Old Title Deeds - Second Edition by N. W. Alcock

A comprehensive guide, with many examples, to the use and value of this hitherto neglected source of historical evidence.

Deeds are the most abundant type of historical document, surviving in tens of thousands in every record office. Yet they are also the most neglect by revealing the wealth of information that can be gleaned from them, whether about Places by the local historian, or about People, by the family historian.

The author makes skilful use of examples to illustrate the uses and value of deeds, ranging from 13th-century family trees, through 15th-century fishmongers' shops and 17th-century friendships, to 19th-century cottages and factories. He explains the intricacies of locating the right deeds for a particular problem, whether in the nearest county record office, a local solicitor's office, a Californian library, or in one of the vast series of enrolled copies among the public records.

The most important section of the book is a comprehensive and detailed discussion, explaining how to extract the historical evidence from individual deeds or deed bundles, without being overwhelmed by legal jargon and technicalities. Ranging from the 12th to the 20th centuries, it covers deeds of all types, from feoffments and quitclaims to bonds and reconveyances, as well as fines, recoveries and court rolls. The full texts of many deeds are included as examples, together with an invaluable glossary.

The first edition (1986) was very well received as a major source of information about an important part of our archival heritage, not previously provided in a full and systematic way. This extensively re-written and enlarged edition is the essential guide, particularly for local and family historians, to the rich harvest of information stored away in old title deeds.