London Maps Through the Ages. An excellent collection of maps of London through the ages taken from various publications.

London and suburbs after the great fire (1666) plus lots of detailed street maps of different years during the 1800s and through to 1938. Some have street indexes with grid references so that you can locate places easily. Ref 0007-2 Price £14.50

List of Streets and Places within the Administrative County of London - 1929. Invaluable to London researchers this book details alterations in street names and numbering since 1856 and shows localities, postal districts, parishes and boroughs map references.

The book's introduction states that this is a second revision of the original 1901 edition and a new feature is the addition of notes on the origins of street names given in recent years.

The number of streets in the County of London at the time numbered 17,660. Ref 1013 Price £15.75

The History and Antiquities of Hackney. Robinson's The History and Antiquities of Hackney (including map) - Volumes 1 and 2. Published in 1842. A superb insight into the parish for the historian and genealogist. Ref 1397-1 Price £ 12.75

The History and Antiquities of Tottenham High Cross. Robinson's The History and Antiquities of Tottenham High Cross (including map). Published in 1818. A superb insight into the parish for the historian and genealogist. Ref 1397-2 Price £ 9.25

The History and Antiquities of Stoke Newington. Robinson's The History and Antiquities of Stoke Newington (including map). Published in 1842. A superb insight into the parish for the historian and genealogist. Ref 1397-2 Price £ 9.25

The History and Antiquities of Edmonton. Robinson's The History and Antiquities of Edmonton (including map). Published in 1818. A superb insight into the parish for the historian and genealogist. Ref 1397-4 Price £ 9.25

The Gentleman's Magazine Library 1731-1868, London (3 volumes). The original Gentleman's Magazine contained articles on a vast array of subjects including lots of wonderful topographical pieces.

In 1891 George Gomme republished all of these topographical articles but edited and indexed them into county specific order. Each of Gomme's works contains between two and four counties with the exception of the London volumes.

An absolute goldmine of information about the county, its people and places.

Ref 0892 Price £ 21.50

The Complete Parish Officer 1772. This is one of the most important resources that we have seen, and one that should be of great interest to all family historians. Published in 1772 it was the handbook of the duties and responsibilities of the Parish Officer. It includes the duties of the overseers of the poor, the power in relieving, employing and settling, etc. of poor persons; the laws relating to the poor, and settlements, and the statutes concerning masters and servants. The right of Settlement was something that was of great concern to all of our ancestors. Basically, to be able to have right of settlement in a parish, one had to be born there, married there or serving an apprenticeship there. Proof was all-important, especially if a person became destitute and needed support from the parish. Parish officers would have people literally evicted and transported to another parish under such circumstances. What happened about bastardy? What obligations does an apprentice have to his master and vice-versa? This book describes it all, together with the supporting laws.Other sections of the book include the authority and duty of constables, tithingmen, etc.; churchwardens, how they should be chosen, their duties, church accounts, repairing of churches, etc. There are some very interesting punishments for not attending church and keeping to the rules! There is a section on surveying the highways, Scavengers, methods of taxation of the highways, and laws. And finally, the duties and powers of Watchmen. Ref 0766 Price £17.70

Chronicles of the Mayors & Sheriffs of London. Chronicles of the Mayors & Sheriffs of London 1188-1274 and The French Chronicles of London 1259-1343. Henry Riley 1863. Two books in one.

The first, Chronicles of the Mayors & Sheriffs of London, was translated from the original Latin and Ahglo-Norman of the 'Liger de Atiquitis Legibus' attributed to Arnald Fitz-Thedmar, Alderman of London in the reign of Henry III.

The second, the French Chronicle of London, is translated from the original Anglo-Norman of 'The Croniques de London'.

A very useful resource for medieval historians and genealogists. Ref 0129 Price £14.70

Mediaeval Towns of London. "There can be no doubt that our interest in the dim past is increased the more we are able to read into the dry documents before us the human character of the actors. As long as these actors are only names to us we seem to be walking in a world of shadows, but when we realise them as beings like ourselves with the same feelings and aspirations, although governed by other conditions of life, all is changed and we take the keenest interest in attempting to understand circumstances so different from those under which we live.

This book therefore is not intended as a history but as, to some extent, a guide to the manners of the people and to the appearance of the city during the mediaeval period".

A good description of the book and its uses for genealogists and historians.

Chapters include descriptions of London in Roman, Saxon, Norman, Mediaeval times to the 1900s. Chapters discuss, health, disease and sanitation, Chaucer and poets of his time, manners, commerce and trade, Goveners of the City, the church and education. The book is full of well illustrated maps and pictures. Ref 1099 Price £11.80

The History of London from its foundation to the present time - William Maitland 1756. Original copies of this world famous book are extremely scarce, often cost several thousand pounds to buy and most are to be found without the illustrative plates. This appears to be a complete copy and is one history book the no serious London researcher should be without.

From the title page

"Containing the political history of London. With an accurate survey of the several wards, liberties, precincts &c. An account of the several parishes and churches, its civil, military and ecclesiastical government, companies and commerce, antiquities, offices, societies, state of learning and monuments of charity and piety; including the several parishes in Westminster, Middlesex and Surrey, within the Bill of Mortality

The Whole illustrated with one hundred and twenty one copper plates, exhibiting the plans of the wards of London, of the City of Westminster and parishes adjacent, and views of the City at different times, and of all of the churches, palaces, bridges, halls, hospitals &c. and a map of the country ten miles around the great City." Ref 1012 Price £26.20

London Life in the 18th Century - M Dorothy George. A superb book which gives a great insight into how people lived in London in the 1770's and one which later historians have often consulted as a reference in their own works.

It covers just about every conceivable subject including life and death, housing and growth, immigrants and emigrants, people and trades, parish children and the uncertainties of life, plus much, much more.

There are extensive notes to sources and references plus excellent appendices which include statistics regarding infant mortality, epidemics and housing plus a wonderful section of apprentice hearings in the Middlesex Sessions. Ref 0992 Price £18.25

Old and New London - A Narrative of its History, its people and its places. By Walter Thornbury 1897 - 6 volume.

"Writing the history of a vast city like London is like writing the history of an ocean - the area is so vast, its inhabitants so multifarious, the treasures that lie in its depths are so countless."

"In histories, in biographies, in scientific records, and in chronicles of the past, however humble, let us gather materials for a record of the great and the wise, the base and the noble, the odd and the witty, who have inhabited London and left their names upon its walls".

This is an immense work, and includes many hundreds of illustrations from old engravings throughout the ages, illustrating buildings, events and general scenes of interest. Ref 0989 Price £26.00

London Vanished and Vanishing - 1905. "Until the beginning of the nineteenth century time had dealt kindly with our great Capital, at least from the point of view of a lover of the past. In the confines of the city there were still many houses of timbered or half timbered construction, which had evidently existed before the Great Fire, and the plain but well proportioned buildings which came into being shortly after that catastrophe were so common that they hardly attracted notice."

The writer of this wonderful book (published in 1909) has, for many years, employed his time in examining those older portions of London which were, to a great extent, "improved" away. He visited them again and again, making notes and sketching the old surviving buildings threatened with destruction. He hunted down old documents relating to them and searched out anecdotes and stories relating to them and their inhabitants and visitors. It is these records, notes and pictures that form the content of this publication, which makes absolutely fascinating reading. The pictures alone are an absolute delight, for they are not of the major "tourist" buildings, but small lanes, yards and courts. Places were your ancestors lived. Ref 0988 Price £18.25

Wonderful London - St John Adcock. Published in the 1920's in three large volumes with, literally, hundreds of superb photographs of all aspects of London life. Rich or poor, old or young, the slums and the palaces, there are even some which are captioned "a view of xxxx from an exciting new vantage point" (an aeroplane).

The text matches the quality of the images and is wonderfully evocative, it is quite sad to realise that very little of what we can see in this book remains standing today due to slum clearance, war time bombing and the march of progress.

Top quality grey-scale scans preserve the fine detail of the images. The set is issued on three CD's, one volume per CD, with the complete index om each. Ref 0912 Price £31.50

Fulham Old & New - Charles James Feret, 1900. A superb and incredibly detailed historical and topographical study of this ancient parish with wonderful maps, illustrations and photographs to show the world in which your ancestors lived. Ref 0897 Price £26.00

Middlesex County Records - III Edward VI (1549 to 1603. Published in four volumes by the Middlesex Record society. Printed transcripts of Middlesex Sessions Rolls from 1549 to 1603, including indictments, coroner's inquests, post mortem and recognizances.

Unique accounts of criminal and civil proceedings in London and Middlesex which involve people from all over the country. A superb index in each volume helps to locate both names and places. Ref 0889 Price £21.50

Lyson's. The Environs of London being a Historical Account of the Towns, Villages and Hamlets within Twelve Miles of the Capital. The full set of this incredibly rare and expensive set of books. This is probably one of the most useful London history books ever written and has been an invaluable reference tool for generations of eminent London historians.

Superb historical account of towns, villages and hamlets within twelve miles of the capital with numerous references to family names, extract from registers and dozens of beautiful illustrations. Each volume carries its own excellent index.

Originally published in 1791, this set has been bound into six books with the contents as follows.

Volume one - part one: The County of Surrey

Volume one - part two: The Counties of Kent, Esex and Hertfordshire

Volume two - part two: The County of Middlesex, Hornsey and Wilsdon

Volume three: Those parishes in the County of Middlesex which are not described in The Environs of London

Volume four: The Counties of Hertfordshire, Essex and Kent

The book was kindly loaned to the Project by the London borough of Barnet Archives. Ref 0853 Price £25.75

A Calender to the Feet of Fines for London & Middlesex, Richard I - Elizabeth I. Ancient records of land and property ownership in London and Middlesex from 1189 to 1569 which often have important genealogical information within them.

These types of documents, along with the taxation records and wills are the only way to obtain valuable clues and so they are incredibly important to historians and genealogists alike.

A random example:

Michelmas 1510. William Lowthe, James Spencer and Robert Sayles 'and' Edmund Wotton and Matilda, his wife one of the daughters and heirs of William Palmer. Premises in Harowe and Pynnore. Ref 0890 Price £18.25

London Lanes - Alan Stapleton. First published in 1930 this is an invaluable resource for all those researching their London ancestors. The book is best described by quoting from the preface:

"This book needs no excuse. It is an attempt to enumerate, name and describe, as far as possible, all the lanes - old and new - of London. I have discovered considerably over nine hundred names of these lanes, actually, at some time, or now, so called. Many are still in existance."

This book was kindly loaned to the Project by Reading University Library. Ref 0795 Price £18.25

South London - Walter Besant 1899. Published in 1899 this is a superb account of the hitory of South London and the people who lived there. A must for all of those researching their ancestors in this part of London.

This book was kindly loaned to the Project by Reading University Library. Ref 0794 Price £18.25

East London - Besant. Pulished in 1902 this is a superb account of the history of East London and the people who lived there. A must for all of those researching their ancestors in East London. Ref 0706 Price £18.25

Bygone Southwark. Published in 1895 this is a wonderful history of the Borough of Southwark from it's earliest days. The name Southwark did not appear until 1023 and the borough was thought to be older than the City of London itself. Ref 0705 Price £14.75

Greater London - A Narrative of Its History, Its People and Its Places. These books are an absolutely invaluable resource for those with ancestors in the Greater London area in the 1800s. Every place is described in superb detail, together with lovely illustrations that can be used in your family history files. Bear in mind that at the time this book was written many places were tiny villages out in the countryside with very small populations. To read about the conditions and facilities in each of them is not only fascinating but it adds so much useful background information about how your ancestors lived. Incorporate it into your family history.

In two volumes with fold out map of London in the 1880s. Written by Edward Walford and published by Cassell & Company London. There is no copyright date but these volumes followed "Old and New London" and probably date from the 1880s. Illustrated with numerous engravings. Vol I has 576 pages, Vol II has 560 pages. These are large books each measuring 10 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches.

Contents:
Acton, Addington, Addiscombe, Aldborough Hatch, Aldenham, Ashford
Banstead, Barking, Barnes, Beckenham, Beddington, Bedford, Bexley, Bickley, Brentford, Bromley, Buckhurst Hill, Bushey, Bushey Park
Carshalton, Caterham, Cheam, Cheshunt, Chessington, Chigwell, Chingford, Chislehurst, Chiswick, Claremont, Colney Ridge, Colney Hatch, Coulsdon, Cranford, Croydon, Cowley
Dagenham, Downe
Ealing, East Barnet, East Ham, East Wickham, Edgware, Elstree, Enfield, Apping, Epping Forest, Epsom, Erith and Lesnes, Esher, Ewell
Farley, Farnborough, Feltham, Finchley, Friern Barnet
Great Stanmore, Gunnersbury
Hadley, Hainault Forset, Halliford, Ham, Hampton, Hampton Court Palace, Hanwell, Hanworth, Harefield, Harlington, Harmondsworth, Harrow, Harrow School, Harrow Weald, Hayes, Hendon, Heston, High Barnet, High Beech
Ilford, Isleworth
Keston, Kew, Kew Gardens, Kingsbury, Kingston-on-Thames
Laleham, Leyton, Leytonstone, Limehouse, Little Ilford, Little Stanmore, Long Ditton, Loughton
Maiden, Merton, Millwall, Mitcham, Molesey, Morden, Mortlake
Nonsuch, Norwood, Northaw
Petersham, Pinner, Plaistow, Plumstead, Ponders End, Poplar
Radlett, Richmond, Roehampton, Ruislip
Sanderstead, Sewardstone, Shenley, Shepperton, Shirley, Sidcup, Sion House, Snaresbrook, South Mimms, Southall, Southgate, Staines, Stanwell, Strand-on-the-Green, Sunbury, Sutton
Talworth, Teddington, Thames Ditton, The Crays, The East and West India and Millwall Docks, The River Lea, The River Ravensbourne, The University Boat Race, The Valley of the Thames, Theydon Bois, Theobalds, Tooting, Totteridge, Turnham Green, Twickenham
Uxbridge
Waddon, Wallington, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Powder Mills, Walthamstowe, Wanstead, Warlington, West wickham, West Drayton, West Ham, Whetstone, Wimbledon, Woodford, Woodmansterne, Woodside, Woolwich.
Ref 0550 Price £21.50

Bartholomews Atlas of London & Suburbs 1917.

Ref 0375 Price £11.75

The London Perambulator. First published in 1925 this is a wonderful picture of London, and Londoners, as seen through the eyes of its author, James Bone, with a little history and some lovely illustration thrown in for good measure.

This is a charmingly written book and one that all of those with ancestors in London in the 1920s should read. Ref 0546 Price £14.75

Account of the Grocers Company, 1829. The Grocers Company is one of the most ancient of the twelve great companies of London and undoubtedly the first commercial corporation in England. This book contains the history of the Grocers Hall, the events effecting the company, a history of the company and biographical sketches of it's most eminent members.

It also contains a register of all of the other members in chronological order. Was your ancestor a grocer? Did they belong to this company? If so they will be listed here. Ref 1195 Price £12.00

Fleet Street in Seven Centuries. Forty six illustrations.

It is not quite true that Fleet Street is all about newspapers.

This books looks at seven centuries of Fleet Street's history. As a mediaeval suburb, a passage way for pageants, it's change in the reformation, before and after the Great Plague the Great Fire and more. It also describes the old booksellers, coffee houses, white friars and taverns that could be found in the street. Finishing with chapters about the changes brought about by the newspapers. The maps of the street included on this CD make it easy to visualise the street in the past.

Ideal for those with local history interests in Fleet Street or for those whose ancestors lived or worked there. Ref 1207 Price £18.25

Coaching Days and Coaching Ways. The author's intention was "to try to get glimpses of the social life which passed to and fro between London and the provinces...I shall show our ancestors of all ages in all kinds of custumes..busy at the nothings which make travelled life, eating, drinking, flirting, quarrelling, delivering uo their purses, grumbling over their bills".

Interesting too are the historical details he gives to each place and descriptions of the Inns along each of the journeys. A very humorous and informative insight into travel in bygone times. A great way to know about how our ancestors of all periods lived. Ref 1244 Price £9.10