Bennett's Business Directory Of Sussex 1898

Step into the Victorian World of Sussex Commerce: Bennett's Business Directory 1898

Unlock the World Your Ancestors Built

Was your great-grandfather a blacksmith in Lewes? Did your family run a grocer's shop in Chichester? Or perhaps they were solicitors in the bustling seaside resort of Brighton? Now you can walk the commercial streets of late-Victorian Sussex alongside them.

Bennett's Business Directory of Sussex 1898 is more than just a list of names; it's a time capsule. It offers a fascinating snapshot of the county at the height of the Victorian era, just before the dawn of a new century. For the genealogist, this is an invaluable resource to move beyond simple names and dates and discover the daily lives, occupations, and community roles of your Sussex ancestors.

What You'll Discover Inside:

Comprehensive Trade Listings: Find your ancestors listed by their profession. From millers and bakers to drapers and bankers, discover the diverse commercial landscape that sustained the county.
Town & Village Commercial Profiles: Go beyond the names. Each major town and village has its own section, detailing the principal tradespeople, shopkeepers, and artisans who formed the backbone of the local economy.

Authentic Victorian Advertisements: Be transported back in time with period advertisements, complete with Victorian typography and salesmanship. These ads often contain precious details about business locations, owners, and the products and services of the day.
Official & Civic Personages: Discover the magistrates, clergy, local officials, and postmasters who held positions of authority and influence in your ancestors' communities.

Invaluable Local Information: Find details on local carriers (essential for understanding travel and trade), post office hours, and other practical information that defined daily life in 1898.
Why This Directory is a Must-Have for Your Genealogy Research:
Flesh Out Your Family Tree: An occupation is a key piece of an ancestor's identity. This directory provides the context to turn a name into a person with a trade, a workplace, and a role in their community.
Break Down Brick Walls: Stuck on an ancestor? Finding their business listing can provide a new location, a business partner's name, or confirm their presence in a specific parish when other records are scarce.

Understand Their Social Environment: Were they a master craftsman or a journeyman? Did they live in a town dominated by a single industry? This directory helps you understand the social and economic world that shaped your family's story.

Locate the Family Business: Discover the actual street address of the family shop or workshop, allowing you to pinpoint their place in the world—sometimes you can even see the building today on Google Maps!

⭐ A Crucial Note on Content ⭐
Please be aware: This is a Business and Commercial Directory. Its primary focus is on trades, professions, merchants, and public officials. It does not contain a comprehensive, street-by-street listing of private residents for every town and village. Its immense value for the genealogist lies in revealing the commercial and civic world your ancestors inhabited and the roles they played within it.