Osborne's Directory & Stranger's Guide For Hastings & St Leonards 1854

Unlock the Gaslit Streets of Victorian Hastings: Osborne's Directory & Stranger's Guide, 1854

Imagine the year is 1854. The air in Hastings and St Leonards is thick with the scent of salt and coal smoke. Horse-drawn carriages clatter along the newly laid roads, and the grand hotels of St Leonards are welcoming their fashionable guests. This is the world captured in exquisite detail within the pages of Osborne's Directory & Stranger's Guide.

This is not merely a book; it is a portal to the past. An indispensable resource for the serious researcher and a captivating treasure for the curious mind, this volume allows you to walk the streets of Victorian Hastings and meet its people.

A Treasure Trove of Information Awaits:

The Street Directory: Trace the footsteps of your ancestors. Find out who lived in each house, from the humble fisherman's cottage to the elegant terraces of the new town.
The Commercial Directory: Discover the vibrant heart of the town's economy. Who was the local draper? Where could you find a farrier, a chemist, or a watchmaker? This is the story of the trades and professions that built the community.
The Court Directory: Meet the influential figures who shaped the region—the landowners, magistrates, doctors, and clergy who formed the backbone of Victorian society.
The Stranger's Guide: See the town through a visitor's eyes. With descriptions of principal sights, including the Castle and the newly fashionable St Leonards, along with coach timetables and postal information, it was the essential travel companion of its day.
Authentic Victorian Advertisements: Delight in the charming and often curious advertisements for patent medicines, "fashionable" apparel, and local services, each one a perfect miniature of the era's culture and commerce.
For the Genealogist, the Historian, the Collector:

Whether you are tracing your family tree, researching local history, or simply yearning for a tangible connection to the past, this directory is an invaluable asset. It provides the context that bare records cannot, painting a rich, living picture of a community in a time of dramatic change.

Don't just read about history—hold it in your hands. Add this remarkable piece of Hastings' heritage to your library and unlock its secrets.