Kelly's Directory of Barnes, Mortlake & Sheen 1931

The Essential 1931 Census Substitute

Format: Digital Download (PDF) or CD-ROM Type: Scanned Images (Facsimiles of Original Pages)

Unlock the history of your ancestors with this complete facsimile reproduction of Kelly's Directory for Barnes, Mortlake, and Sheen from 1931. This invaluable resource serves as a critical "Census Substitute," filling the gap left by the destruction of the 1931 Census records during WWII. If you are tracing family history in South West London during this era, this directory is quite simply the best available snapshot of who lived where and what they did for a living.

Why This Directory is Essential for Genealogists

Because the 1931 Census was lost to fire, trade directories like this one have become the primary method for building a picture of family life in the inter-war years. This directory allows you to place your relatives in a specific house, on a specific street, alongside their neighbors and occupation.

Format & Navigation

Please note that this product consists of high-resolution scanned images of the original book. It is not an indexed, text-searchable database in the traditional sense. However, due to the alphabetical arrangement of the sections, navigation is straightforward and intuitive.

• Easy Navigation: The Private Residents and Commercial sections are arranged alphabetically by surname, making it quick to find specific individuals.
• Modern Tech Tip: While the file itself is an image scan, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) feature "Run OCR" or "Recognize Text" functionality. This allows you to digitally search the text on the fly using your own software, combining the authenticity of the original page with modern convenience.

Contents of the Directory

This comprehensive volume is divided into several detailed sections:

1. Topography & History: A descriptive overview of the boroughs, including their geology, history, and local government details in 1931.
2. Private Residents Directory: An alphabetical list of private households, heads of families, and their addresses. This is the gold standard for tracing family trees.
3. Commercial & Trade Directory: An alphabetical list of businesses, tradesmen, and merchants, from bakers and butchers to larger industrial concerns.
4. Official & Classified Information: Details of local officials, magistrates, clergy, doctors, schools, and institutions.
5. Street Directory (where available): A listing of streets by name with the head of household at each address (coverage varies by specific area within the volume).
6. Advertisements: Fascinating period advertisements for local and national products, giving a flavor of daily life in 1931.

Local History & Colour (1931)

To help you understand the world your ancestors lived in, this directory covers a vibrant period in the history of Richmond upon Thames.

• Industry & Employment: In 1931, Mortlake was dominated by the smell of hops and malt, home to the massive Mortlake Brewery (owned by Watney, Combe, Reid & Co.). Many of your ancestors listed in the commercial directory would likely have been employed there or in the associated trade.
• Sporting Legacy: Mortlake is world-famous as the finish line for The Boat Race. The directory lists the boat clubs and riverside establishments that supported this sporting tradition.
• Music & Arts: Barnes had a strong musical reputation in the early 20th century. Gustav Holst, the famous composer of The Planets, was living in Barnes in 1931 (he resided at 10 The Crescent, a fact you may verify within the resident listings). The area was a quiet haven for artists and musicians working in the bustling capital.
• Sheen: By 1931, East Sheen was transforming rapidly into a desirable residential suburb, attracting a growing middle class, which is well-reflected in the density of the Private Resident listings.

Map Disclaimer

Please be advised that while every effort has been made to provide a complete reproduction of the original 1931 publication, historical directories often had maps removed or damaged by previous owners over the last 90 years. We cannot guarantee the presence of the original pull-out map. However, if the map is present and intact in the source book we scanned, it is included as a bonus feature in your download or CD.