Rate books

  1. Rate books are yearly records of the occupiers and owners of properties, it includes the amount of rate paid. They can be useful for filling in gaps between census years.

  2. What's available

    Rate books for Manchester from 1706 to 1941 are on findmypast

    You can search for names in this index but not for addresses. To browse by street address, use the image browse function. Free access to the Manchester rate books on findmypast is available in any Manchester library.

    Please note that rate books for some years haven't survived. 1819, 1821, 1824 and 1830 are known to be missing and 1823 and 1829 are incomplete. Rate books between 1901 and 1941 have been kept and indexed for every fifth year only. To see what has survived, please use our rate book catalogue for the suburban townships and for Manchester township itself. To check what has been digitised, use the image browse function.

    If you wish to check a particular name or address in a rate book between 1942 and the 1950s, please book an appointment to view these rate books at Central Library with two weeks notice.

  3. How to access

    Free access to findmypast is available from any of our libraries; ask a member of staff to log you on.

    You can view copies of rate books on the ground floor of our Central Library (cabinets 30-31), no appointment needed.

    For those held offsite, you will need to book an appointment with two weeks notice.

  4. Related information

    We also hold Land Tax Valuation Registers for 1910.

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