Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire 1913 [Digital Download or CD]

Discover Your Ancestors in the Golden Age of Edwardian England

Step back into 1913—the final year of peace before the Great War changed the world forever. This meticulously digitized version of Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire is an essential resource for anyone tracing family history or researching the social history of the county.

Whether your ancestors were wealthy landowners, skilled tradesmen in Hereford, or humble agricultural laborers in the shadow of the Malvern Hills, this directory provides a fascinating snapshot of their lives, occupations, and communities.

Navigating the 1913 Directory

Please note: This product is a high-quality digital scan of the original book, consisting of images (PDF format). While the text is not embedded, the directory is meticulously organized alphabetically by town and parish, making navigation intuitive. Furthermore, modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat or Edge) often feature "OCR on the fly," allowing you to search the text for surnames and places.

Why This Directory is Essential for Genealogists

Bridging the Census Gap: The 1911 Census is a cornerstone of research, but the next census isn't available until 1921. This 1913 directory is the perfect tool to bridge that 10-year gap. It allows you to confirm where a family was living, who the head of the household was, and their specific trade just as the Edwardian era drew to a close.

What’s Inside? Section by Section

1. County Information: Includes details on the County Council, Magistrates, and the Yeomanry. This section offers a glimpse into the administration and legal machinery of pre-WWI Herefordshire.
2. Court Directory (Private Residents): An alphabetical list of the gentry, clergy, and prominent private residents. If your ancestor owned land or held a professional status, they are likely listed here.
3. Town & Trade Directories: Detailed street-by-street and trade-by-trade listings for major towns such as Hereford, Ledbury, Leominster, Ross-on-Wye, and Bromyard. Find out if your ancestor was a baker, a wheelwright, or a cider merchant.
4. Parish Directories: Comprehensive coverage of every village in the county. Each entry provides a brief history of the parish, lists the clergy, describes local landmarks, and names the farmers and shopkeepers.

A Snapshot of Herefordshire Life in 1913

The Cider Industry By 1913, Herefordshire was firmly established as the cider capital of England. The directory is filled with cider manufacturers, cider merchants, and apple growers. This was the era when traditional methods were transitioning into industrial production, with names like Bulmers (founded just a few years prior in 1887) beginning to make their mark on the national stage.

Music & Culture 1913 was a vibrant year for music in the county. The Three Choirs Festival (the oldest music festival in the world) rotated to Hereford that year. The directory details the Cathedral close and the local tradespeople who would have supported this prestigious event, bringing musicians and visitors from London and beyond.

Famous Sons and Daughters While browsing the pages, you may encounter references to the families of local luminaries:

• John Masefield (1878–1967): The famous poet and Poet Laureate was born in Ledbury in 1878. In 1913, he was 35 and at the height of his early powers; his family connections in the Ledbury area may still be present in the resident listings.
• Ella Mary Leather (1873–1928): A noted folklorist and author living in Weobley during this era. She was actively collecting Herefordshire folk songs and customs around this time, preserving the county's oral history.

Sport and Leisure While Hereford United would not be founded until 1924, 1913 saw a thriving culture of amateur cricket, archery, and shooting clubs across the county. The directory lists the secretaries and grounds of these clubs, showing how the community gathered for leisure.

Important Note Regarding Maps

Original directories often came with pull-out maps that were极易 easily damaged or removed over the last century.

• Disclaimer: Please be aware that the original map may be missing from this scanned edition.
• Bonus: However, if the map is present and intact in the source book used for scanning, it will be included as a high-resolution bonus feature—please consider this a delightful extra if found in your download!

Product Specifications

• Format: PDF (Scanned Images)
• Compatibility: Works on PC, Mac, iPad, and Android devices. Requires a PDF reader.
• Source: Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire 1913
• Delivery: Instant Digital Download or CD-ROM (Select at checkout)

Unlock the secrets of your Herefordshire ancestry today!