Step 5: Exploring Newspapers

What information can I find in local newspapers?

Local newspapers are a treasure trove for house historians, offering a wealth of local information that can bring the past of a property to life. Local papers frequently featured announcements such as marriages, births, and death notices, which can help trace the lives of former residents. They also often included property advertisements or details of auctions. Additionally, coverage of local crimes, events, and neighborhood developments offers a glimpse into the social and historical context surrounding a house, making newspapers an essential resource for uncovering a home’s history.

What national newspapers and magazines are useful to the house historian?

Findmypast recently digitalised Country Life magazine, dating back to 1897. This is an absolute gem for finding property listings. Take a look at this collection of clippings all from Country Life on Findmypast here

However, estate agents predisposition to describing houses as “A lovely Georgian Estate” rather than giving the name and address, makes searching for these records a little challenging…

Where can I find newspapers online?

With Findmypast’s newspaper search, you can explore millions of digitised pages of newspapers and other publications from British and Irish collections, dating as far back as the 1700s.

There are 2,359 newspaper titles to explore, so it is highly likely you will find a publication local to your area.

The titles include Country Life, which has a wonderful selection of