Kelly's Directory Of Worthing & Neighbourhood 1900

Product Description

Step back into the late Victorian era with this essential genealogical resource: Kelly's Directory of Worthing & Neighbourhood 1900.

Whether you are tracing your family tree, researching the history of your house, or simply fascinated by the social history of Edwardian Sussex, this directory offers an unparalleled snapshot of life in Worthing over 120 years ago.

Product Format & Navigation This directory is available as a convenient Digital Download or a CD-ROM. Please note that this product consists of high-resolution scanned images of the original book pages.

While the text is not embedded (meaning it is not searchable in the traditional database sense), the directory is compiled alphabetically, making navigation intuitive and straightforward for researchers. Furthermore, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat or browser-based viewers) now feature "OCR on the fly." This means you can often use the search function in your reader to find names and places, even within these scanned images!

A Solution for Census Gaps Are you struggling to find an ancestor in the 1891 or 1901 census? It is a common frustration. Just as we see government distrust in modern times, many of our Victorian ancestors were equally wary of officialdom. Whether due to privacy concerns, fear of new taxes, or simple mistrust of authority, many residents refused to fill in the census forms, effectively becoming "invisible" to government enumerators.

However, they couldn't hide from the Kelly's compilers! This directory acts as the perfect "census substitute," listing thousands of private residents and tradespeople who may have been missed by the official census count. If your great-grandfather dodged the enumerator, he is likely listed right here.

What's Inside? This comprehensive volume covers the Borough of Worthing and the surrounding villages. It typically includes the following sections:

• Directory History & Topography: A detailed description of the area, its local governance, geography, and amenities in 1900.
• Street Directory: An alphabetical list of streets in Worthing, showing the head of household or business at each address—perfect for house historians.
• Private Residents Directory: An alphabetical list of the prominent private citizens (the "gentry" and professional classes) living in the area.
• Commercial & Trades Directory: An alphabetical list of tradespeople and businesses, from Bakers and Wheelwrights to Hoteliers and Greengrocers.
• Classified Trades Directory: Businesses listed by trade, allowing you to see the commercial landscape of the town.
• Official & Judicial Information: Listings of local council officials, magistrates, clergy, and medical officers.
• Neighbourhood Villages: Inclusion of surrounding areas such as Broadwater, Tarring, Durrington, Goring-by-Sea, and Ferring.

Local Colour: Famous Faces & Facts Worthing in 1900 was a thriving seaside resort transitioning from the Victorian to the Edwardian age. While using this directory, keep an eye out for the context in which your ancestors lived:

• Famous Associations: The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was born at Field Place, just outside Worthing (in Broadwater), and his family's legacy still touched the area. While he lived much earlier, the Shelley family was still prominent in local circles. You may also find references to connections with Oscar Wilde, who famously stayed in Worthing in the 1890s and wrote The Importance of Being Earnest there; the town was still buzzing with the notoriety of his trial just a few years prior.
• Industry & Economy: By 1900, Worthing was known as the "Garden of Sussex." The directory is filled with market gardeners, horticulturalists, and nurserymen supplying London with produce. The town was also a major health resort, so the directory lists many physicians, surgeons, and "hydropathic" establishments catering to the wealthy invalids who visited for the sea air.
• Music & Sport: Music was central to Worthing’s social life; the town boasted a prestigious Pier and numerous theatres and orchestras. For sports enthusiasts, the directory lists cricket grounds (Worthing Cricket Club was well established) and the early days of football in the town (Worthing F.C. was founded in 1886, so by 1900 they were a vital part of the community).

Map Disclaimer Please note: Kelly’s directories were printed in varying editions, and occasionally maps were torn out of original copies before digitization or were never included in this specific print run. While we have preserved every page available, we cannot guarantee that a fold-out map of the town is present within this specific product. However, if the map is included in the source copy, it is a wonderful bonus to help you visualize the streets where your ancestors lived!

Unlock the secrets of Worthing's past today and find the ancestors the census missed!

System Requirements: Compatible with all computers, tablets, and smartphones capable of reading PDF files.