans. They not only show you when the house was built but later applications can show you when changes were made to the property.
If your interest in the history of your house or neighbourhood, Achievements can research a house or local history. For more information click
