Kelly's Directory Of Islington St Mary's & St Peter's Canonbury 1886-1887

Kelly's Directory of Islington, St Mary's, St Peter's & Canonbury 1886-1887 (Digital Download or CD)

Product Description:

Step back into the late Victorian era with this high-quality reproduction of Kelly's Directory of Islington (St Mary's, St Peter's & Canonbury) 1886-1887. An essential resource for genealogists and local historians, this directory offers a fascinating snapshot of life in one of London’s most vibrant suburbs during the height of the 19th century.

This directory acts as a vital "census substitute," perfectly bridging the gap between the 1881 and 1891 censuses. If your ancestors disappeared from the records or moved house during this decade, this is the tool you need to track them down.

Format & Searchability This product is available as a digital download or on a CD-ROM. The directory consists of scanned images of the original pages, preserving the authentic look and typography of the Victorian era.

While the text is not natively embedded (meaning you cannot simply "Ctrl+F" to jump to a name instantly in older software), the directory is alphabetically arranged, making manual navigation intuitive and straightforward. Furthermore, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) now perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly, allowing you to search the text for surnames and street names directly within the viewer.

Contents of the Directory This comprehensive volume is divided into several useful sections:

• Street Directory: A comprehensive list of streets, house by house, naming the head of the household or business occupant. Invaluable for tracing house histories.
• Commercial Directory: An alphabetical list of trades and professions (e.g., Bakers, Builders, Drapers), allowing you to find the specific businesses your ancestors operated.
• Court Directory (Private Residents): An alphabetical list of private residents, typically the middle and upper classes, clergy, and professionals.
• Official Information: Details of the local council, officials, magistrates, clerics of the parish churches, and public institutions.

Local History & Interesting Facts (1886-1887 Context) This directory captures Islington at a time of rapid transition and industrial growth.

• The Brewing Industry: By 1886, Islington was renowned for its brewing industry. The area was dominated by large breweries such as Taylor Walker and Holloway Brothers, which employed a vast portion of the local male population. You will likely find ancestors working as coopers, draymen, or maltsters within these pages.
• Religion & Philanthropy: The directory lists the numerous churches and chapels in the parishes of St Mary's and St Peter's, reflecting the deeply religious nature of the Victorian working class.
• Sadler's Wells: While the theatre had a turbulent history, by 1886 it was re-establishing itself as a premier venue for drama and entertainment. Look for residents connected to the theatrical arts living nearby.
• Canonbury Tower: The directory covers the Canonbury area, home to the historic Canonbury Tower, which had by this time become a literary landmark associated with writers like Oliver Goldsmith (who lived there in the previous century). In 1886, it was a fashionable residence for the artistic elite.
• Notable Residents: Islington has always been a home to characters. While browsing the private residents, you may encounter figures connected to the Arts and Crafts movement or early social reformers who were drawn to the area.

Map Disclaimer Please Note: Due to the age of the original source material and the binding methods of the time, fold-out maps were often prone to damage or removal by previous owners. While every effort has been made to preserve the entire book, we cannot guarantee that the original map is present in this scan. However, if the map was intact in the source book used for scanning, it is included as a valuable bonus.

System Requirements:

• Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• Requires a PDF reader (Adobe Acrobat or similar).