London street house numbering

[ottobottle]

Hi,

Does anybody know of a website that records which streets have had their house numbering altered in, say, the last 100 years? I know my grandmother was born in 29 Balcombe St, Marylebone in 1908, and was standing outside the current 29 the other, but am wondering if numberings have been altered on many streets. The house was certainly old enough to fit the part but it set me wondering.

Thanks,

Mark

[Flakdodger]

Mark,
I think it is worth you contacting London Metropolitan Archives
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Records_and_archives/About_LMA/
Yonks and yonks ago, before the electronic age, I recall they had a record of re-named and extinct streets - but am not sure if it extended to re-numbering.
Dave

[PaulineJ]

The major tranche of re-numbering was in the period of the 1860's and into the 1870's, certainly in London.
From North side nos 1-10/ South side 1-10 to the Napoleonic system
(odds one side, evens the other , using 1-20)

If the 1901 census lists the households Napoleonic-ally then I'd suggest that re-numbering after that date is less likely.

[Nick29]

That's odd - I always thought that the streets were numbered starting with the buildings closest to the town centre, but I don't know where I got that from 

[ottobottle]

Thank you all, certainly food for thought. I'll try and find out more on this subject, though I'm hopeful that I was standing outside the correct house!

Regards,

Mark

[mc8]

useful info on the major renumbering of streets in 1888 here
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hitch/gendocs/lon-str.html
regards
Monique

[coombs]

Hi

A lot of London streets wer renumbered especially if the street was extended or part of the street renamed or if it had been demolished and rebuilt, or the whole street had been renamed.

Ie in Lambeth Oakley Street and Gibson Street formed one whole road but in around 1877 Gibson Street became part of Oakley Street and the street renumbered.

Ben

[behindthefrogs]

I have a family who lived in the same cottage for about fifty years in the 19th century.  This can be proved from the records of sale of the cottage.  During that time the street name changed twice and the number of the property on two other occasions.

Admittedly it wasn't in London but it does show how much variation can occur.

David

[Nick29]

I found this on a local Borough Council site, but it does mention National Street Numbering conventions......


Building Numbers

In accordance with National Street Naming and Numbering conventions, we endeavour to number properties as follows:

• As you enter a street odd numbers should be situated on the left and even numbers situated on the right.
• A small development may be numbered consecutively, for example 1 to 8.
• If one or more dwellings are built between two others a suffix of "a" "b" "c" etc. will normally be added to the number.
• Small groups of low-rise flats should, where possible, be numbered with the ordinary street numbering scheme. Alternatively, blocks of flats and apartments may be given a name with each dwelling being numbered consecutively, for example Building One: Flat 1, Flat 2, Flat 3, Building Two: Flat 1, Flat 2, Flat 3. Numbers (or letters) for flats contained within a block should be displayed at the entrance to the building.
• There should be no sanction given to the avoidance of any numbers, for example '13' and a correct numerical sequence should be maintained.
• Buildings (including those on corner sites) should be numbered according to the street in which the main entrance is to be found.
• The manipulation of numbering to secure a 'prestige' address or to avoid an address, which is thought to have undesired associations, is not be sanctioned.
• Short cul-de-sacs will usually have consecutive numbering.
• Through roads and longer cul-de-sacs will have an odds and evens scheme ascending away from the town or village centre.

So, it would appear that the way a road is numbers really depends on what sort of street it is, and whether it's a through route or a long route