Kelly's Directory Of Hampshire & The Isle Of Wight 1915

Kelly's Directory of Hampshire & The Isle of Wight 1915 (Digital Download or CD)

Product Description:

Step back into the twilight of the Edwardian era and the dawn of the First World War with this comprehensive republishing of Kelly's Directory of Hampshire & The Isle of Wight 1915. An essential resource for genealogists, local historians, and house researchers, this directory offers a fascinating snapshot of life in the county exactly one hundred years ago.

Format & Navigation This historic directory is available as a high-quality Digital Download or on a CD-ROM. Please note that this is a scan of the original book, provided as searchable images to preserve the authentic look and feel. While the text is not embedded in the traditional sense, the directory is arranged alphabetically by town and by surname, making manual navigation straightforward and intuitive. Furthermore, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) now feature "OCR on the fly," allowing you to search the text for specific surnames or street names directly through your software.

Bridging the Census Gap The 1911 census is a treasure trove, but the subsequent 1921 census is many years away. This 1915 directory is the perfect tool to bridge that ten-year gap. It allows you to track where your ancestors lived, who their neighbors were, and their occupations during the early years of the Great War. You can see if family businesses were still thriving or if young men had left for the front, providing poignant context to your family tree.

What’s Inside? This extensive volume is packed with detailed information, divided into easy-to-use sections:

• Court Directory (Private Residents): An alphabetical list of private residents, allowing you to find the heads of households and the gentry living in the area.
• Commercial & Trades Directory: A comprehensive alphabetical list of businesses and tradesmen. From blacksmiths in the New Forest to shipbuilders in Portsmouth, you can discover exactly what your ancestors did for a living.
• Street Directory: Covering major towns like Southampton and Portsmouth, this section allows you to pinpoint specific houses.
• Topographical & Statistical Information: Detailed descriptions of every town, village, and parish. This includes local history, administrative details, facilities (schools, churches, hospitals), and transport links.

Famous Residents & Historical Connections Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have long been home to the great and the good. While browsing these pages, you are walking in the footsteps of historical figures. The directory encompasses the area around Chawton, where the legendary novelist Jane Austen lived and wrote; her legacy was deeply ingrained in the county even by 1915. The Isle of Wight sections cover areas frequented by Queen Victoria (whose beloved Osborne House was a major attraction) and the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who resided at Farringford.

Local Industry & Interest in 1915

• The Naval Might of Portsmouth: In 1915, Portsmouth was one of the world’s great naval dockyards. This directory captures the city in its prime as a hub of the war effort, filled with naval personnel, engineers, and supporting industries.
• The Isle of Wight as a Health Resort: Even during the war, the island was promoted as a haven for health and fresh air. The directory lists the numerous hotels and boarding houses that catered to Victorian and Edwardian tourists.
• Sport & Leisure: Look out for entries for early football clubs; Portsmouth FC (founded 1898) and Southampton FC (founded 1885) were well-established by this time, and you may find committee members or grounds listed.
• Agriculture & Brewing: Beyond the cities, Hampshire was (and remains) deeply agricultural. The directory is rich with farmers, millers, and the region’s famous breweries, reflecting the rural economy of the time.

Map Disclaimer Please Note: We have made every effort to reproduce this directory in its entirety. However, due to the age and usage of the original source books, some pull-out maps were unfortunately missing or too damaged to include prior to scanning. Should the original maps be present in this specific edition, they are included as a valuable bonus to assist your research.

Unlock the secrets of your Hampshire and Isle of Wight ancestors today with this timeless historical record.