genealogy and house history

[dulwichgirl2]

Hello, have you looked up your ancestors or your house in ED? Has anyone found anything interesting?

We looked up the censuses to 1911 and discovered that our house was lived in by a small Edwardian/Victorian family, parents in law and a cook and kitchen maid. Quite astonishing given the size of it. The children were stated to be "scholars" which I now gather means "at school" and the head of the household was the manager in a factory. He had been born in Jamaica - we traced his name backwards - and then came here to SE London. It is quite eerie to walk downstairs holding the bannister, feeling where it has been worn smooth by the touch of the people I'm researching.

[minder]

I went to an open day at our local church a few years ago. Found out our house in North Dulwich was first occupied by a soldier and then a policeman and his family. Think they were one and the same as the houses were built as part of the 'homes for heroes' after the First World War. The whole estate was built in the 1920s.

Many soldiers went on to be policeman (my grandad was a Port of London Authority constable) but wasn't fortunate enough to live in North Dulwich then!

I've been tracing my family tree on and off for the past 25 years. Pre 1911 census returns also have the end column which state whether the person was 'deaf, blind, imbecile or lunatic'!

[Saffron]

That's fascinating! Where did you find the info? Was it online?

[computedshorty]

I have done my research of the family tree back to Ireland and the Potato Famine when the ancestors moved to Southwark.

I have noticed that my dad was born in 1884, that is 128 years ago, just think if he were still alive he would be one hundred and twenty six years old, I was born when he was 47 and my 81 years make 128.

Good news my Zimmer passed it's MOT, just got a warning that the rubber feet were wearing thin, and the bell sounds a bit squeeky.

[pincushionqueen]

I'm always complaining how small my flat is. I just looked it up on the 1911 census and discovered 10 people living in the property (described on census as a 4 room house) they would have had the whole house but that is still not very big!

They managed to fit in a family of 8, an elderly boarder and a lodger.

Perhaps I should stop moaning about lack of space.

Had such fun researching, really recommend doing this!

[dulwichgirl2]

Also just found a lot of interesting reminiscing going on on the Dulwich site with a lady called beryl and a man called mike posting some really fascinating and personal stories, most of which led me to be thankful for running water and central heating. Oh forumites, never complain your bathroom is out of date again!

[Dodo1]

I looked our house in the 1911 census and discoveerd that the family had a maid who came from Bicester(Oxfordshire).

[Worker]

Single family of 5 lived in our house in 1911 (3 bed terrace). Father an ambulance driver, eldest son a milk boy. The eldest was born in Constance Road, the middle in Nutfield Road, and the youngest in Lacon Road.

Fast forward 100 years and there's a family of 3 living there and we're bursting at the seams. Time for a clear out I think.