Sprange's Directory Of Tunbridge Wells 1816

Step into Regency Tunbridge Wells: Unlock Your Ancestors' World with Sprange's Directory 1816

The Key to Finding Your Family in the Elegant Spa Town Two Centuries Ago.

The year is 1816. The Napoleonic Wars are over, and the elegant Georgian spa town of Tunbridge Wells is in its heyday. The "Year Without a Summer" may have cast a chill over Europe, but for the fashionable society taking the waters on the Pantiles, life continued with refined purpose. Was your ancestor among them? Were they a tradesman supplying the gentry, a physician tending to the infirm, or a visitor hoping to restore their health? Now, you can walk the streets of their world. Sprange's Directory of Tunbridge Wells 1816 is more than just a book; it's a time machine, a primary source snapshot, and an indispensable tool for any family historian with connections to this famous Kent town.

What's Inside This Genealogical Treasure?

This meticulously reproduced digital edition of the original 1816 directory provides a detailed and fascinating look at the town's residents and commerce. Within its pages, you will discover:

A Classified Trades & Professions Index: Need to find a blacksmith, a solicitor, or a milliner? This section groups residents by their occupation, offering incredible insight into the town's commercial landscape and your ancestor's place within it.
Street-by-Street Listings: See who your ancestor's neighbours were! This section helps you build a picture of the immediate community and social environment.
Town Officials, Clergy, and Gentry: A list of the prominent figures who governed, preached, and led society in Tunbridge Wells. Was your family among the local elite?
Coaches, Carriers, and Mail Routes: Discover how people and goods travelled to and from London, Brighton, and other major towns. Essential for understanding migration patterns.
Contemporary Advertisements: A delightful collection of period ads for goods and services, from lodgings and medical remedies to the latest fashions. These add rich colour and context to your ancestor's daily life.

Why This 1816 Directory is a Genealogist's Goldmine:

Pinpoint Your Ancestor: Move beyond a name on a census and place them at a specific address in a specific year, decades before the first national census.
Break Down Brick Walls: Stuck on a common surname like "Smith" or "Baker"? The combination of name, occupation, and location can help you distinguish your ancestor from others.
Discover Their Social Standing: An ancestor listed as a "Gentleman" on Mount Sion had a very different life from a "Lodging House Keeper" on the Calverley Parade.
Build a Richer Narrative: Go beyond names and dates. Use the directory to add authentic details to your family story. Where did they shop? Who was the local doctor? Which inn did the stagecoach stop at?
Understand Their Community: See the network of people who formed your ancestor's world—the grocer next door, the church down the street, the factory owner who employed them.
Who Will Find This Directory Essential?
Family Historians with roots in Tunbridge Wells or the surrounding Kent villages.
Local Historians researching the development of the town during the Regency period.
House Historians tracing the past occupants of a specific property.
Writers and Researchers seeking authentic details for novels, articles, or academic projects set in the early 19th century.