Delving into building history
Would you like to find out
more about the history of your house?
Do you want to research an historic building? Is it in the United Kingdom or Ireland?
If so this guide by Jean Manco will start you on the detective trail. Some information could be just a few clicks away, but to get the full story you will need to visit libraries and archives. Researching Historic Buildings points the way.
It includes hints on planning a research programme, and clues to finding and understanding useful sources for building history, such as maps and deeds. There are bibliographies on everything from architects to Victorian architecture. There are quick guides to archives. There are introductions to a wide range of building types, architectural styles, and the development of towns and villages. Eccesiastical sources are such a big topic that The Church gets a large section to itself. News and updates.
Finding your way around the site
Choose a section from the top menu. Then use the side menu to explore. Beginners might like:
- Pointers to help you plan your research on any building. A good place to start.
- Gazetteers and inventories will lead you to what is on record about an historic building.
- Local history suggests books to help you ferret out and understand sources for the history of the area.
- Do you know who designed the building? See the books listed under architects.
- Towns and villages may help to place the building in its setting.
- Maps and images are good sources for any building - the best place to start looking beyond the printed page.
- Select the type of building for an outline history and any studies, gazetteers and specific sources.
- The style section takes a brief look at British architectural styles and lists plenty of further reading.
- By this time you may be ready for a trip to the library. There is help in tracking down the book you want.
- The next move is to take the plunge into archives. Save time through careful preparation.
- This whole website is printer-friendly.
News and site updates
16 April 2008
Boydell recently brought out Roger Rosewell's well-reviewed study and gazetteer - Medieval Wall Paintings in English and Welsh Churches.
24 March 2008
1901 Census Online is now even more useful for property research. It is beta testing an address search covering all of the census resturns from 1841 to 1901 (except 1881). So far I have found it a trifle erratic, but potentially a great time saver. Search is free, but there is a charge to view and download an image of the original return.
13 February 2008
I am happy to report that there are plans to bring the excellent website Looking at Buildings back online.
9 February 2008
The fourth edition of Howard Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 (Yale University Press) is due out today. Sadly it will be the last revision of this invaluable reference work, since Howard Colvin died last December.
8 February 2008
Richard Bond of Manchester Central Library helpfully let me know about the Manchester Local Image Collection, which has been added to my ever-growing list of online image databases for specific places or regions.
Outgoing links have been checked. I am sad to see that two valuable sites have gone: Looking at Buildings, from the Pevsner guides, seems to be a recent casualty. The Drawn Evidence, formerly hosted by Dundee University, has been down for some time, but I delayed removing the link, hoping that this hugely useful database of building images from Scotland would return to life.
3 February 2008
The Dictionary of Scottish Architects provides a useful online database of information for architects known to have worked in Scotland during the period 1840-1940. It has been added to my list of dictionaries of architects, engineers and sculptors.
Google has digitised the catalogue published in 1844 of the manuscript maps, charts, plans and topographical drawings then in the British Museum and now in the British Library: vol. 1; vol 2. Since that catalogue was published there have been additions to the BL collections. Also thousands of the images themselves have been digitised by the British Library and are available online via Collect Britain. Still the catalogue remains useful. It is conveniently arranged geographically.
20 January 2008
The Mary Evans Picture Library is now managing the The Illustrated London News Picture Library, a vast collection of images, of which there is only a sample online at the ILNPL website. The Mary Evans Picture Library now includes all those images and is scanning in more material.
5 January 2008
Happy New Year to you all! The first update of the year is to my page on cathedrals, to list the massive scholarly study of English cathedrals by Jon Cannon that came out last October. It draws on the latest research and is beautifully presented. There are helpful phase plans. Charts make it easy to compare phases of architectural activity at all the medieval cathedrals, and to compare costs.
Yet more digital
collections of topographical photographs
have been added to the list. It is good to see how many local
councils are making such material available online.