Parliament established a nationwide Land Registry in London in 1862 for the registration of all titles to freehold and leasehold land in England and Wales. Registration was completely voluntary and consequently the uptake was, to say the least, poor.
The Act, officially entitled ‘An Act to Facilitate the Proof of Title to, and the Conveyance of, Real Estates’, was passed on 29 July 1862. The first property to become registered was Crane Hall and Chantry near Ipswich, which was owned by
