Dating Your Period House

This is a guide to dating your period house.

To date your house, you can:

• use a date plaque or mark
• study the architectural features
• look at a street directory in your local history library
• research the original owners of the land
• read the registers of electors
• use the Bricks & Brass Dating Tool

The most reliable method for dating a house is to use street directories, usually available at local history departments of local libraries. By looking for the first reference to the building, perhaps even 'Vacant', you can prove that the house existed by that year. You can also use the register of electors. Beware of the compilation dates of each of these sources. The census records, currently available for 1891, 1881 and previous decades can be used for an approximate date.

Another source of information may be the original owners of the land; this may have been, for example, a religious trust or a member of the nobility. This information may be on the deeds or referred to in a local history book.