Regarding land ownership?

Question

Does anyone know if its possible to trace ownership of land pre-1800 in the UK.? Thanks in advance for any help.

Answer 1

It's possible for sure.  I haven't got my reference book to hand at the moment, but Land Tax records do exist for the eighteenth century.  The problem is that coverage is patchy for most years in this period and what survives is usually held locally at the nearest county record office.  The National Archives in Kew, London have a complete countrywide set for one specific year (1798 only I think in the IR (Inland Revenue) series).  Most other Land Tax records are arranged locally, first by hundred and then individual parish.  They will only usually name landowners and not tenants.  You'll be lucky to find a map.  Survival rates are not 100%.  Grab yourself a book on the subject. "Land Tax".  There should be quite a few at Amazon or somewhere.  This is quite a good read for anyone doing property and land history.  It's the reference book I use:

Tracing your Home's History, pub. Collins, by Anthony Adolph

(Yahoo won't let me post the link. error 999 problem????)