19th c purchase of property

[heathwaite]

Does anyone know how ordinary working people bought property in the 19th century?

I have an ancestor who would have been of very modest means in the mid 1800s - he would have probably needed parish relief during the cotton famine - who owned several properties by the end of the century. His prospects had improved as he was working as the landlord of a beerhouse but even so he is not likely to have had much capital. How was the purchase funded?

Any help or pointers to references would be appreciated

[stanmapstone]

Through a Building Society?  http://www.bsa.org.uk/faq/startbuildingsociety.htm

Stan

[Treetotal]

I know a story of one ancestor who was a landlord of a pub who gained property as repayment for a gambling debt 
Not saying this happened in your ancestor's case but it's food for thought
Carol

[heathwaite]

Did building societies exist in the 1870/80s? - I thought they were a more recent creation

[stanmapstone]

Did building societies exist in the 1870/80s? - I thought they were a more recent creation

The first known building society was formed in 1775 in Birmingham
See http://www.bsa.org.uk/faq/startbuildingsociety.htm

Stan

[heathwaite]

Thanks for that input - you tend to think of buy to let as being modern but in reality it isn't. I'll have a look in the trade directories for Wigan in that period to see if any societies are mentioned.

[stanmapstone]

There are twenty two Building Societies listed in Slater's Directory of Manchester and Salford, 1863.

Stan

[Treetotal]

I must be invisible
Carol

[Seoras]

Hello Carol