Dutton, Allen & Co's Directory and Gazetteer of Oxfordshire, Berkshire & Buckinghamshire 1863 (Digital Download or CD)

Step back in time and explore the history of the Home Counties in the mid-Victorian era.

This fascinating volume, originally published by Dutton, Allen & Co. in 1863, offers a comprehensive snapshot of life in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire. Whether you are tracing your family tree, researching local history, or exploring the Victorian social landscape, this directory is an invaluable resource for bridging the gap between the 1861 and 1871 censuses.

Important Note on Format & Navigation

This directory is a high-quality digital reproduction of the original scanned book. The text within the PDF is not searchable in the traditional sense, as the pages consist of scanned images. However, the directory has been meticulously structured with an alphabetical index for both places and trades, making navigation straightforward and intuitive.

Tip: While the file itself is an image scan, many modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly, allowing you to use the "Find" tool to locate surnames or street names depending on your reader's capabilities.

What’s Inside the Directory?

This extensive Gazetteer is divided into clear sections to help you pinpoint exactly who lived where and what services were available at the time.

1. County Histories & Topographies: Detailed descriptions of the geography, geology, and history of the three counties, including ancient monuments and significant landmarks.
2. Court Directory (Private Residents): An alphabetical listing of the gentry, clergy, and notable private residents. This is the gold standard for tracing ancestors who held a certain social standing.
3. Commercial Directory: A classified trade directory covering every town and village. Find your ancestors listed by their profession—whether they were bakers, blacksmiths, drapers, or innkeepers.
4. Town & Village Parishes: Street-by-street or hamlet-by-hamlet breakdowns of the major population centers and rural villages.

Bridging the Census Gaps

Census records are vital, but they only capture a single day every ten years. The 1861 Census tells you where your family was that night, and the 1871 Census tells you where they were ten years later. But what happened in the interim?

• Did a family move between 1861 and 1869?
• Did a father change professions?
• Did a child leave home to become an apprentice?

This directory fills that "decade gap," helping you confirm residency and occupations in the year 1863.

Famous Residents & Historical Context of 1863

The year 1863 was pivotal. It was the year the London Underground opened, the Football Association was formed, and the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) married Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Within the pages of this directory, you may find names associated with the region's most famous figures:

• Benjamin Disraeli: The renowned statesman and future Prime Minister was the MP for Buckinghamshire during this period and resided at Hughenden Manor.
• Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson): While living in Oxford (Christ Church), the year 1863 was significant as he was in the midst of telling the stories that would become Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
• The Royal Family: With Windsor Castle firmly situated in Berkshire, the directory lists the extensive household staff, tradesmen, and officials who supported the monarchy in the town.

Local Industrial Facts & Interesting Snippets

This directory highlights the industrial diversity of the region in the 19th century:

• The Furniture Industry (High Wycombe, Bucks): By 1863, High Wycombe was already the center of the world for chair making ("The Furniture Town"). The directory is filled with turners, bodgers, and chair manufacturers.
• The Iron Trade (Berkshire/Oxford borders): The remnants of the early industrial revolution were still visible, with foundries and engineers listed in towns like Wantage and Abingdon.
• The Birth of Modern Football: 1863 is the year the Football Association was founded in London. While formal league clubs didn't exist yet in these counties, you will find references to "Football Clubs" or "Archer" groups in the towns, and the public schools (such as Eton and Rugby, though just outside or on borders) were actively standardizing the rules mentioned in local press reports of the time.
• Agriculture: Despite growing industry, the majority of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire remained deeply agricultural. You will find a high density of millers, farmers, and agricultural implementers.

Disclaimer Regarding Maps

While this directory originally contained maps to assist travelers, please be aware that the original maps used for this scan were either missing, damaged, or too fragile to reproduce. This digital download/CD contains the textual pages, the gazetteer entries, and the directory listings only.

System Requirements

• Compatible with PC, Mac, and Linux.
• Requires a PDF reader (Adobe Reader or similar).
• Files can be read from the CD or transferred to your device after download.

Unlock the secrets of your ancestors’ lives in 1863 today!