Kelly's Directory Of Marylebone & St John's Wood 1936 Census Substitute

Kelly's Directory of Marylebone & St John's Wood 1936 (Digital Download or CD-ROM) – The Ultimate 1931 Census Substitute

Product Description:

Unlock the history of one of London’s most iconic and affluent areas with this exact digital replica of Kelly's Directory of Marylebone & St John's Wood 1936.

Bridging the 1931 Census Gap The 1931 Census for England and Wales was tragically destroyed by fire in 1942, and the 1941 census was cancelled due to WWII. This makes the 1936 edition of Kelly’s Directory an absolute must-have "census substitute." It provides a crucial snapshot of your ancestors' lives just five years before the outbreak of the Second World War, allowing you to trace residential movements, occupations, and business ownerships during the interwar period.

Format & Navigation Notes Please note: This product consists of high-resolution, scanned images of the original directory and is not text-searchable in its raw file state. However, because Kelly's meticulously alphabetized their directories by both surname and street, navigating to your ancestors is incredibly fast and intuitive. Furthermore, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) feature "OCR on the fly" technology, meaning you can often use the CTRL+F search function to find surnames or street names directly within the viewer!

What's Inside: A Breakdown of the Directory This comprehensive volume is divided into highly useful sections for genealogists and local historians:

• Alphabetical Private Residents: A complete A-Z of private households, listing the head of the household, their occupation, and their full address.
• Commercial & Trade Directory: Find out exactly what your ancestors did for a living. Listed alphabetically by trade (from accountants and ackermans to wig-makers and wire-workers), making it easy to find specific businesses.
• Street Directory: An alphabetical list of streets, showing every house number and the name of the occupant at each address—perfect for mapping out who lived next door to your ancestors.
• Official & Institutional Directory: Details of local councils, magistrates, churches, schools, hospitals, and charities operating in the borough in 1936.

A Glimpse into 1930s Marylebone & St John's Wood Using this directory, you aren't just finding names; you are placing your ancestors in a vibrant historical context. In 1936, this area was the beating heart of London's professional and cultural elite:

• The Medical Elite: Marylebone was home to the world-famous Harley Street. The directory is packed with the names of top surgeons, physicians, and specialists who shaped modern medicine.
• The Sporting Hub: The area was dominated by the presence of Lord’s Cricket Ground, home to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). You will find the names of legendary cricketers, ground staff, and sports administrators listed alongside wealthy merchants.
• Musical Legends: Just a stone's throw away in Abbey Road (the famous EMI studios opened in 1931), the area was a magnet for classical musicians, composers, and conductors. St John's Wood in particular was a highly desirable enclave for the artistic elite.
• Famous Residents: The 1930s saw famous figures walking these very streets. Legendary author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived on Upper Wimpole Street until his death in 1930, and his family may still be listed in the years following. Acclaimed actor Charles Laughton and his wife Elsa Lanchester were prominent residents of St John's Wood during this exact era.

Important Disclaimer Regarding Maps Please be aware: Original copies of Kelly's directories frequently had their fold-out maps removed by previous owners over the decades. While we cannot guarantee the inclusion of the original pull-out map, if the map is present in our sourced original copy, it has been carefully scanned and included as a fantastic bonus feature!

Available Formats: Choose the format that suits your research style best! This product is available as an Instant Digital Download (get started researching immediately) or on a CD-ROM (perfect for those who prefer a physical backup for their genealogy library).

Start tracing your Marylebone and St John's Wood ancestors today and fill in the blanks left by the missing 1931 census!