Discovering Ancestors with the Lloyd George Domesday Survey: A Hidden Gem for Family Historians
When tracing the lives of our ancestors, we often turn to the usual records – censuses, parish registers, and civil registrations. But sometimes the really fascinating details come from less well-known sources. One such treasure trove is the Lloyd George Domesday Survey, an extraordinary record set that offers a detailed look at who lived where and how land was used in the early 20th century. If you’re researching ancestors from this period, it’s well worth exploring.
What is the Lloyd George Domesday Survey?
The Lloyd George Domesday Survey was a nationwide valuation of land and property across England and Wales carried out between 1910 and 1915. It was part of a much bigger project set up by David Lloyd George when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The idea behind it was to introduce a new tax on land, and to do that fairly, the government needed a detailed picture of land ownership and usage. What this means for us today is a remarkable collection of maps, field books, and notes that record:
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Who owned each piece of land
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Who occupied the land
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What type of buildings were on the land
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How the land was used
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The value of the land and buildings
All this information was recorded at a time when many people were still living in the homes they had grown up in or had only just moved out. It offers a unique snapshot of British society just before the First World War.
Why Is It Useful for Family Historians?
For anyone tracing their family history, the Lloyd George Domesday Survey is like finding a photograph of your ancestor’s street – but with extra details that even a photo couldn’t show. Here’s why it’s so valuable:
1. You Can Pinpoint Exact Addresses
If you’ve found your ancestor on the 1911 Census, the Domesday Survey can help you go a step further. It ties names and addresses to specific plots on maps, letting you see exactly where someone lived. Not just the street – the exact building or piece of land.
2. It Connects People to Properties
Unlike the census, which only shows residents, the Domesday Survey also records owners. This can be incredibly helpful if your ancestors were landlords, tenants, or landowners. It may reveal relationships and business connections that aren’t obvious elsewhere.
3. You Learn About the Property Itself
Want to know what kind of house your ancestor lived in? The field books describe the property in detail – number of rooms, type of building, whether there was a garden or yard, and sometimes even comments about condition or improvements. It’s a real glimpse into everyday life.
4. It Bridges the Gap Between Censuses
There’s a long gap between the 1911 and 1921 censuses, and the 1939 Register is still a couple of decades later. The Lloyd George Domesday Survey sits neatly between them, helping to track people or places during that in-between period.
5. It Helps You Reconstruct a Whole Community
Because it covers entire areas, not just individuals, you can use it to rebuild your ancestor’s neighbourhood. You’ll see who lived next door, who owned the shop on the corner, and what land was used for farming or industry. It gives context that brings your research to life.
Where Can You Find It?
The original records are held at The National Archives, and TheGenealogist is well under way at digitising and publishing the collection. Accessing them online is through TheGenealogist, which links to their powerful MapExplorer tools. These allow you to click on a modern map and peel back the layers to see what was there in 1910.
You can search by name, street, or area and then view:
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The original hand-anotated maps (based on Ordnance Survey)
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The accompanying field books with details of the property and ownership
A Case in Point
Let’s look for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who lived in Crowborough in 1911. By looking him up in the Lloyd George records, we discover he owned ‘Windlesham’ on Hurtis Hill. You might even find notes about the house having a small workshop attached – something that doesn’t appear on the census.
If you’re lucky, the field book might mention improvements made to the house, changes in tenancy, or even a description of the garden. Suddenly, you’re not just looking at a name on a census return – you’re starting to picture the home and the life your ancestor lived.
Final Thoughts
The Lloyd George Domesday Survey is still an underused source in family history research – but it’s a gem for those who take the time to explore it. With its rich detail and precise mapping, it lets you connect names, places, and properties in a way that few other records can.
If you’re looking to add depth and colour to your family story, especially around the turn of the 20th century, this is a brilliant tool to add to your kit.
Want to explore the Lloyd George Domesday Survey for yourself? You can find many of the digitised records at TheGenealogist.co.uk with MapExplorer tools to help you get started.