Middlesex Deeds Registry

By an Act of Parliament of 1708 a registry was established for the registration of all deeds, conveyances, wills, encumbrances and so on affecting freehold land and land held by a lease for over 21 years within in the ancient County of Middlesex. The City of London was not included.

In 1862 a national land registry was established on a voluntary basis. Any land registered there was exempt from registration in the local registry. Only a few Middlesex registrations took place there (approximately 200 - 300 titles).

The Local Government Act of 1888 transferred parts of Middlesex into the new County of London. Those areas which became part of London included Hammersmith, Chelsea, Kensington, Paddington, Fulham, Saint Marylebone, Saint Pancras, Westminster, Islington, Hackney, Bow, Bromley, Poplar, Mile End, Bethnal Green and Shoreditch. In 1899 compulsory registration in the national Land Registry was introduced in those parts of the new County of London which were formerly in Middlesex. This considerably reduced the number of registrations made in the Middlesex registry but some deeds, mainly mortgages and leases for little more than 21 years, for land in that part of the County of London continued to be registered there.

In the remaining part of Middlesex, including Twickenham, Sunbury-on-Thames, Staines, Feltham, Heston, Isleworth, Brentford, Chiswick, Yiewsley, West Drayton, Hayes, Harlington, Southall, Acton, Ealing, Uxbridge, Ruislip, Northwood, Harrow, Wembley, Willesden, Hendon, Finchley, Hornsey, Wood Green, Tottenham, Edmonton, Southgate, Friern Barnet, Enfield and Potters Bar, registration at the local registry continued normally until 1 January 1937 when registration of all Middlesex land transactions at the national Land Registry was made compulsory. The last deed was registered in the Middlesex registry on 31 December 1938.