Phippen's Directory Of Maidstone & Environs 1850

Unlock the Secrets of Your Maidstone Ancestors: Phippen's Directory of 1850

Step back in time to the heart of Victorian England. The year is 1850. Queen Victoria is on the throne, Maidstone is a bustling market town on the River Medway, and your ancestors were living their lives within its streets and surrounding villages. Are they waiting to be discovered?

Phippen's Directory is more than just a book; it's a time capsule. It's the key that can unlock the "brick walls" in your research and transform the names on your family tree into real people with homes, trades, and a place in their community. This meticulously detailed directory provides a complete snapshot of Maidstone and its environs in a single, pivotal year—perfect for filling the gaps between the 1841 and 1851 censuses.

Why is this 1850 Directory a Genealogist's Goldmine?

Directories are an essential, yet often overlooked, resource for family history. While census records tell you who was in a house on a specific night, a directory shows you who was a permanent, established part of the community. With Phippen's Directory, you can:

Pinpoint Your Ancestor's Address: Go beyond a simple parish name and find the exact street where your family lived. Walk the streets they walked, even from thousands of miles away.
Discover Their Occupation & Social Standing: Was your great-great-grandfather a maltster, a solicitor, a baker, or a carpenter? Discovering their trade provides invaluable context for their daily lives, income, and social status.
Explore the Commercial Heart of the Town: Browse the classified trades section to see the businesses that formed the backbone of the local economy. You might even find an advertisement for your ancestor's shop!
Identify Neighbours and Relatives: Find out who lived next door or ran the shop down the street. These were the people your ancestors interacted with daily—potential witnesses at weddings, godparents for children, or long-lost relatives.
Connect with the Wider Community: The directory extends beyond the town centre to include the surrounding villages and parishes, such as Aylesford, Chatham, Sittingbourne, and West Malling, helping you trace families who moved between town and country.