Kelly's Directory Of Cambridgeshire 1916

Kelly's Directory of Cambridgeshire 1916 - Digital Download or CD-ROM

Product Description:

Step back into the heart of the Great War with this comprehensive repertory of Cambridgeshire from 1916. An essential resource for genealogists and local historians, this directory bridges the critical gap between the 1911 and 1921 censuses, offering a unique snapshot of life in the county during the First World War.

High-Quality Digital Reproduction This product is available as a convenient digital download (PDF format) or on a physical CD-ROM. Please note that this directory consists of high-resolution scanned images of the original pages. While the text is not embedded, the directory is structured alphabetically by town and by surname within the Court (Private Resident) and Trades sections, making manual navigation surprisingly intuitive.

Furthermore, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat and browser-based viewers) now feature "OCR on the fly." This means you can often use the search function (Ctrl+F) to find names, although results may vary depending on the clarity of the original print.

Historical Context: Filling the Census Gaps With the 1911 Census now a distant memory and the 1921 Census still five years away, 1916 is a difficult year for researchers. Many men were away fighting in the trenches, and this directory highlights those changes. It captures the "home front"—the women running businesses, the trades essential to the war effort, and the daily life of those left behind in the Fens and the university city.

Famous Residents & Connections Cambridgeshire in 1916 was a mix of ancient academia and evolving industry. While browsing these pages, you may encounter contemporaries of famous figures associated with the county:

• Sir Henry Royce: The co-founder of Rolls-Royce was a prominent figure in the county, residing and running his experimental engineering works in West Wratting and later Peterborough during this era.
• The University Elite: The directory lists the Fellows and Dons of Cambridge University. In 1916, this included figures like the philosopher G.E. Moore and the economist John Maynard Keynes, who was then working for the Treasury but maintained strong ties to the university (King's College).
• War Poets: While Rupert Brooke had died in 1915, his shadow loomed large over Grantchester and Cambridge, with many of his social circle still listed as residents in the area.

Local Life: Industry, Sport, and Landscape

• Agriculture & The Fens: The directory provides extensive details on the agricultural dominance of the region, highlighting the growth of fruit farming and the crucial sugar beet industry which was vital for food production during the war.
• Sporting History: 1916 sees the city of Cambridge without official league football due to the war suspension, but the directory lists the grounds and officials of Cambridge Town FC (later United) and the famous Cambridge University Boat Club. Rowing remained a key part of local identity, even during wartime.
• The Growing Towns: Detailed descriptions of the expansion of towns like Wisbech (famous for its brewing and malting) and Chatteris provide insight into the industrial shift from purely rural to semi-urban living.

What's Inside: The Directory Breakdown This volume is packed with useful information for the researcher:

1. County Information: A detailed history of Cambridgeshire, topographical descriptions of its hundreds, the geology of the Fens, and administrative statistics.
2. Court Directory (Private Residents): An alphabetical list of private residents (heads of households) throughout the county. Note: This section typically excluded the very poor and soldiers serving overseas.
3. Trades Directory: A comprehensive classified list of businesses and professionals. Find your ancestors who were Blacksmiths, Grocers, Drapers, or Farmers.
4. Street Directories: Detailed street listings for major towns like Cambridge, Ely, and Wisbech, helping you pinpoint exactly where your ancestors lived.
5. Institutions & Officials: Listings of the County Council, Magistrates, Clergy, and Medical Officers.

Important Disclaimer: Please be aware that, as with many archival directories of this age, the original publisher occasionally omitted map pages from specific editions or they were removed in subsequent bindings. While this directory contains a wealth of town and village maps, we cannot guarantee that a specific county map is present in this particular scan.

Format:

• Scanned Images: Facsimile of the original 1916 book.
• Searchable: Yes, via modern PDF OCR software (accuracy varies).
• Navigable: Alphabetically arranged sections.