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 A
set of historic maps is an essential as it can tell you the story of
your area and indicate further topics for research. Maps can also be
used to compare a locality in the past with the present.
The earliest printed maps date from the sixteenth century and
are generally county based showing churches, large estates, villages
and towns but no roads and few individual buildings.
Many towns were mapped in detail at an early date and the maps were
then printed.
Ordnance Survey maps were published for all areas in the nineteenth
century. The three most useful scales for showing the development of
places and buildings are the 6 inches to 1 mile [1:10,560]; the 25 inches
to 1 mile [1:2500], and [for urban centres only] the 10 feet to 1 mile
[1:500]. Maps at these scales were published in the second half of the
nineteenth century with further editions around 1900, the 1920s, the
late 1930s and the 1950s/60s.
You will be able to see old Ordnance Survey maps locally and. It will
generally be possible to photocopy portions of them, although there
may be copyright restrictions. You can also purchase reprints from Ordnance
Survey and via web sites including Getmapping.
Your local council should be able to supply you with an up to date map
at any of these scales, based around your school, although there is
likely to be a charge.
Street maps were usually published to accompany trade
directories and are similar to a modern A-Z type of map.
Hand Drawn Maps
Maps were drawn of estates and adjoining fields dating mainly from
the eighteenth century and will generally be found in archive collections
relating to a landed family or estate agent.
Enclosure maps dating generally from 1750 to 1850 exist for
most parishes. They were drawn up to show the reallocation of common
land in a parish when the strip system of farming was changed to one
based on fields.
 Tithe
Maps were also parish based and were drawn up as a result of the
Tithe Commutation Act of 1836 which replaced the outmoded tithe system
for supporting the church with a more straightforward rental charge.
These maps exist for most parishes although some areas, particularly
town centres, had already had their tithes commuted.
They involved very detailed surveys showing every field and property
and a schedule accompanied each map listing the owner, occupier, use,
name, size and value of every field and property. Three copies were
made of each. The
National Archives [formerly PR0] has a copy of every map. Diocesan
Record Offices hold sets for their diocese and the rest are either in
the relevant parish church or, more usually, in the local record office.
Printed editions were produced for some places and may be in local studies
collections.
Hand drawn maps can be very large and photocopying may not be permitted.
There may be alternatives such as ordering a digital copy or taking
in a digital camera to photograph part of the map. |