Your home has a story. Let's bring it to life.
Now booking for May/June 2025
Uncover stories that can’t be found on Findmypast or Ancestry.com
Discover the untold chapters of your home's story through meticulous professional research
Receive a beautifully presented story designed to be displayed and shared for years to come
‘Finding out the history of the place makes things make sense in the house; it all starts to fit in place. I feel that I'm almost in touch with the people that lived here.’
Liz Toth, Little Gillies, Cornwall
What stories lie waiting to be discovered behind your front door?
Our homes are the keepers of stories. Their walls have witnessed countless moments, both ordinary and extraordinary, building layer upon layer of history. And as the place where we spend most of our time and feel most ourselves, it's natural to wonder about the people who called it home in the years, decades or even centuries before us.
Whether you've just received your keys and are eager to understand your new home's character, have lived in your property for years and feel ready to explore its secrets, or are searching for the perfect gift to mark a special occasion – understanding the history of a house can deepen our connection to the place we call home.
Who were the families that planted the gardens we tend? Who warmed themselves by these fireplaces? Whose hopes and dreams once filled the spaces you now call home?
When you understand your home's history, past and present connect in every room, enriching your own story here today.
Perhaps you've started exploring your home's history, hitting unexpected challenges along the way. You might have discovered that historical records aren't always straightforward - census records without house names, changing street numbers, and gaps in documentation can make the research feel overwhelming.
Maybe you're eager to uncover your home's story but aren't sure where to begin, or simply can't find the time to get started. Or maybe you've gathered some information but sense there's so much more to uncover and want the confidence of professional research to bring it all together into a cohesive narrative.
Your home's story deserves more than scattered notes - it deserves to be beautifully presented and proudly displayed.
Every house adds a chapter to our history
Within its walls lies a narrative that goes far beyond dates and deeds. Through individual homes, we uncover the remarkable stories of the ordinary people who shaped our nation. We might discover that your Victorian villa once housed a pioneering female artist, or uncover that your cottage sheltered evacuees during WWII. Perhaps suffragettes planned campaigns in your parlour, or your garden's history intertwines with Britain's strawberry cultivation.
From wartime stories to creative legacies, from railway heritage to agricultural innovations - each discovery contributes to our understanding of who we are and adds depth to your understanding of your home. We transform these fascinating findings into a beautifully crafted narrative, designed to be displayed and shared for years to come.
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'We love knowing the stories of how the house came to be built and was passed down through a family, and how it has changed so much over the years through its use. I pick up on different pieces of the story each time I read it; it’s a great talking point with guests and a daily reminder of the history of our home and how special it is that we are now part of this story.'
LUCY ROBINS, THE WOODLANDS, LEICESTERSHIRE - COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE
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'We were keen to learn more about the history of our newly purchased house, which we believed to be dated to 1834. We discovered it has been around since the 1700s, which was a complete surprise! We will treat this grand old lady with even more reverence and respect. You uncovered so many little gems about our beautiful house that may otherwise have been lost or overlooked. The communication was fantastic throughout and the finished book was beautiful, so incredibly detailed. ’
VICTORIA, MEAGRAM HOUSE, LINCOLNSHIRE - THE CLASSIC PACKAGE
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‘I have always loved this house - even before moving in I used to spot it as I drove past. Now knowing it was the village Surgery for many years (as a nurse) I feel I now understand that draw better. The rich and colourful lives of the people who lived here was incredible. Learning that the road and houses behind us had once been our orchard was a surprise. The wall print is now proudly hung in our hallway.’
AMANDA SCOTT, FARBROOKE HOUSE, LINCOLNSHIRE - THE CLASSIC PACKAGE
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'One very happy customer! Thank you for the wonderful package of information so beautifully presented. My husband was over the moon and I have been very proud to show this off to curious family and friends. It's just perfect!'
JOSIE, BEACH HOUSE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE - COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE
How it works:
Phase 1: Discovery
After booking your house history package, we'll send you a link to our welcome form to gather any knowledge you already have about your home - from deeds you might hold to stories passed down by previous owners. Once we have everything we need, our research begins.
Depending on your chosen package, we'll delve into online historical records (such as census records, electoral registers, street directories, maps, and newspaper archives) or extend our research into physical archives across the UK to uncover those harder-to-find details that add rich layers to your home's history. See our packages page for further details about the research process - Including the scope and types of records included with each package.
Every record we uncover is carefully referenced in a detailed research report, with copies added to your file - ensuring a complete and verified record of your home's history.
Phase 2: Crafting the Narrative
Once our research is complete, the second half of your package begins. We start by weaving our discoveries into an accurate and compelling story. Every significant finding is thoughtfully incorporated - from architectural changes to past residents' lives. We also add rich social history context where appropriate, helping you understand how your home's story fits within the broader tapestry of its time and place. Each element is carefully crafted to bring your home's unique history to life.
Phase 3: Design & Layout
For every house history, we create a luxury giclee wall print on fine art parchment paper. Your story is thoughtfully edited and arranged according to your chosen layout, pattern, and colour scheme - each design drawing inspiration from British heritage and featuring our distinctive brand style of elegant typography and decorative elements.
For Classic packages and above, we also design a beautifully bound storybook. Historical images, maps, and documents are carefully positioned alongside the narrative and your research report, creating a layout that enhances your home's story. Each element is thoughtfully arranged to create a piece that's both informative and visually striking.
Phase 4: Production & Delivery
Finally, your house history documents are professionally printed, creating elegant pieces worthy of display. We personally check every detail before carefully packaging your finished history, ensuring it arrives ready to take pride of place in your home.
Happy clients
‘I already loved my property for its age and character, but discovering its history has made me appreciate it even more. The research revealed far more than I ever imagined, including settling a long-standing debate about the building's origins. We'd always wondered whether it was originally one building before being split into two, and now we finally have clarity about its evolution.’
LISA, ANGLESEY - HOUSE TALES PACKAGE
‘Everything about the experience exceeded my expectations. The team was amazing, and the print is exquisite. My parents also loved the accompanying documents. It hangs so proudly in their home now. What a novel and amazing gift.’
ZARA, HIGH WYCOMBE - HOUSE TALES PACKAGE
‘It really resonated when I read about George Stratton, the longest resident at Stoneheal Cottage, and that he was a gardener, as I work in horticulture and actually own my own nursery. Another coincidence being that he was from Rickmansworth and my favourite great aunt lived in Rickmansworth. It makes me wonder if George Stratton is still here, keeping an eye on the place.
Thank you for all the hard work that has gone into bringing the history of Stoneheal Cottage to us.’
SUZIE, STONEHEAL COTTAGE - CLASSIC PACKAGE
Our research process transforms scattered historical records into a story worth sharing. Beyond dates and documents, we uncover the narratives that make your home unique - beautifully presented and ready to take pride of place in your home.
Research That Grows With You
From essential online records in our House Tales package to extensive archive visits in our Premium package, we tailor our research to your curiosity and budget. Each tier reveals different layers of your home's story.
Stories That Connect
While maintaining rigorous academic standards, we craft narratives that captivate. Your house history balances historical accuracy with engaging storytelling, making every discovery meaningful for you and your visitors.
Designed To Be Shared
Your home's history arrives as an elegantly crafted statement piece, designed to be displayed. No more scattered notes or hidden files - this is a conversation piece that enriches your home's story.
Skilled Historical Research
Historical research is both an art and a science - knowing where to look, which documents to request and how to decipher centuries-old handwriting. Our expertise helps us piece together fragments from multiple sources, carefully verifying each discovery to transform scattered clues into your home's complete story.
Founded in 2022
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Over 250 house histories written
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Over 8000 historical records transcribed and documented
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Founded in 2022 • Over 250 house histories written • Over 8000 historical records transcribed and documented •
Meet the Team
Rebecca Merrifield
FOUNDER & HOUSE HISTORIAN
Rebecca is a historical researcher and house historian from Derbyshire with a background in marketing and copywriting, a postgraduate degree in historic building conservation and an advanced certificate in genealogical skills and strategies.
She worked in collections and records conservation for the National Trust and Findmypast, which fuelled a passion for discovering and telling the hidden stories of historic places, leading her to start Pursuing the Past in 2022.
Rebecca lives on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border and researches houses all over the UK.
‘The archives are my happy place - there’s nothing like discovering a house in a centuries-old record, knowing how much joy it will bring to the owner.’
Kelly Morrison
WRITER & HERITAGE SPECIALIST
Kelly is a writer, content curator and researcher from northeast Scotland, with a background in marketing and communications and a postgraduate degree in Heritage and Interpretation.
Her career has taken her to roles with the National Trust for Scotland and various academic research projects, all focused on connecting the past with the present. She is also an author, having written a wonderful companion guide to walking Aberdeenshire’s stunning Deeside Way.
‘Every location has a unique story. I’m fascinated by the sense of place - the layers of history, and the people who have shaped it.’
Alongside Rebecca and Kelly, our small team includes a talented group of freelance researchers, designers and administrators who support us to produce your house histories, present them beautifully and deliver them on time!
Stories We've Uncovered
‘Finding out the history of the place makes me feel that I'm almost in touch with the people that lived here’
LITTLE GILLIES, A GEORGIAN COTTAGE IN RURAL CORNWALL
Liz Toth has always felt a strong connection to the stream that flows at the bottom of her garden, which winds its way through the rugged moorlands of rural Cornwall surrounding the 230-year-old stone cottage (previously, two adjoining cottages), Little Gillies, where she lives with her husband, Phil, and their furry companions. ‘It’s always been special to me. Every day I go and watch it and listen to it for a minute. I don’t want it to ever become just background noise…and to find out that for the people that lived here, it wasn’t just a pretty stream – it was actually integral to their lives and their livelihoods - that really resonated.’
The first record of tin streaming at Little Gillies came in the will of Stephen Cock of Roche, who died on 19 March 1799, aged 82. Stephen left his son John, ‘all my right I have in that tin stream work called by the name of the Gilley work’. There was no mention of the Little Gillies cottages yet, although the first cottage was believed to have been built around this time and the second by the early 1800s — most likely by the Cock family.
‘When we first moved in, we stood against the big granite lintel above the fireplace in the oldest part of the house, and we touched it, and I remember saying, I wonder how many people have had their hands on this lintel? Because it would have been the hub of the house; it would have been where they cooked, where they cleaned and told stories, where they argued, where they laughed, where they cried. And there would have been hundreds of people over the years, in this room, doing exactly what we do - having dinner - I wonder how many people have sat and had Christmas dinner in this very spot?’
By 1901, Marwood Toms, 29, a clay labourer, occupied the cottage. He lived with his wife Rebekah, 30, and their children. The Toms later lost their grandson, Harold, in World War Two, and Marwood died in 1957, aged 86. His son, Ernest, 53, still lived at Little Gillies in 1965. The cottage then passed hands several times before Liz and Phil made it their home in September 2021, marking the next chapter in this 230-year-old story.
Some key records that helped underpin and guide the research included the tithe maps of Luxulyan in 1839, which allowed us to trace back the owners of the cottages and surrounding land into the 1700s, leading to the wills of the Cock family.
‘Finding out the history of the place makes things make sense in the house; it all starts to fit in place. I feel that I'm almost in touch with the people that lived here.’
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‘Finding out about its rich history and the families who have lived here has really added a new dimension’
46 TEMPLE END, A VICTORIAN TERRACE IN HIGH WYCOMBE
Behind every front door lies a tapestry of lives lived, even in the most modest of homes. When Hannah Phillips and her fiancé Johnathan Priestley purchased their first home in High Wycombe, Hannah commissioned our House Tales package as a special gift to Johnathan to commemorate their new chapter.
'Although it is a modest, little house, finding out about its rich history and the families who have lived here has really added a new dimension,' shares Hannah. 'It made me feel like we are the newest generation in a long tradition of people living and working here.'
Through careful research, we discovered that this seemingly simple Victorian terraced house held deep connections to High Wycombe’s renowned furniture-making heritage. Its first recorded resident was Freeman Ball, a 35-year-old chairmaker who lived here with his wife Barbarina in 1881. At the time, the house was known as 13 Wards Row, named after its owner E. Ward.
The home’s story reflects the changing patterns of family life across generations. By 1911, it housed the Kirby family, where Fredrick worked as a wood sawyer at the nearby Chair Works. Later, in 1939, the house embraced three generations under one roof, with widow Eliza Kirby sharing her home with her daughter Anne and grandchildren—a common arrangement in pre-war Britain.
‘I love that a chair maker lived in our house,’ Hannah reflects. ‘Moving to High Wycombe which is so known for chair-making, knowing that somebody worked in that industry really tied our house to the local area for us and made it feel all the more special.’
From its beginnings as Temple Meadow to its evolution through Wards Row and finally to 46 Temple End, this Victorian terrace has been home to working families who contributed to their community’s rich industrial heritage. Their stories, though perhaps not marked by grand events or notable names, are testament to the value held in every home's history. ‘I was pleasantly surprised by how much detail there was,’ notes Hannah, ‘and loved the balance between setting the scene of the history of the local area and then more specific stories about the people who lived in our house itself.’
As Hannah and Johnathan begin their chapter at 46 Temple End, they do so with a deeper appreciation of their home’s past and their place in its continuing story.
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Every home, whether a modest terrace or a grand manor house, holds within its walls countless stories waiting to be discovered. These narratives help us understand not just our houses, but the communities that shaped them and the lives lived within them.
What will you uncover?
FAQs
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Precise build dates emerge in about half of our house histories - though the likelihood of finding them varies with the property's status and age (and is more likely in our bigger packages, which give us access to physical archives), we have uncovered construction dates for Victorian homes even in our House Tales research.
In our online research packages (the House Tales and the Classic packages), if precise dates can’t be found for Victorian and Edwardian properties, we are usually able to narrow down construction periods using maps. For older properties, archive research may be needed to provide a construction period. It depends on the status of the property and the available records for each property.
Architect and builder details tend to surface more often for grander properties.
Find out more about our package options here.
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Historical photographs are available for about 5-10% of properties, so they are relatively rare but exciting to find! They are much more likely to be found for grander properties and in our archive packages, but we have also been lucky to find photographs for more humble properties and even in our online research packages.
Find out more about our package options here.
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The main focus of our work is the social history of a house; however, we will always include details of the house’s architecture and development whenever we find them during our research.
We will ask you to share anything you know about the house and its history and development before we begin your commission – as any information you have could be very useful in our research and in building a fuller picture of the house’s history.
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Yes! For homes built after 1920, we offer our Modern House Tales package, which explores your property's surroundings, the land it was built on and how your neighborhood has evolved over time. You can find more details about this package here.
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Many historical records are now available online, including census returns, maps and newspapers, and our House Tales and Classic packages harness these online resources to uncover fascinating details about your property's past.
However, the full story of your home often extends beyond digital archives. For a deeper exploration, many valuable records are still only accessible in local and national archives, including deeds, tax records, older maps, wills and probate records, sales particulars, estate and manorial records, and more. Our Comprehensive and Premium packages include this archival research, often revealing additional layers of your home's history.
Find out more about our package options here.
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In over 90% of cases, we find sufficient records to create your home's story. After booking a full package, our first step is to conduct a records check. If we find that there aren’t sufficient records to fulfil your chosen package, we will adjust the package level and refund the difference. If we find that your home can’t be easily identified in enough records to fulfil our smallest package, you will receive a full refund less our £50 search fee.
If we find that your house can’t easily be identified in records, this doesn’t mean that no records are available for your house anywhere, but just that we can’t guarantee that further research would produce the results needed to be able to fulfil one of our packages. In this case, we will advise on next steps.
If you prefer, you can book a Records Check first to determine if a property is eligible for one of our house history packages, and which package it is best suited to - please see our house history packages page for further information.
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Historical research is much like an archaeological dig - we can never predict exactly which records have survived through time. While we can't guarantee finding specific information about every period or previous owner, our expertise ensures we know where to look and how to interpret what we discover.
Every document that we uncover has survived decades or centuries to reach you. And each detail adds another layer to your property's unique story.