Kelly’s Directory of Kensington, Brompton, Knightsbridge & Notting Hill 1939 – Census Substitute (Digital Download or CD)

Product Description

Unlock the history of one of London’s most prestigious districts with this high-quality reproduction of the 1939 Kelly’s Directory of Kensington, Brompton, Knightsbridge & Notting Hill.

As the 1931 Census was destroyed by fire during WWII and the 1941 Census was never taken due to the war, this directory serves as an absolutely vital Census Substitute. It provides a unique snapshot of life on the brink of the Second World War, capturing the residents, trades, and social infrastructure of these iconic West London districts just months before the outbreak of conflict.

Navigation & Searchability

Please note that this directory is a scanned collection of high-resolution images, preserving the look and feel of the original book. While the text is not embedded or natively searchable, the directory is meticulously organized alphabetically by street and surname, making navigation surprisingly intuitive. Additionally, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly, allowing you to use the "Find" function to locate specific names or keywords with ease.

What’s Inside the Directory?

This comprehensive volume is divided into essential sections to aid your family history research:

• Street Directory: A house-by-house listing of roads in Kensington, Brompton, Knightsbridge, and Notting Hill. Discover who was living next door to your ancestors and track the occupancy of specific properties.
• Commercial & Trades Directory: An alphabetical list of businesses and tradespeople. From the high-end shops of Knightsbridge to the local craftsmen of Notting Hill, find out how the locals earned their living.
• Court Directory (Private Residents): An alphabetical list of private residents, typically featuring the heads of households, clergy, and professionals.
• Official Information: Details of the Borough Council, Magistrates, Commissioners of Taxes, and local officials.
• Institutions & Associations: Listings for churches, schools, hospitals, charities, and societies active in the area in 1939.

Local History & Famous Residents

The areas covered in this directory were home to a fascinating mix of aristocracy, artists, and industrialists.

• Kensington: Known as the "Aristocratic Borough," this area was teeming with peers, diplomats, and senior military officials. The 1939 directory captures the residents near Kensington Palace and the museum district.
• Knightsbridge: Even in 1939, this was the center of luxury retail. The directory lists the bespoke tailors, antique dealers, and luxury hotels that serviced the wealthy.
• Notting Hill: A contrast in extremes, from the grand terraces of Ladbroke Square to the more working-class areas around the Potteries and Portobello Road.
• Famous Connections: While the directory lists thousands of names, this era saw many famous figures walking these streets. The area was a hub for musicians and artists due to the nearby Royal College of Art and the Royal College of Music. Keep an eye out for names associated with the literary world, as this part of London was a popular haunt for writers and publishers.
• Industry & Sports: Unlike the industrial East End, the "industry" here was dominated by service, hospitality, and the nascent motor trade. The area is also historically close to major footballing developments, with local teams and grounds fostering a strong sporting culture among the working-class residents of North Kensington.

Important Note Regarding Maps

Please be aware that occasionally, original map pages were missing or damaged in the source directories used for scanning. We have made every effort to provide a complete reproduction. If a map section is present, it serves as a wonderful bonus to help you visualize the neighborhood as it was in 1939.

Whether you are tracing a family tree, researching house history, or simply fascinated by the social history of London on the eve of war, this Kelly’s Directory is an indispensable resource.