Kelly's Directory Of Surrey 1911 Census Companion

Product Description

Step Back in Time to Edwardian Surrey

Are you hitting a brick wall with your family tree in 1911? With government distrust and civil unrest sweeping the nation—much like the scepticism seen in modern times—the 1911 Census was not as comprehensive as it appears. Many suffragettes and disgruntled citizens boycotted the census or spoiled their returns, meaning your ancestors might be "missing" from the official records.

Kelly's Directory of Surrey 1911 acts as the perfect "Census Companion," offering a vital snapshot of the county's residents, trades, and social structure just as the Edwardian era was drawing to a close.

Navigating the Directory

Please note that this product is a high-quality digital reproduction of the original scanned book. It consists of image-based PDF files (digitally scanned pages). The text itself is not embedded, meaning you cannot use a standard "Find" (CTRL+F) search to jump to a name immediately.

However, finding your ancestors is still surprisingly easy!

• Alphabetical Order: The Private Resident section is strictly alphabetized by surname, making manual lookup a breeze.
• Modern OCR: Most modern PDF readers (like Adobe Acrobat) and web browsers now perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) "on the fly." You can often use your reader's search tool to locate text, or simply copy and paste a section into a Word document to make it searchable yourself.

What’s Inside? A Treasure Trove of Data

This directory offers a comprehensive view of Surrey life, divided into essential sections for the genealogist:

1. Surrey Statistics & Topography: A detailed history of the county, its geology, magistrates, and public institutions.
2. Court & Parliamentary Information: Lists of local officials, MPs, and Justices of the Peace.
3. The Private Residents Directory: An alphabetical list of the gentry, clergy, and prominent citizens living in the county—essential for tracing family movements.
4. The Commercial & Trades Directory: Classified by profession. Was your ancestor a baker in Guildford or a wheelwright in Wimbledon? This is where you find them.
5. Street & Village Directories: Detailed walks through major towns and villages, listing house by house in many instances.

Surrey in 1911: A Hotbed of Industry and Talent

Using this directory, you aren't just finding names; you are placing your family in the center of a vibrant historical context.

• The Birthplace of Speed & Flight: Surrey was the heart of the emerging transport world. Brooklands in Weybridge (opened 1907) was the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit and a major aviation center. You may find ancestors employed as mechanics, drivers, or working in the emerging aerospace industry with pioneers like Sopwith.
• Music & Arts: The rolling hills of Surrey attracted the artistic elite. This was the home of the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who was living in Dorking during this period, drawing inspiration from the Surrey landscape. Aldous Huxley, the famous writer, was also a resident of Surrey in his early years.
• Sporting Legends: The county was a stronghold for cricket. While the Oval (Surrey County Cricket Ground) sits on the border of London, the spirit of the game permeated the county villages. Look for local cricket clubs and sporting goods manufacturers in the trade sections.

A Note on Maps

Disclaimer: We have digitized this directory directly from original archival sources. In some original copies, the map pages were torn out, loose, or missing entirely before preservation took place. We have included all maps that were present in the source edition. If the maps are present in your copy, please consider them a fascinating bonus addition to your research!

Format & Availability

This product is available as an instant Digital Download or a CD-ROM (select your preference above). Compatible with PC, Mac, and tablets.

Don't let the 1911 Census gaps hold back your research. Add Kelly's Directory to your library today and find the ancestors the government missed!