Kelly's Directory of Berkshire 1899 (Digital Download or CD)

Step back into the twilight of the Victorian era with this comprehensive directory of Berkshire. Reproduced as a high-quality digital scan (available as an instant digital download or a physical CD-ROM), this fascinating volume serves as an invaluable snapshot of life in the county just two years before the death of Queen Victoria.

Whether you are tracing your family tree, researching the history of your house, or interested in local social history, this directory provides the details that census records often miss.

Why This Directory is Essential for Your Research

The 1890s is a pivotal decade for genealogists. Bridging the gap between the 1891 Census and the 1901 Census, this directory helps you track family movements and changes in status during a period of rapid industrial and social change. While the 1901 Census tells you who was sleeping in the house, Kelly’s Directory tells you what they did for a living, where their shop was located, and their standing in the community.

Navigation and Searchability

Please note that this directory consists of scuned images of the original book. The text is not embedded, meaning it is not immediately searchable in the traditional sense.

However, don't let this deter you! The directory is structured alphabetically by town and village, making manual navigation incredibly straightforward. Furthermore, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat or browser-based viewers) now perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly. This means you can often use the "Find" function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to search for surnames and place names directly within the viewer, even though the underlying file is an image.

What’s Inside?

This extensive volume is divided into several useful sections:

1. County Information: A detailed overview of Berkshire’s geology, agriculture, and history. It includes listings for the county officials, magistrates, and the clergy.
2. Court Directory (The Private Residents): An alphabetical list of private residents (head of households) for the entire county. This is the "Who's Who" of Victorian Berkshire—gentry, merchants, and professionals.
3. Town & Commercial Directories: Every major town and village—from Abingdon to Windsor—is listed individually. These sections include:
   • Street Directories: A guide to who lived on which street (in larger towns like Reading).
   • Classified Trades: A business directory organized by trade (e.g., Bakers, Blacksmiths, Tailors), perfect for finding out what your ancestors did for a living.
   • Local Institutions: Lists of schools, churches, charities, and public transport timetables.

A Glimpse of Berkshire in 1899

This directory captures a county on the move. In 1899, Berkshire was a mix of bustling industrial towns and quiet rural hamlets.

• Industry: In Reading, the air was filled with the smell of baking from the famous Huntley & Palmers biscuit factory and the brewing of Suttons Seeds. The town was a hub of the "Three Bs" (Biscuits, Baking, and Brewing).
• Sport: Reading Football Club, formed in 1871, was establishing itself as a key part of the town's culture, playing their matches at the Elm Park ground during this era.
• Famous Connections:
  • The Palmers of Reading: You will find members of the influential Palmer family (of biscuit fame) listed among the prominent residents and civic leaders of Reading.
  • Oscar Wilde (Historical Context): While by 1899 Wilde had left England, the shadow of his incarceration at Reading Gaol (1895-1897) was still a very fresh memory in the town, and the Gaol Governor and officials are listed within the directory.
  • The Royal Connection: The section for Windsor details the households connected to the Royal Castle and the extensive staff required to keep the royal household running.

Important Disclaimer

We have endeavored to produce a complete reproduction of the original 1899 publication. However, please be aware that some maps may be missing from the original source material that was used for this scanning. Where maps are present, they are included as high-resolution images.