Besley's Directory Of Exeter & Suburbs 1918

Step back into the final year of the Great War with this digital reproduction of Besley's Directory of Exeter & Suburbs 1918. Whether you are a local historian, a genealogist, or simply curious about Devon’s historic capital, this directory is an absolute goldmine of information.

Because the 1931 census was destroyed in a fire and the 1941 census was never taken due to WWII, directories like this are vital census substitutes. Furthermore, this specific edition bridges the massive 10-year gap between the 1911 and 1921 censuses—capturing the men returning from WWI and the families who kept the home fires burning.

The "Census Dodger" Solution

Just as we see periods of government distrust today, many citizens in 1918 were deeply skeptical of authority following the conscription crisis, the Spanish Flu pandemic, and wartime government overreach. As a result, a significant number of people actively refused to fill out census forms or deliberately provided false information. If your ancestor is missing from the official census records, there is a very high chance they are listed right here in Besley’s, as directory compilers gathered data independently from local ratepayers and tradesmen.

What’s Inside: A Section-by-Section Breakdown

Besley's directories are famously comprehensive. Because the entire directory is laid out alphabetically, locating your ancestors or tracing the history of a specific property is incredibly intuitive. This edition includes:

• Street Directory: An alphabetical listing of the main streets of Exeter, detailing the head of the household or business at almost every address. Perfect for house histories.
• Commercial & Private Residents: An alphabetical surname list of the prominent, middle-class, and tradespeople of the city.
• Trades & Professions: A classified directory (think of it as a 1918 Yellow Pages). Want to know who made the local boots, who was the local blacksmith, or who sold wartime mourning jewelry? It’s all here.
• Official & Civic Information: Details of the City Council, magistrates, local boards, hospitals, charities, and clergy.
• The Suburbs: Comprehensive coverage of the surrounding villages that would eventually be absorbed into the city, including St. Thomas, Heavitree, Alphington, St. Sidwell’s, and Wonford.

Exeter in 1918: A Snapshot in Time

To give you a sense of the world your ancestors inhabited, 1918 Exeter was a bustling, rapidly modernizing city with deep historical roots:

• Industry: Exeter was famed for its glove-making industry, which heavily employed women while the men were at war. It was also home to the massive Exeter City Brewery and the world-renowned ecclesiastical sculpture works of Harry Hems (who had recently passed away in 1916, but whose firm was still operating at full capacity).
• Sports: Exeter City Football Club (formed in 1901) was playing in the Southern League. Just a few years prior (1914), they had famously become the first team to play against a Brazilian national team.
• Music & Culture: The Exeter Philharmonic Society was a major draw, and the city’s music halls provided wartime escapism.
• Notable Figures: While you will find the everyday residents who make up your family tree, you will also encounter the civic leaders of the day, including Mayor Henry Dyke, and the descendants of famous Exeter natives like Sir Thomas Bodley (founder of the Bodleian Library, Oxford) and the prominent local medical professionals battling the Spanish Flu.

Modern Tech Meets 1918 History

This isn't just a static scan. We provide the directory as a standard PDF. While the pages are exact photographic scans of the original book, modern PDF readers (like Adobe Acrobat) perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly.

This means you can use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search for surnames, street names, or trades instantly.

Pro-Tip for Desktop PC Users: If you are using a desktop PC, you can utilize the built-in Google Lens integration found in modern browsers (like Google Chrome). By clicking the Google Lens icon in your PDF viewer, you can:

• Translate: Instantly translate the old English text into modern language or other languages.
• Text-to-Speech: Have your computer read the directory entries out loud to you—perfect for researchers who are visually impaired or simply tired of reading screens!

PLEASE NOTE: MAP DISCLAIMER Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the product title or description, the original fold-out map is MISSING from this edition. Historical directories were frequently separated from their maps by previous owners over the last century. Please purchase with this understanding.

Format Options

Choose the format that best suits your research style:

• Digital Download: Get instant access immediately after checkout. No waiting, no shipping fees. Start searching for your Exeter ancestors in minutes.
• CD-ROM: Prefer a physical backup? We will mail this directory to you on a high-quality data CD, ready to pop into your PC or Mac's disc drive.

Unlock the secrets of your Devon ancestry today. Add Besley's 1918 to your cart and step through the doors of your ancestors' past!