Kelly's Post Office Directory Of London County Suburbs 1917

Kelly's Post Office Directory of London County Suburbs 1917 (Digital Download or CD-ROM) - New Combined Format

Product Description:

Unlock the secrets of your London ancestors with this exact digital replica of Kelly's Post Office Directory of London County Suburbs 1917. Published during the pivotal years of the First World War, this directory marks a unique milestone in Kelly’s publishing history: it is the new format edition that combines both South and North London suburbs into one comprehensive volume, giving researchers unprecedented, borderless access to the sprawling Greater London area.

Whether you are a family historian, house historian, or social researcher, this directory is an absolute treasure trove. Because the 1911 census was already six years old and the 1921 census was still four years away, this 1917 directory acts as a vital "census substitute," helping you bridge that frustrating genealogical gap. It is especially poignant for WWI research, capturing the names of the women left behind who were suddenly running businesses, as well as the industries keeping the war effort alive.

What's Inside: Sections of the Directory This beautifully preserved volume is divided into highly organized, easy-to-navigate sections:

• The Court & Private Directory (Alphabetical): An A-Z list of private residents, their occupations, and their exact street addresses.
• The Commercial Directory (Alphabetical by Trade & Name): Find out what your ancestors did for a living, from boot makers to brewers.
• The Street Directory: An alphabetical listing of streets in each suburb, detailing who lived at every house and what businesses operated there—perfect for tracing the history of a specific property.
• Official & Parish Information: Details of local councils, magistrates, churches, schools, and postal delivery times.

Historical Context & Famous Residents of the Suburbs (c. 1917) The London suburbs in 1917 were a melting pot of the elite, the working class, and famous figures:

• Literary Legends: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, famous for creating Sherlock Holmes, had deep roots in South London suburbs (having lived in South Norwood for years), and his influence remained strong in the area. John Galsworthy, author of The Forsyte Saga, was born in Kingston upon Thames.
• Musical Maestros: The great composer Edward Elgar spent significant time in North London (Hampstead) during the WWI years, finding solace in the suburbs away from the central London Zeppelin raids.
• Sports & Leisure: Cricket was the lifeblood of London’s suburbs. The spirit of the legendary W.G. Grace still loomed large over South London cricket, while football clubs like Crystal Palace FC (originally founded at the Crystal Palace in South London) and Clapton Orient (North London, later Leyton Orient) were deeply embedded in the local community. Interestingly, 1917 also saw the rise of women’s football teams, born out of the munitions factories in the suburbs.
• Industry & The War Effort: The suburbs were heavily industrialized for WWI. Vickers in Crayford and Woolwich Arsenal in South East London were massive employers, producing munitions that employed thousands of local men and women.

Navigability & Technical Details Please note: This product consists of high-resolution scanned images of the original book. The text itself is not inherently searchable by typing a name into a search box. However, because Kelly's directories are strictly alphabetical by surname, street, and trade, navigating manually to find your ancestor is incredibly fast and intuitive. Pro-Tip: If you are using a modern PDF reader (such as Adobe Acrobat Reader DC), many of these programs now feature "OCR on the fly" capabilities, meaning you can often use the CTRL+F search function to find surnames or street names automatically!

Map Disclaimer: Please be aware that due to the age of the original source material and the way these volumes were bound, some original fold-out maps may have been missing, damaged, or removed prior to scanning. We have included exactly what was present in the source copy. If the maps are present in your copy, consider it a fantastic bonus!

Format Options: Choose exactly how you want to access this incredible piece of history. This product is available exclusively as a Digital Download (instant access after checkout) or on a traditional CD-ROM (shipped directly to your door).