Trewman's Exeter Journal & Almanack 1851

Hitting a brick wall in your Devon family history? The year 1851 should be a golden year for genealogists, but what happens when your ancestors are missing from the official census returns?

Enter the Trewman's Exeter Journal & Almanack 1851 Census Companion. Published to coincide with the 1851 census, this invaluable contemporary directory is the ultimate "census substitute." Whether you are dealing with missing census pages, illegible enumerator handwriting, or ancestors who simply refused to participate, this directory provides a crucial snapshot of the residents, trades, and institutions of Victorian Exeter.

The 1851 Census "Gap" & The Distrustful Ancestor

While the 1851 census is generally considered complete, local gaps, water-damaged pages, and missing enumeration districts do exist for Exeter and its surrounding parishes. Furthermore, just as we see skepticism toward government data collection today, 1851 was no different. Fueled by post-Chartist mistrust and rumors that the census was a ploy for new taxes or military conscription, a notable number of Exeter residents actively refused to fill in their forms or deliberately hid from enumerators. If your great-great-grandfather isn't on the census, there is a very high chance he is listed right here in Trewman's Almanack instead.

What’s Inside? (Directory Sections)

Because this directory is arranged alphabetically, navigating your family tree is incredibly intuitive—no need to scroll through hundreds of unrelated households to find your ancestor. The publication includes:

• Alphabetical Directory of Private Residents: The core of the companion. Find the exact street address of your ancestors, from wealthy merchants to clerks.
• Commercial & Trades Directory: Discover what your ancestors did for a living. Find blacksmiths, bakers, glovers, and tailors listed under their specific trades.
• Street Directory: Perfect for tracing the exact neighborhood your family lived in, showing who their neighbors were.
• Official & Civic Directory: A who’s-who of Exeter’s governance, including council members, magistrates, and clerks.
• Ecclesiastical & Educational Establishments: Listings of local churches, chapels, clergy, and schools your ancestors may have attended.
• Country Seats & Gentry: Details on the prominent landowning families surrounding the city limits.

Victorian Exeter: Famous Faces & Fascinating Facts

Using this directory places your ancestors right in the heart of a thriving, industrializing city. In 1851, Exeter was undergoing massive changes. Here is some local context from that exact era:

• Industrial Boom: Exeter was famed for its wool and cloth industry. By 1851, the city was transitioning, with the Exeter Flying Post and Trewman's Journal dominating the printing trade. The city was also a major hub for brewing, iron founding, and, most famously, glove-making—an industry that employed thousands of local women.
• The Railway Arrives: Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Bristol and Exeter Railway had reached the city by 1844. By 1851, Exeter St Davids was a bustling terminus, drastically changing the city's demographics and trade.
• Sports & Leisure: While Exeter City FC wouldn't be founded until 1901, Exeter Cricket Club was highly active in 1851, playing at the Lower Grounds (now Buller Park).
• Music & Culture: The Exeter Philharmonic Society was in its prime, drawing massive crowds to concert halls in the city center.
• Famous Local Figure: Keep an eye out for John Dinham (born in Exeter in 1794). By 1851, this legendary local philanthropist was running his hugely successful grocery business on Fore Street, using his wealth to fund soup kitchens and schools that your ancestors may have relied on.

Cutting-Edge Technology Meets 19th-Century History

This product consists of scanned images of the original 1851 publication, preserving the authentic vintage look, typefaces, and historical advertisements.

However, you aren't stuck reading 170-year-old handwriting! When you open this PDF in a modern PDF reader (like Adobe Acrobat or Edge), the software performs OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly. This means you can press Ctrl+F and instantly search for surnames, street names, or trades.

Additionally, using built-in tools like Google Lens on your desktop PC, you can:

• Translate: Highlight text and instantly translate Victorian English phrases or foreign names into modern language.
• Text-to-Speech (TTS): Have your computer read the directory entries out loud to you—Please note: This TTS feature is currently only supported on desktop PCs, not mobile devices.

Formats Available

Choose the format that best suits your research style:

• Digital Download: Instant access. Download your files immediately after checkout and start researching within minutes. No waiting, no shipping fees.
• CD-ROM: Prefer a physical backup? Receive a professionally printed CD shipped directly to your door, perfect for offline research or archiving on your genealogy bookshelf.

Important Disclaimer

Please note: Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the product listing or title, the original fold-out map typically included in the rear of these almanacks is MISSING. Historical directories of this age frequently had their maps removed by previous owners for framing or separate use. The textual content of the directory remains entirely complete and intact.

Unlock the secrets of your Exeter ancestors today—add the 1851 Trewman's Exeter Journal & Almanack to your cart and break down those brick walls!