At the November meeting of the South Dorset Group of the Somerset & Dorset Family History Society, speaker Jenny Potter explained that she first became interested in old houses when she lived in one, and having come to a dead-end in her search for family history decided to find out more about the house.  She then  guided members through methods of tracing the History of their House, be it in Weymouth, Portland or a Dorset Village.

If the house has been in a location for some time the best way to start is to take a walk around and see its position in the Village or Town .  Is it in the centre, near the Church/Pub, opposite the Village Green?  Look it up on a modern map and then go to the Record Office and look at older maps and compare – this will give an idea of age. 

Houses grow up through time, successive generations update the property.  A very old house will have had many changes.  Walk round to the back of the property – the front may have been altered but usually not the back,  A climb into the attic can help as rafters are usually original.  Open Air Museums can give a clue as to how architecture has developed.  

Local History books, Deeds, Leases, etc., can help the Researcher.  A Will Inventory, especially an old one, often lists the contents of each room and from this you can tell the shape of a room, how it was furnished and whether a business had been carried out there.  Look at the shape of windows, doors, are there firemarks?  Put all the clues together and then you will find the right age. 

Tracing family history and the history of a house run very parallel to each other.  By tracing the families who have lived in a house, the history of a property and the changes it has undergone are gradually unravelled.

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