The Post Office Directory of Buckinghamshire 1864 - Digital Download & CD Edition

Step back into the mid-Victorian era and uncover the lives of your Buckinghamshire ancestors.

This comprehensive digital reproduction of the Post Office Directory of Buckinghamshire 1864 is an essential resource for genealogists, local historians, and anyone researching the history of the county. Bridging the gap between the 1861 and 1871 census records, this directory offers a fascinating snapshot of life in Buckinghamshire during the height of the Industrial Revolution.

Navigating the Directory

Please note that this directory is a high-quality scan of the original 19th-century publication. The text consists of scanned images and is not an embedded searchable text database. However, due to the structured, alphabetical nature of the directory, locating specific surnames, trades, or streets is intuitive and straightforward.

• Top Tip: Most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly. By simply using the "Find" function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) on your device, you can often search the digitized text of the images instantly.

What’s Inside?

This directory is meticulously organized to provide a complete picture of the county. It contains:

• Court Directory: Lists of the gentry, clergy, and nobility residing in the county, offering insight into the ruling class of 1864.
• Town & Commercial Directories: Detailed street-by-street and trade-by-trade listings for major towns including Aylesbury, Buckingham, High Wycombe, and Chesham.
• Private Residents: An alphabetical list of private households, perfect for tracing family movements between census years.
• Trades & Professions: From blacksmiths to boot makers, find out what your ancestors did for a living and who their neighbors were.
• Travel Information: Distances from London, coaching times, and postal routes.

Bridging the Census Gap

The decade between the 1861 and 1871 censuses is a "black hole" for many researchers. Families moved, children were born, and jobs changed. This 1864 directory serves as a perfect mid-point census substitute, allowing you to confirm that a family was still in a specific village or track a head of the household’s occupation before the next national survey.

Historical Context & Famous Residents

Buckinghamshire in 1864 was a mix of industrial innovation and rural tradition. As you browse these pages, you may encounter notable figures of the era:

• Benjamin Disraeli: The future Prime Minister was a prominent resident at Hughenden Manor during this period.
• The Rothschild Family: The banking dynasty had a significant presence in the county, particularly at Mentmore Towers.
• Industry: This was the peak era for the Lace Making industry in Olney and Newport Pagnell, as well as the Chair Manufacturing boom in High Wycombe (often called the "Furniture Capital of England").

A Note on Maps

We have endeavored to provide a complete reproduction of the original book. However, please be aware that in some original editions, certain county or town maps were bound loosely and subsequently lost over the last 160 years. As such, a small number of maps may be missing from this digital/CD collection.

Formats Available

• Digital Download: Instant access after purchase. No waiting for shipping.
• CD-ROM: A physical disc sent via post, ideal for those who prefer a tangible backup or offline archiving.

Unlock the secrets of Buckinghamshire’s past today!