Can anyone give me advice on where to start looking for past owners of the family property.
Hi
Thank you
Its New Barns Farm, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire/Salop
My family the PUGH's bought the farm in 1956, I believe they bought it off the COOPER's
I have found on National Archives website that a deeds and abstract concerning the farm dated 1905-1920 between a GIBBONS and COOPER. I don't know if he was a previous owner or he was a tenant farmer.
I want to go further back as I'm sure the farm is older than 1905. I have searched Cooper and Gibbons on the census' but without a forename its bit difficult.
Thanks
Hello Monica
According to my map New Barns Farm is not at Romsley but about half a mile north west of Alveley near Turleygreen. CORRECTION - I have now found your New Barns Farm on Herons Gate Road, Romsley at OS Ref: SO 792 835. My thanks to Gwynne for pointing this out to me.
If you use the Find my Past web site to search the census you can search by address but it is not as straight forward as searching by name. In the country areas you probably need to search by hamlet or even the parish. If you don't see your place of interest on the first screen of results, then click on the 'Other establishments' link at the top and look through those.
I have had a look at the 1911 census but as far as I can see it appears that the two farms at Turleygreen are not named so it is impossible without the names of the occupiers to work out which is which. The two farmers are Emma CLARK (39) (unmarried) and William ELCOCK (51) so you can use these names to try to sort things out, possibly in 1901.
During the Second World War there was a National Farm Survey which produced some very detailed information about the farm rather than the farmer but did include the name of the farmer. It includes a detailed map showing each field of the farm. I think you will need to visit The National Archives at Kew in London to look at this but it is well worth the trip. Take your digital camera with you.
For earlier dates you should look for the Tithe Apportionment of about the 1840's which will provide you with the name of the owner and the occupier of the farm together with a list of all the fields and what they were used for and again accompanied by a detailed map so that you can plot each field. There are originals at Kew and also the Hereford Record Office (for south Shropshire) and I think you will find a microfilm at Shropshire Archives in Shrewsbury. We are lucky in Shropshire because the maps have been copied at a standard scale of 6" to 1 mile (1:10,560) and you can buy copies of these quite cheaply from Shropshire Archives.
Mike
I was following a similar line of enquiry about a year ago, looking for ownership of a property at Meole Brace around the mid 1930s. I wrote to Land Registry, and include their reply (below) in case any of this information is useful to you,
Regards
John
Thank you for your email dated 7 March 2012.
Unfortunately I don’t think Land Registry will be able to assist you very much with your query. Our records may well not hold the information you require as we only record ownership details from when land is registered with us, it may well not have been necessary at the time to register properties in the Shrewsbury area at the time of your query. You can obtain a copy of the register showing the current ownership details and any deeds we hold by using our “find a property” service on our website, the register will be £4 and the title plan would be an additional fee of £4, any documents referred to within the register as being filed may be obtained by completing Form OC2 and supplying a cheque/postal order for £12, you can also sometimes obtain historical copies of registers for £10 per edition which detail previous owners by using Form HC1. There would be no information as to if or when a building on the land would be demolished.
Please see our Public Guide 1 as to the information we hold and how it may be obtained. It may be that your local authority & library may be able to assist you as they will hold census information etc.
I regret we cannot offer more assistance.
Hello Monica
Since I entered my correction in my earlier message I have managed to find your property in the 1911 census. The details are below.
The occupiers were Joseph (born 1845) and Louisa (born 1838) GRETTON and he entered the postal address as New Barns, Romsley, Bridgnorth on the census form.
The full reference is: RG14PN15984 RG78PN985 RD346 SD3 ED3 SN27.
Hopefully this will allow you to get started with other census entries.
Mike
Hi
Thank you for all this advise.
I went onto Find my past, what a brilliant website, its great that you can enter the address i've found owners/tenants out upto 1861 census.
Do you know if an entry on a census but no names are present means the property is unoccupied!
On the 1891 census its got New Barns but no names next to it, as has the property below it.
Thanks again for all your help! Much appreciated!
Monica
Hello Monica
Usually the census enumerator will mark uninhabited properties as such on the household schedule form but in this case he hasn't so it looks uncertain but if you click on 'Previous Image' a few times you will be taken back to a page headed "Abstract of Totals on the following pages" where you will find alongside page 5 there were 4 Inhabited houses and 3 Uninhabited so it looks as if New Barns was unoccupied on census night.
Mike
Hi Monica,
I’ve just come across a note in my files from Dec 2003.
A new book was launched “Romsley - A Millennium Portrait” containing photographs and histories of all 43 buildings in the hamlet.
I’ve not seen the book and don’t know if New Barns is mentioned or not.
Amazon list the book but has no copies available.
Gwynne
The Romsley book is possibly still available - contact Alveley Historical Society through Pam Stanton of Alveley..or through their facebook page.. '
I also have a wide range of material on Alveley, and may be able to help..
Best wishes,
Margaret Sheridan..
Apparently a farmstead identified and classified by the Historic Farmsteads Characterisation Project!
This is an excellent site for those tracing their property history:
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Hello Monica
I suggest you tell us the name and location of the property and the time period that you are interested in.
If you already have some details please give us brief details so we don't go over the same ground again.
Mike