Kelly's Directory Of Chiswick Acton & Gunnersbury 1920-1921

Kelly's Directory of Chiswick, Acton & Gunnersbury 1920-1921 (Digital Download or CD)

Product Description

Step back into the post-World War I era with this high-quality reproduction of Kelly's Directory of Chiswick, Acton & Gunnersbury 1920-1921. An essential resource for genealogists, local historians, and house researchers, this directory offers a fascinating snapshot of life in West London as the region transitioned from the war years into the Roaring Twenties.

Please Note: This directory is a scan of the original pages, provided as a searchable PDF (depending on your reader's capabilities) or a standard PDF for viewing. The pages are digitized images of the original text.

Navigation & Usability

While this product consists of scanned images rather than text-searchable files, it is incredibly easy to navigate. The directory is structured alphabetically, allowing you to quickly flip to the specific section or surname you are looking for without the need for an index.

• Modern Tech Bonus: Most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) now perform "OCR on the fly." This means you can often use the "Find" (Ctrl+F) function to search for surnames or street names directly within the software, even though the file itself is an image scan.

Bridging the Census Gaps

For family historians, directories are the vital key to bridging the "Census Gap." The 1921 Census is a pivotal marker, but what happened in the years immediately following? This 1920-1921 directory helps you trace ancestors who moved or changed professions between the 1911 Census and the 1921 survey. It provides year-specific data that fills in the blanks of your family tree, showing where your family lived just as the world began to change after the Great War.

What's Inside the Directory?

This comprehensive volume is divided into several detailed sections:

• Street Directory: A thorough listing of inhabitants by street, house by house, perfect for tracing the history of specific properties.
• Commercial Directory: An alphabetical list of tradesmen and professionals, from bakers and butchers to solicitors and surveyors.
• Private Residents Directory: An alphabetical list of private households, often distinguishing between homeowners and tenants.
• Court & Local Information: Details on local councils, magistrates, and officials.
• Local Information: Historical descriptions of the area, transport links, and public institutions.

Local History, Famous Faces & Facts

The areas of Chiswick, Acton, and Gunnersbury in 1920 were thriving mixtures of industry and leafy suburbs.

• Industry & Commerce: Acton was famously known as "Soapsud Island" due to its multitude of laundries and the massive Willesden Junction railway works, which dominated the local economy.
• Chiswick’s Brewing Heritage: This era was the heyday of Chiswick’s most famous resident industry: Fuller’s Griffin Brewery. The directory lists the many families employed by this historic brewery, which remains a landmark of the area today.
• Gunnersbury Park: At this time, Gunnersbury Park was still a private estate (purchased jointly by Ealing and Acton councils in 1925, just a few years after this publication). The directory highlights the wealthy residents and the "country" feel of the area before it became fully suburbanized.
• Notable Residents: While specific famous names vary by entry, this area was home to various figures from the arts and sciences. The "Private Residents" section may list local dignitaries, artists connected to the Chiswick Art School, and figures involved in the early 20th-century motor trade which was booming in West London.
• Sport & Leisure: The region was a hub for rowing on the Thames, with the Chiswick and Quintin Boat clubs active. The directory also details local football teams and cricket clubs that were the heart of the community.

Map Disclaimer

Please note: Due to the age of the original source material, some fold-out maps or street plans may have been missing or too damaged to include in the original scanning process. However, if the original maps were present and in good condition, they have been included as a fantastic bonus to help you visualize the old street layouts.

Available as a Digital Download (immediate delivery) or CD-ROM.