What's the most interesting link to the past you've found in your Period Property?

[Minkeycat]

We haven't found a great deal in our house since we started renovating it mostly, I suspect, because of gung ho renovations in the 60s and 70s. The most interesting thing I did find was a coin from 1892 that had, presumably, remained on its side between two cobbles in the path since it was dropped all those years ago - that really made me feel a link to the previous occupants. And it got me wondering...what's the most interesting thing you've found in your period property?

[malcolm]

I found a couple of electricity reading cards hidden behind the meter board. They date from March 1922 through to 1950. The meter was moved when the new front was put on so it wouldn't be surprising if the previous card had been lost. I wonder if that means the front was added in 1921. My previous best guess had been 1920 ish. Must be post WW1 (gypsum skim on lime) but before 1922 as I have a photo from 1922.

The newspaper is from 1893 which is presumably when the hearth upstairs was laid in brick supported only by the lath and plaster of an earlier ceiling.

[CliffordPope]

A skeleton of a cat buried in the cottage wall; a list of farm animals sold at market, 1930, with prices fetched, buried behind a bedroom fireplace, almost unreadable and distintegrating as I unfolded it; a collection of dinky toys from the 1950s buried under the collapsed cottage kitchen; the back half of a lorry, probably 1960s, half buried; a horse-drawn plough abandoned in a hedge; someone's initials scratched on a slate paving slab in the garden 1796; roofer's initials scratched in some lead flashing on one of the chimney stacks, 1913, and an old silver shilling, almost unreadable, embedded in the compressed ash/fat of the cottage floor.

[fernicarry]

Initials "WB 1896" on the back of a tongue and groove partition at the back of the house. Probably put up to divide the space to provide indoor plumbing for the staff.

We have various deeds signed by Princess Louise, 4th daughter of Queen Victoria who was married to the Duke of Argyll in her capacity as trustee of his estate. All the property for miles around would have owed the Duke feu duties so nothing particular unusual about this document. One from 1915 mentions an amount of 5 pounds plus a proportion of another duty every nineteen years. Wonder what that would be in today's money?

[charlieboy]

The census of 1841 gives the occupier of my house as Jane Ferriday. It turns out that her husband was a Liverpool cotton trader and her son went to America, married very well and had the town of Ferriday, Louisiana named after him. Ferriday was the birthplace of Jerry Lee Lewis!


I have just realised that all that does not count as it is not something that I found in my period property, but I did find it on the internet, on a computer which is in my house.....

[Flyfisher]

One from 1915 mentions an amount of 5 pounds plus a proportion of another duty every nineteen years. Wonder what that would be in today's money?

£5 in 1915 adjusted for inflation would be £517.86 according to this inflation calculator: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetar ... calculator

Of course, different things 'inflate' at different rates but it gives an idea.

[RBailey]

Found this burred in the garden, its an old camping stove, only 1930 vintage though.


Whilst not "found" we also got left a few photocopies of old photos.
1933's


Early 1900's (Certainly before 1st world war as there is now a war memorial on the grass)


And a random one

[a twig]

Found a 4" artillery shell in the cellar, fuse removed but rest of contents still very much there.

Was taken away by a very gung ho police constable who didn't want to call EoD

[Gothichome]

I think it has to be the pair of worn shoes inside the walls beside the front door threshold.

Don’t want evil spirits getting into the home, do we.

[Minkeycat]

These are all amazing finds. I'm quite jealous! We hold out hope that our house has something interesting stashed under a floor that seems to have escaped the 60s "improvements".
I hope this thread continues. It's fascinating.

[JohnArmer]

"JL is a good shag" written in marker on the walls of our bedroom when we stripped off the wallpaper. We bought the house off a Mrs JL.

[Kearn]

By a country mile, this.... still unsolved!

http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/v ... 33#p218733

I also dug out a lovely old Georgian key that had been intentionally forced into a join in our timber frame that had moved and lime plastered in.

[Allison]

We know our house was old in 1796 as we have part of the deeds but we found what looks like a much older window in the gable end now covered by an extention. The window is stone and looks medievel

[Flyfisher]

"JL is a good shag" written in marker on the walls of our bedroom when we stripped off the wallpaper. We bought the house off a Mrs JL.

Let's hope the 'JL' in question is not a member of this forum

[Pennyviz]

On the timber joints in the roof, there are Roman numerals on one side and Arabic numerals on the other side to help with the order of construction, as apparently they constructed roof structures on the ground, marked them up, took them apart then reassembled in situ. It was enough to get a specialist to come out and date the timbers and apparently it is one of a number of rooves with this sort of marking that date around the 14th century. Whether it was one master carpenter or his trainings we'll never know ….