Snare's Post Office Directory of Reading & Neighbourhood 1842-1843 (Digital Download or CD)

Product Description

Step back into the early Victorian era with this fascinating republication of Snare's Post Office Directory of Reading & Neighbourhood 1842-1843. An essential resource for genealogists and local historians, this directory captures the town of Reading at a pivotal moment in its history, just as the railway revolution was beginning to reshape the landscape.

Bridge the Gap Between the Censuses If you are tracing ancestors in Berkshire, you know the frustration of the "Ten Year Gap." This directory is the perfect tool to bridge the void between the 1841 and 1851 censuses. Whether your ancestors were prominent tradesmen, local merchants, or private residents, this book allows you to pinpoint them in a specific year, potentially revealing a move or a change in profession that the census records miss.

Navigating the Directory

Please note that this directory is a digitised scan of the original 19th-century book, consisting of high-resolution images. While the text is not embedded or "searchable" in the traditional sense (you cannot CTRL+F to find a name instantly), the directory is laid out in a strict alphabetical order. This makes navigation straightforward and intuitive for manual browsing.

Furthermore, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) now perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly when viewing image-based PDFs. This means that depending on your software and the clarity of the original type, you may be able to use the search function within your PDF reader, though results can vary.

What's Inside the Directory

This comprehensive volume is split into distinct sections, offering a full picture of life in 1840s Reading:

• Street Directory: A guide to the main thoroughfares and who lived where.
• Commercial & Trades Directory: An alphabetical list of trades and professions (from Bakers to Wheelwrights), invaluable for understanding family businesses.
• Private Residents Directory: An alphabetical list of the gentry, clergy, and prominent citizens living in the town at the time.
• Neighbourhood & Villages: Detailed listings for surrounding areas including Caversham, Tilehurst, Sonning, and Earley.
• Advertisements: wonderful period advertisements for local businesses, providing context and flavour to your research.

Famous People & Local History

Reading in 1842 was a town of industry and innovation. This directory features the precursors to the giants that would make the town famous worldwide. While looking through the pages, you may encounter:

• The Biscuit Kings: Early entries related to Huntley & Palmers. By 1842, the business had been established by Joseph Huntley and his cousin George Palmer (who had recently joined). This directory captures the very early days of what would become the largest biscuit factory in the world.
• The Brewers: Reading was also famed for beer. You will find listings for the Simonds Brewery (founded by William Blackall Simonds), which was a major employer in the town long before the days of modern football stadiums.
• Football Connection: While Reading Football Club would not be founded until 1871, this directory showcases the sporting and social clubs of the era that eventually led to the formation of the team. It captures a town heavily involved in industry and social gatherings, the foundation upon which the Royals were later built.

Interesting Facts About Reading in 1842

• The Railway Boom: The Great Western Railway had only reached Reading in 1840. This directory captures the town immediately following this massive transport revolution, likely showing new businesses popping up to serve railway travellers.
• The "Three Bs": Reading would later be famous for the "Three Bs" (Bulbs, Biscuits, and Brewing). In 1842, the Biscuit and Brewing industries were already well-established and dominating the local economy, as evidenced by the sheer volume of related trades in this directory.

Important Disclaimer

Please be aware that during the scanning process of this rare historical artifact, it was noted that some maps included in the original publication were missing or damaged. Every effort has been made to include all available text and listings, but the cartographic (map) section may be incomplete.

Formats Available:

• Digital Download: High-quality PDF files, available immediately after purchase.
• CD-ROM: A physical disc posted to you, perfect for archiving or gifting.