Understanding Title Deeds (503)

Title Deeds, documenting the ownership of land and property, are to be found in almost all record repositories, whether they be from a solicitors collection, a large family estate collection, individual documents from a variety of sources, or part of the National Archives. They can be a real bonus for family and local historians as they can include information that is not found anywhere else, though they can be thought of as difficult to interpret. This course aims to introduce the records in a practical way, to enable researchers to find them, to understand the different types of deeds, and, crucially, to be able to interpret them.

Title Deeds give come in a variety of shapes and sizes, are found in a variety of archives, and range from the relatively straightforward grant of land from one person to another, to the deeds that arise from complicated family trusts. As with so many apparently impenetrable records, there are short cuts and clues and hints to eliciting the information from them. And what information can be found! Family history information can include details of marriages, relationships and the social circle of friends amongst whom people moved. Local history and house history information can include detailed descriptions of land, with names of tenants, acreages, land use, and neighbouring plots of land and houses. The course will concentrate on the practical aspects of locating and understanding deeds rather than on legal history as it relates to transfers of land.

At the end of the course the student will have a knowledge of the type of records to expect, how to find them, and how to interpret to extract all relevant information. 

Set book:

There is a set book which accompanies this course. Students are asked to purchase Nat Alcock's Tracing History through Title Deeds: A Guide for Family and Local Historians (Pen & Sword, 2017) before the course starts.

Reading List:

Students often ask us for recommended additional reading for their courses, that they can look at before the course starts. Here is a suggested book list for this course.