Clues in Old Maps

Old maps can be quite revealing if you look at them carefully.

Although a few ancient maps exist in the UK, mapmaking began in earnest in Medieval times.

For most people Ordnance survey maps of the 1800's are the main source of information.

These maps show the size of villages and the names of hamlets and isolated farms or buildings as well as features like Quays, Windmills and railway lines which could help put flesh on the basic findings of a census  return.

They also help us in solving puzzles as ancestors may give the main town , a village just outside or a hamlet between the two as their place of birth in consecutive census returns. A look on an old map solves the problem.

Due to taxation and Acts of Parliament many parish maps on enclosures and tithes still survive from the early 1700's onward. These can be very detailed down to field level.

Even better are estate maps which were often drawn up by rich landowners to cover their country estates. There are usually very detailed and even include some peoples names.

The Cassini series of reproduction ordnance survey maps covers the whole country or if you prefer the internet there are several old map sites available.