Tag Archives: house history

A House History Case Study: ERO Search Service

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In this blog post, Archive Assistant Robert Lee explores a previous example of how the ERO Search Service can assist with property history.

One such case was a search request from Mr. Ben Parker of Great Braxted. The purpose of which was to help establish a general history of a farm called “Brick House” (or Brickhouse), south of Kelvedon near the River Blackwater.

Indeed this now comprises modern dwellings, but the farm encompasses three buildings which are Grade II listed1 with Historic England. The individual listings contain abridged architectural descriptions (e.g. timber frame, thatched or tiled roof, if any later alterations are apparent) which work towards establishing an approximate biography of the building in question. Indeed, the three entries for Brick House cite “C17 or earlier”; “C16 origin”; “C18”, respectively. Clearly, then, a farm which spans several eras: a wide net for historical inquiry.

It is difficult to determine with complete accuracy, but there does look to be a farmhouse, stables, and perhaps a barn on the 1777 Chapman & Andre Map of Essex. It is just across from A Corn Mill – a mill still stands on this site in Great Braxted.

Section of a map of Braxted, Essex, showing estates, farms, and roads. The green‑shaded “Lodge” grounds sit near the centre below Kelvedon Hall, with trees, paths, and a small pond. Nearby labels include “Braxted,” “Peter Du Cane Esq.,” “Charles Buxton Esq.,” “Parsonage,” “Acorn Mill,” and “Durwards Hall.” A pink and blue boundary line on the right separates Braxted from Inworth, where “Windmill Hill” and “High Fields” are marked.
‘A map of the county of Essex from an actual survey taken in MDCCLXXII:LXXIII & MDCCLXXIV by John Chapman & Peter André’. (MAP/CM/37/4 Plate 13)

This is also the case on the Gt. Braxted Tithe Map [D/CT 48B], with the accompanying apportionment suggesting that the farmlands were occupied by a Thomas Brown and owned by Peter Du Cane III. Now, properties tend to be allusive in archives due to changing house names, street re-numbering, et cetera. “Brown’s Farm” is the given name of Brick House in 1839, presumably on account of Thomas’ occupancy. This is inferred by simply overlaying a modern street map onto the tithe plan, but this was also evidenced by W.A. Gimson’s local history work Great Braxted, 1086-1957 [LIB/E/BRAXG1], which helpfully correlates the tithe apportionment with modern place-names.

Close-up photograph of a historic black-and-white estate map, shown at a shallow angle with parts softly out of focus. Numbered fields (including 33, 36, 52, and 62) are outlined by thin lines, with narrow roads and boundaries running between them. A small cluster of buildings, drawn as dark shapes, sits near a road junction at the center. The map is printed or inked on pale paper, with fine linework and minimal shading.
Great Braxted Tithe Map 20 inches to 1 mile [72″ x 63″]. Dated 1839. (D/CT 48B)
Printed page from a 19th-century tithe apportionment document, titled “Articles Confirmed by the Tithe Commissioners,” dated July 1837. The page contains dense, neatly typeset tables listing landowners, property descriptions, rent charges, occupiers, acreage, and field numbers. Named entries include “Peter Du Cane, Esq.” with holdings such as “The Hall Farm,” “Tiptree House Farm,” and “Village Farm,” alongside numerous other farms, occupations, and parcels of land. Additional sections detail grain values (wheat, barley, oats), acreage totals, and tithe calculations. The page is cream-colored with black print, organized into multiple columns.
‘Great Braxted, 1086-1957’ by W.A. Gimson. (LIB/E/BRAXG1)

We can see Thomas Brown’s payments in an 1838 tithe survey as well [D/DDC E11]. The accounts for Brown’s farm are broken down into more detailed plots than the tithe apportionment, and include House, Garden, Yards; Cart Lodge Field; and Barn Meadow Field – which correlate with the three Historic Building listings.

Page of a ledger organised in ruled columns titled “Name & description of lands & premises,” “State of cultivation,” “Quantities in statute measure,” and “Amount of rent charge.” Each row contains handwritten measurements and figures in multiple columns. The page is yellowed with age, written in dark ink, and feature neat tabular formatting.
Page of a ledger organised in ruled columns titled “Name & description of lands & premises,” “State of cultivation,” “Quantities in statute measure,” and “Amount of rent charge.” Each row contains handwritten measurements and figures in multiple columns. The page is yellowed with age, written in dark ink, and feature neat tabular formatting.
Survey of Great Braxted, dated 1838. (D/DDc E11)

It is clear, however, that Peter DuCane III was the principal landowner within Great Braxted. The DuCanes were prominent cloth merchants, the family having descended from Hugenot ancestry. Peter DuCane purchased Braxted Park from the Darcy family in 1745; an estate which includes Braxted Lodge, a Georgian Mansion. Given Peter DuCane’s ownership, and its proximity to Braxted Park, it seemed plausible that Brick House Farm was formerly an aggregate of the whole estate. This was confirmed by a 1923 Sale Catalogue for Braxted Park [SALE/A62] which includes Lot 5, A Desireable Dairying and Corn Granary Farm known as Brickhouse farm.

Sale catalogue cover for the estate “Braxted Park,” printed in black text on a beige page. The heading reads “Within One Hour of London,” followed by details of distances to Witham, Chelmsford, and Colchester. The document advertises the “richly wooded residential sporting and agricultural estate,” including a large residence, parkland, farms, cottages, and a total acreage of 2,042 acres. Auction details at the bottom state sale by John D. Wood & Co. at the Saracen’s Head Hotel, Chelmsford, on Friday 20 July 1923.
Section of map showing a rural area labelled “Great Braxted Mill” and “Brickhouse Farm” beside the River Blackwater. The map is divided into numbered plots of land (including 5, 7, 8, 201–227), each shaded in muted greens, browns, and creams. Buildings are indicated with small black shapes near the mill and farm. Thin lines mark roads and boundaries, with a stream or inlet running along the left edge. The overall style is hand-drawn with clear labels and field divisions typical of an old estate or parish map.
Sale catalogue for Braxted Park, Great Braxted. Includes photographs and plan. Dated 20 July 1923. (SALE/A62)

For the remainder of the search, we looked at establishing more historical occupants. Maldon district’s electoral registers show an Anthony Patten residing here from 1891-1902. The 1910 Finance Act records show a John Melson residing at the farm. On the 1911 National Census, Thomas Goodwin and his family reside here – as is the case in the 1912 & 1914 Essex Trade Directories. In the 1926 and 37 Trade Directories, Ralph Goodwin lives here.

If you would like us to look into the history of your house in Essex, contact us for details of how to get started.

  1. Grade II indicating “particularly important buildings of more than special interest” ↩︎

Investigating Your Property’s History: ERO Search Service

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Archive Assistant Desmond Crone highlights examples of the types of material that you might find in the Essex Record Office collections when researching your property. Some are from searches recently carried out for customers of our Search Service.

Maps
Modern copies of maps

Detail from c.1590 modern copy of map of Waltham Holy Cross and Epping from Cecil Papers, Hatfield House. Shows a river branching into channels and a watermill and small buildings sit near a bridge and road crossing the river, with surrounding fields outlined and labelled in handwritten script. Place names such as “Waltham” and “Holyfield” appear alongside winding roads, field boundaries, and waterways.
Detail from the c.1590 modern copy of map of Waltham Holy Cross and Epping from Cecil Papers, Hatfield House (T/M 80/1)

Estate maps

Detail from 1666 estate map showing fields, plots of land and roads outlined in red ink with handwritten place names and a numbered key on the right. There is a scale bar at the bottom of the image and there are annotations identifying field names and land ownership.
Detail from the 1666 ‘A mapp of the mannors of Skreenes and Tyhall together with Lightfoots Searles and Bradleys Birches …’ (D/DXa 21)

Chapman and André’s Map of the County of Essex 1777
We hold copies of the 1777 Map of Essex by John Chapman and Peter André in the Searchroom and it is also available online here.

19th century enclosure map titled “Plan of the Open Fields and Exchanged Lands in the Parish of Berden in the County of Essex, 1841.” The map shows a rural parish with roads, field boundaries, and scattered buildings marked in pale colours with some sections outlined in red. Named locations such as Berden Hall, Berden Green, and surrounding fields are labelled in handwritten script. A compass rose sits near the bottom centre, and a scale bar appears in the lower right.
Detail from the Berden enclosure map 1841 surveyed by Arthur Nockolds of Stansted Mountfitchet (Q/RDc 29B)

Enclosure maps
Compared to other counties Essex has rather fewer statutory enclosure awards having been largely enclosed from an early date. The exception are parishes in the north-west and extreme west of the county, so there are enclosure awards for about 20 parishes dating from 1799 through to 1865. The other awards made between 1770 and 1895 deal with various waste lands and heaths. Where an enclosure map exists it may, if earlier in date than the tithe maps of c.1837-1850, be the oldest complete map of a parish.

Tithe map titled “Map of the Parish of Laindon in the County of Essex,” featuring multiple inset plans. The main sheet is divided into sections showing simplified outlines of Laindon, Canvey Island, and Fobbing Marshes, with light line drawings of roads, waterways, and field boundaries. Bold decorative lettering appears at the top left, while smaller inset maps are arranged across the page.
Detail from the Laindon tithe map of 1839, by John Hills, surveyor, Billericay (D/CT 199B)

Tithe maps and apportionments c.1837-1850
These are a product of the 1836 Tithe Commutation Act, which required the payment of tithes to be changed from being paid in kind to being paid in money. The map and the accompanying schedule known as the apportionment give the names of all owners and occupiers of land in the parish so that tithe payments could be worked out.

Many of the apportionments have been transcribed as part of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History’s Essex Place-Names project.

Ordnance Survey maps
For example the First and Second editions of the 25” to the mile series (1862-1896) plus the New Series revisions (1913-1947), the nineteenth and twentieth century 6” series, and for the major settlements the 120” series.

The National Library of Scotland host an extensive collection of Ordnance Survey (and other) maps on their website. There are gaps in their collection of First edition 25” to the mile maps.

First edition OS map showing a dense built-up area with streets, buildings, and public spaces outlined. Individual structures and gardens are depicted in grey, with clusters of trees and pathways visible. A section on the left is shaded in pink, highlighting a specific site or property. Labels identify locations such as “St. Martin’s Church,” “St. Martin’s House,” “Iron Foundry Works,” “Town Hall,” “Corn Exchange,” and “St. Peter’s Church,” as well as a marked “Supposed Roman Villa.” Fine linework shows roads, boundaries, and courtyards, while the overall map is set on a pale background.
First edition OS map showing the details recorded at the North Hill end of the High Street, Colchester. Surveyed 1875 (MAP/OS/4/27.12.3)

Sale particulars
Compiled by estate agents to support the marketing of a property, they typically include descriptions, photographs and maps.

Printed auction poster advertising the sale of a “valuable real estate” estate in Essex, including Beauchamp, Aythorp, High Roothings, and Blackmore, with freehold farms, houses, and land totalling about 413 acres, to be sold by Charles Foster and Son at the Corn Exchange, Chelmsford on Friday, 26 July 1901.
Sale catalogue of property in Aythorpe Roding, Beauchamp Roding, Blackmore, Fyfield, High Roding, Shellow Bowells and Willingale Doe (D/DMa B71/12)
Sale catalogue showing details for “Lot 1,” describing the freehold residential property Warley Place near Brentwood, with printed particulars on the left page and two accompanying photographs on the right page showing the large country house and its landscaped grounds with a tree-lined drive.
Sale catalogue for Warley Place estate, Great Warley (SALE/B1986)
Coloured sale plan of the Warley Place estate in Essex, showing numbered lots, buildings, and surrounding land, with fields shaded in different colours, roads including Warley Street and Green Lane, and key features such as the main house, gardens, and pleasure grounds marked.
Sale catalogue for Warley Place estate, Great Warley (SALE/B1986)

Deeds
These bundles can include a variety of document types in addition to conveyances, such as wills and mortgages; they are a rich source of names of people, their occupations and parish of residence, as well as the property details.

Close-up of an indenture, with large decorative lettering at the beginning and tightly packed lines of text across the page.
Indenture of Birds Green, Willingale Doe (D/DTc T24)
Four deeds arranged on a table with paper weights on top of some.
Deeds of The Ferryman beerhouse, Willingale Doe (D/DTc T25)

Electoral Registers
Registration was introduced following the Reform Act of 1832. Registers have been produced annually since then, with the exceptions of the years 1916, 1917 and 1940-44. Note that until 1928 the number of people eligible to vote in elections was restricted. Before 1867 in urban areas, and before 1884 in rural areas most men could not vote, and no women could vote in parliamentary elections before 1918.

Index page from Essex Northern Division electoral register, with columns of place names and corresponding page numbers.
Index page of the Northern Division electoral register dated 1849 (Q/RPr 1/9)
Page from Essex Northern Division electoral register listing voters in the parishes of Stisted and Wethersfield, with tabulated columns for names, places of abode, property qualifications, and locations, including entries for farms, houses, and landholdings.
Page of the Northern Division electoral register dated 1849 (Q/RPr 1/9)

Rate Books
These list the rate payers for a local authority, and we can use them to confirm the name of the rate payer, the rateable value of the property and the amounts due in general and special rates and when paid.

Page from 1924 rate book for the parish and county borough of Southend-on-Sea, showing a tabulated list of properties with handwritten entries for occupiers, owners, property descriptions, addresses, valuations, and rate payments, with columns ruled in red ink.
Page from rate book No.10 St.Clement’s Ward, Southend-on-Sea (D/BC 1/2/2/2/14/2)

Building Plans
Essex Record Office hold hundreds of thousands of building plans from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. There are large collections of the documentation filed with local authorities such as Southend-on-Sea and Canvey Island, as well collections from architects’ offices, such as the Chancellor collection.

Local government building plans: each application will usually include an application form and at least one plan, and will have information about the owner, the building and its location. Often the plans will include elevations, sections, a floor plan and a block or key plan showing the site from above and including details about nearby properties and roads. Sometimes the packets will include correspondence and certificates about inspections and the completion of construction.

Architectural plan drawing for “Proposed Five Bungalows” on Station Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, showing elevations, a cross-section, and detailed floor plans with room labels and measurements for multiple bungalow designs, alongside a small block plan indicating the site layout. The drawing includes date stamps and annotations in ink.
Building plan of five bungalows, Station Road, Leigh (D/BC 1/4/12/10878)
Block plan drawing showing the layout of five proposed bungalows on Station Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, with plots marked in pink and numbered 1 to 5. The plan includes surrounding roads such as Station Road and Bonchurch Avenue, boundary measurements, and drainage details with sewer lines indicated in red, alongside a scale and annotations.
Building plan of five bungalows, Station Road, Leigh (D/BC 1/4/12/10878)
Printed form titled “Notice of Intended New Building” from the County Borough of Southend-on-Sea, with handwritten details describing plans for five bungalows on Station Road North. The document includes sections for owner information, building materials, room numbers, drainage, and site details, completed with cursive ink, alongside multiple official stamps dated December 1921 and July 1922 and a plan reference number (10878).
Building plan of five bungalows, Station Road, Leigh (D/BC 1/4/12/10878)

An extensive architectural collection came to the Record Office from the practice of Frederic Chancellor (1825-1918). There are plans for hundreds of public and private buildings, including many of Essex’s churches. The project to clean, conserve and make these thousands of plans accessible began in 2014 and is now nearing completion (catalogue reference D/F 8).

Innkeeper Licences
Where the property has in the past been a licenced premises the Record Office holds details of innkeepers from 1580 until fairly recently, with a gap between 1830 and 1870 when no licences were issued (with the exception of some beer shop licences issued 1840-48).

From 1870 we hold records from the petty sessions in each of the Hundreds.

Front cover of register of licences.
Register of licences for the Ongar Division kept according to the Intoxicating Liquor (Licensing) Act, 1872 (35 and 36 Vict., c.94, s. 36) (P/N L2)
Page from innkeeper licence register for Ongar Divison. The page is laid out in ruled columns with handwritten entries. The dated column includes late 19th-century entries (e.g. 1894), listing licensed premises such as “Royal Oak,” “The Bell,” and “The Swan,” alongside their locations, annual values, owners’ names and addresses, and occupiers. Red ink lines divide the table, while black cursive handwriting fills each entry. Midway down the page, a subheading reads “Beer Houses as follows,” separating sections of entries.
Register of licences for the Ongar Division kept according to the Intoxicating Liquor (Licensing) Act, 1872 (35 and 36 Vict., c.94, s. 36) (P/N L2)

Look out for next month’s blog post exploring a case study of one of our house history searches.

Welcome to the Essex Record Office

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Welcome to the blog of the Essex Record Office.

We will be updating this blog with highlights from our extensive collection, behind-the-scenes peeks at our conservation work and news about ERO events.

The Essex Record Office in Chelmsford

The documents held by the ERO cover almost 1,000 years of Essex history, and take up 7 miles of shelving. Whether you want to trace your ancestors, discover more about this history of your house, your village or town, or the whole of the ancient county of Essex, we will almost certainly be able to help you.

We offer a wide range of facilities for researchers:

  • Expert advice to help you with your research
  • The opportunity to view original documents in our Searchroom
  • The Essex Ancestors online subscription service, and free access to digital images in our Searchroom
  • Free use of genealogy website Ancestry
  • The Essex Sound and Video Archive
  • Talks, lectures and courses 

A researcher hard at work at our map tables

Keen to find out more? The handy video guide below explains everything you need to know about making your first visit to the ERO. In the meantime, you can search our online catalogue Seax and plan your visit  to us in our Chelmsford Searchroom where we look forward to welcoming you.