Branching Out: Unlocking Family History Through Estate Records

Overview

Estate records are among the most rewarding yet underused sources for family, house and local history research. From rentals, leases and estate maps to wage books, sale catalogues and personal correspondence, these records can uncover fascinating details about ancestors, landowners, tenants, workers, properties and the communities in which they lived.

This course introduces the history and purpose of estate records and equips students with the skills to locate, read and interpret them with confidence. Focusing primarily on British research, the course explores accessible online catalogues and digitised collections, including examples from the National Library of Wales, demonstrating how estate records can bring people, places and landscapes to life.

Through practical exercises, learners will develop essential research skills in archival searching, source evaluation, transcription, map comparison and historical contextualisation, enabling them to make the most of these valuable records in their own research. Whether you are looking to trace your family history, investigate the history of a house or explore the story of a local community, this module provides the knowledge and practical techniques to unlock the rich evidence contained within estate records.

Programme

This online course lets you study from home while connecting with a vibrant virtual community of fellow learners. The course is delivered through Blackboard, our online learning environment, and any live sessions will be hosted via Teams.

Unit 1. Introduction to estate records and archives. The development of the landed estate; why estate records were created; the main types of record; how archive collections are arranged; and how to use online catalogues and finding aids.

Unit 2. The earliest estate records Manorial and estate records from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including legal proceedings, rentals, leases and surveys. Students will practise reading and summarising early documents.

Unit 3. The rise of the gentry estate in the eighteenth century. The growth and management of landed estates; estate accounts, tenancy records and correspondence; estate mapping; enclosure, common rights, improvement and the Picturesque movement.

Unit 4. Improvement and change in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Tithe maps and schedules, valuations, sale catalogues and auction material; ownership, occupation, acreage, land use and field names; the decline and sale of estates after the First World War.

Unit 5. From estate records to historical case study. Developing a focused research focus; selecting and cross-referencing estate records with census returns, parish records, maps, newspapers and other sources; assessing reliability and gaps in the evidence; and presenting a supported study of an estate, family, property or locality.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:  

1. Explain how estate records were created and identify their main types and purposes.
2. Identify and locate relevant estate records using online and archival catalogues.
3. Carry out effective multi-stage searches for estate records and related sources.
4. Interpret and evaluate evidence contained in written, financial and cartographic estate records.
5. Use estate records with other sources to place people, property and landscape change within a wider historical context.

Assessments

1. Written Assignment – Estate Record Evaluation; 400 words. (20%)
2. Portfolio – Research Project; 1600 words. (80%)

Reading Suggestions

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course. 

Entry Requirements

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements.

What Do I Need?

As this is an online course, you would need the following:

• Internet access
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also be of benefit
• Use of the Chrome web-browser where possible.