Pike's Dover Blue Book & Local Directory 1890

Product Description

Step back into the bustling Victorian era of 1890 with the Pike’s Dover Blue Book & Local Directory.

This essential genealogical resource bridges the gap in the UK census records. While the 1891 census is the next official snapshot after 1881, this directory provides a crucial "in-between" look at the residents and businesses of Dover during a pivotal time of expansion and maritime activity.

Format & Navigation: Available as a high-quality Digital Download or on CD, this directory is a facsimile of the original book, presented as scanned images. While the text is not digitally indexed, the directory’s original alphabetical arrangement makes it incredibly easy to navigate. Whether you are looking for a specific surname or a trade, you can quickly flip to the relevant section. Furthermore, modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat or browser-based viewers) often perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly, allowing you to use the "Find" function to search for surnames and keywords within the images.

What’s Inside: This comprehensive Blue Book is divided into detailed sections to help you paint a full picture of your ancestor’s life:

• Street Directory: An invaluable tool for house historians, listing house numbers and occupants street-by-street.
• Commercial & Trades Directory: Find out what your ancestors did for a living. From tailors and bakers to shipwrights and innkeepers.
• Private Residents Directory: An alphabetical list of the prominent private citizens and heads of households in Dover.
• Official Directory: Listings for local government officials, the Corporation, magistrates, and public institutions.
• Advertisements: Fascinating period ads for local businesses, offering a glimpse into the goods and services available to Victorian consumers.

Census Context: This directory is the perfect substitute for the missing years. If you have tracked an ancestor in the 1881 census but lost them by 1891, this directory helps you confirm if they were still residing in Dover in 1890. It helps distinguish between families who moved away and those who were simply missed by the census enumerators.

Local History & Interesting Facts (1890): Dover in 1890 was a town defined by its status as the "Gateway to England."

• The Harbour & Industry: This was a period of intense activity regarding the Harbour of Refuge. The massive expansion of the Admiralty Pier was a dominant topic of conversation and employment, shaping the town's economy.
• Sports: Dover Football Club, founded just a few years prior in 1883, was establishing itself as a key part of the local community's social life.
• Famous Connections: While Charles Dickens had passed away in 1870, his legacy loomed large over Dover, a setting featured in David Copperfield. In 1890, the town was home to various military brass at the Dover Garrison and influential shipowners connected to the cross-channel packet trade.
• The Grand Shaft: The unique triple spiral staircase, built for troop movement between the town and the Western Heights, was a marvel of Victorian engineering still in active use.

Map Disclaimer: Please note: Due to the age of the original publication and the removal of plates for binding in past centuries, fold-out maps were often separated from the main text. While we have made every effort to include any maps available in the source material, we cannot guarantee a map is present in this specific scan. If a map is included, please consider it a special bonus!

Reconnect with your Dover roots and discover the stories hidden in the pages of 1890.