Street Numbers

[JohnN]

I'd always taken it for granted that street numbers alternated, with odd numbers down one side of the street with the even numbers on the opposite side. However, I've just watched a Time Team episode where they excavated a number of houses in Shoreditch which were bombed during the Blitz and their numbers seemed to run the other way: 17 and 18 were side by side rather than opposite each other. The houses were originally built in the early 1800s.

Has anybody else noticed that?

John
.._
(Now into his 70s and still learning something new every day.)

[Jan1954]

Hello John,

A previous house in which I lived in St Albans, the houses ran from 1 to 19 up one side of the road and then from 20 to 28 down the other. The smaller number on the other side of the road was because the houses were interrupted by roads going off. These houses were built in the 1920s. Just to confuse matters, where we lived at number 18, there used to be a cul-de-sac - until they opened it up and continued the road with half a dozen bungalows, which were built in the 1950s.

So, our side of the road went 1-19 and then 29-35. Confused new Posties no end!

[Peter Goodey]

Have a look at the Wikipedia article "House Numbering". It covers the points raised and has some interesting information about house numbering outside the UK (did you know there are only six house numbering series in the entire city of Venice?)

[mikejee]

If I could add to what the Wikipedia article says. Although house numbering began in the late 18th century, initially it did not necessarily go by street. Often there would be a series of groups of houses called (say) George terrace, Harvey cottages, Newtown place, or some such. When compilations of these begin to be made, initially they were listed as (say) 1, Harvey cottage, 2Harvey cottage..., then perhaps a street number 1,2,3..., then perhaps 1,George terrace... Sometimes the last part was left out, and so there could be several no1s in the street. This was mostly sorted out in the last part of the 19th century, when uniform street numbers were introduced, and many streets at the same time went from consecutive to odd one side, even the other. In Birmingham this was largely in the period 1882-1884, but varies according to place.
Even when uniform numbering was first introduced it was not always used. There are many cases where the census gives a number to a house (NOT the enumerators no), but directories still just list a number of occupants with either no numbers, or only a few lower numbers.

[David Benson]

As a child I lived in a road with consecutive numbers. It was the only one in the area as all around they were numbered odds one side and evens the other. With the odd/even system, should the road be extended then the numbers just carry on but in my old road it went 1-30 and 32-52 up the other side. Number 31 was missing although there was room - masses of it - as it was about 250 allotments.
It was built around 1910.

[Mutley]

Living in London as a child our street had consecutive numbering because opposite were blocks of buildings.
Each building had a name and the apartments on each 'landing' were consecutively numbered.

Have a look at the Wikipedia article "House Numbering". It covers the points raised and has some interesting information about house numbering outside the UK (did you know there are only six house numbering series in the entire city of Venice?)

Only the large towns here in Portugal have an official numbering system.

But this week, our little village has acquired house numbers. We are one of the first to achieve it, thanks to a German resident that organised it all.
The locals and the GNR have got together and started to try and number houses as part of a safety programme. Rough maps have been drawn up with houses given consecutive numbers (or in fact any number really!!). No one has yet thought about the building of new houses or where there is a ruin. to give it a number.

The idea is that should help be required, at the moment it is just the police but hopefully will extend to the fire service and ambulances, we just have to give the name of the village and our number. The police have a copy of the little (hand drawn) map and a notebook with our names and the latitude and longitude written in it. One day, it may be computerised.

We each have a rectangular piece of thick plastic type material about 25cms x 15cms in bright yellow with our number in black. We had to pay for them to be made up. Each track has a bigger piece with the numbers along that track and an arrow pointing the way.
It is the talk of the village, we are all so excited! "Have you got your number up? so and so hasn't done theirs yet" mumble mumble.

Apparently, several old Portuguese refused to join the scheme because they had to pay for the signs and their houses have not been given a number. They say they have lived in the village all their lives and have not needed a number before so why should they now?

I might add that the village is a large mountain and the tracks that run around it are spread far and wide.
I had a parcel delivered to my door this week, the first time ever that a delivery has found us. :jumphappy:

[Ladkyis]

I live on a road where the numbering is odds and evens, but it was renumbered sometime between 1910 and 1920, I haven't looked at the street directories to find exactly when - yet. However, the three streets that lead from our road are numbered consecutively and I should think they always will be now.
There is another road in our fair city where the numbering was changed sometime after 1910. I know this because My Great grandmother had a shop there and her number was 44 but the same building is now numbered 49. because the buildings are continuous blocks with residential above shops I can only think that new building on a different part of the road caused the whole thing to be renumbered.
Oh heck, now I am going to have to try and find out why. I knew I should have stepped away from this thread

[flowerpotmum]

I had the same thing with my in laws house in Acomb, York. The family and their great grandparents lived side by side in No 51 and 53, but I found them on the 1911 census at number 15 and 16. I assumed that the family had bought two other houses in the street, until I spoke to a new found cousin of the family, that the two houses were once 15 and 16. They were renumbered sometime between 1911 and 1945, but York council were unable to give me the date this happened. Some other streets in York where family members lived, have not been renumbered, and still run up one side and down the other.
Anne

[mfwebb]

House numbers are a godsend to anyone looking for a house, whether to deliver something or for genealogists looking up the past. The only thing to know is HOW they are numbered -- odds on one side and evens on the other or consecutively. Then you need to know where the "break" is.

My understanding is that houses were originally numbered consecutively from the mid 1700's, UP one side and DOWN the other; but this caused a problem when streets were extended and so many streets were renumbered, with ODD on one side and EVEN on the other. This made street extension much easier as numbers could just then follow on from where they left off.

I have the privilege of living in the city where house numbering (allegedly) began -- LINCOLN. The houses in Minster Yard adjacent to the Cathedral are known as the Number Houses because they are said to be the first houses in England to receive numbers although I have been unable to find any definitive source which confirms that. They were certainly the first houses in Lincoln to receive numbers.

I have the misfortune to live in a Lane where there are no house numbers, just names. Having had a bad experience of delivering something many years ago to a house in a cul-de-sac where there were no numbers, only names, I decided to place my house name prominently on a marker at the roadside where it could clearly be seen. All the houses in my Lane are set back from the road and mine is the only house name which can be seen from the roadside. I get lots of delivery men ringing the bell to ask where "so-and-so" is. I have a plan on the wall in my front porch showing the location of all the houses relative to mine -- because I can't remember all the house names.

All the best and a happy New Year,
Malcolm Webb
Lincoln UK

[radstockjeff]

In the Wiltshire village of Holt, near Trowbridge numbering starts on the left hand side (North) at 1 and goes consecutively to the end and then back again on the South side.. I had an Aunt who lived at 277 The Gravel, a terrace of about 4 cottages. Most confusing if you didn't know the arrangement. Some of the newer estates have their own more traditional numbering systems.i.e. odds one side , evens the other.

radstockjeff