Kelly's Directory Of Oxfordshire 1915

Kelly's Directory of Oxfordshire 1915 - Digital Download or CD-ROM

Product Description:

Step back into the heart of the Home Front during the First World War with this exact digital replica of the Kelly's Directory of Oxfordshire 1915.

An essential addition to any family historian’s library, this directory bridges the gap between the 1911 and 1921 censuses. With the 1921 Census only recently released and the 1931 Census lost to fire, trade directories like this are often the only way to trace where your ancestors lived, what they did for a living, and their community standing during the Great War.

Format & Navigation This product is available as an immediate digital download or on a convenient CD-ROM. It consists of high-resolution scanned images of the original pages, preserving the authentic look and feel of the 1915 text.

• Easy to Navigate: While the book is not text-searchable in the traditional sense, the directory is compiled alphabetically by town and by trade. This structure allows you to pin down your ancestors quickly by simply scrolling to the relevant section.
• Modern Compatibility: While the file itself is an image scan, most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat, Edge, or browser-based viewers) now perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly. This means you can often use the "Find" function in your PDF reader to search for surnames or street names, enhancing the usability of this historic archive.

What’s Inside? This comprehensive volume offers a detailed snapshot of Oxfordshire life over a century ago. It is divided into several key sections:

1. County & Topography: A descriptive history of Oxfordshire, detailing its geology, agriculture, and main transport routes (including the expanding railway network crucial for the war effort).
2. Court Directory: An alphabetical list of private residents (the gentry, clergy, and professionals) living in the county at the time.
3. Street Directory: Coverage of major streets in Oxford and larger towns, listing householders house-by-house—invaluable for tracking specific properties.
4. Trades Directory: A classified commercial directory. Whether your ancestor was a baker in Banbury, a blacksmith in Bicester, or a stonemason in Headington, you will find them listed here.
5. Official Information: Lists of local officials, magistrates, and Poor Law Union guardians.

Historical Context & Famous Residents (1915) The year 1915 places this directory squarely in the early stages of WWI. You will find a society in flux; many men are listed as being "on active service," and women are beginning to appear in trade directories in roles previously held by men.

While browsing these pages, you may encounter residents of significant historical interest:

• J.R.R. Tolkien: In 1915, the future author of The Lord of the Rings was an undergraduate at Exeter College, Oxford. He returned to the university in June to complete his degree before being commissioned into the Lancashire Fusiliers.
• William Morris (Lord Nuffield): The founder of Morris Motors was rapidly expanding his car factory in Cowley during this period. His burgeoning industry was beginning to transform Oxford from an academic town into an industrial center.
• Alice Liddell: The inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was an elderly widow living in Cumnor, Oxfordshire, in 1915. She spent her later years in the county until her death in 1934.

Interesting Facts about Oxfordshire in 1915

• Industry: Aside from the academic might of the University, Oxfordshire was famous for its brewing (Morland's of Abingdon) and its printing presses (at the Oxford University Press). However, 1915 saw the shift toward wartime manufacturing, with the Cowley plant producing munitions and "Tin Lizzie" cars for the war office.
• The "Varsity" Match: Unlike today, the famous Oxford vs. Cambridge boat race did not take place at its usual London venue during the war years, though inter-collegiate sport continued at Oxford to maintain morale.
• Military Hospitals: By 1915, many of the grand college buildings in Oxford and large country houses across the county had been converted into military hospitals to treat wounded soldiers returning from the trenches.

Map Disclaimer Please note that this is a scan of a book that is over 100 years old. We have included every page found in the original source edition. However, historically, map pages were the most prone to being torn out or lost by previous owners. Therefore, while we hope the original county and town maps are present in this copy, we cannot guarantee their inclusion. If they are present, please treat them as a wonderful bonus!