Extracts from some nineteenth-century directories covering the city of Rochester and its environs.
It needs to be borne in mind that the numbering used in these directories for houses and shops in the High Street is not the current numbering. The old numbering did not just differ in detail: the whole scheme of it was different. Starting from the bridge, the numbers ran eastward along the north side of the High Street, as far as a point beyond Star Hill. Crossing the road, they then ran westward along the south side of the High Street, all the way back to the bridge. (In both directions, the numbering covered the houses and shops in Eastgate.) I do not know when this numbering originated, but it existed already in the 1820s, and was disrupted here and there by subsequent building projects – especially in the 1850s, with the construction of the approach to the new bridge. The new numbering was introduced in the 1890s. On the north side of the High Street the old numbers were replaced by odd numbers running in the same direction. On the south side, the old numbers were replaced by even numbers running in the opposite direction. I hope that makes it clear.
Extract from the London and Provincial New Commercial Directory for 1823-4, published by James Pigot & Co.
Link to an extract from Wright’s topography of Rochester, Chatham, Strood, Brompton, &c., published at Chatham in 1838.
Link to an extract from the Royal National, Commercial and Street Directory of London for 1840, published by James Pigot & Co.
Extract from the History, gazetteer, and directory of the county of Kent, published by Samuel Bagshaw at Sheffield. The preface is dated 25 Jun. 1847.
Extract from the second edition of the directory of Kent published by Kelly & Co.
The first edition of this directory was published in 1845. In its original form it covered all six south-eastern counties – Essex, Herts, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex – and subsequent editions followed the same plan, till 1878. After that, there were two separate volumes.
Extract from the third edition of the directory of Kent published by Kelly & Co. The preface is dated Feb. 1855.
Extract from the Directory & gazetteer of Kent, published by Melville & Co. in 1858. The preface is dated Nov. 1857.
Extract from the (?) fifth edition of the directory of Kent published by Kelly & Co. (Not having seen the preface, I cannot be certain which edition this is. The man named as mayor of Rochester is the man who held office in 1861–2.)
Extract from the (?) sixth edition of the directory of Kent published by Kelly & Co. (Again, not having seen the preface, I cannot be certain which edition this is. The man named as mayor of Rochester is the man who held office in 1865–6.)
Extract from the directory of Kent published by Kelly & Co. This is the first edition that covers just three counties – Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The preface is dated Oct. 1882.
Extract from the third edition of the directory of Kent published by Kelly & Co.
Extract from the sixth edition of the directory of Kent published by Kelly & Co. The preface is dated Feb. 1903.
Extract from the eleventh edition of the directory of Kent published by Kelly & Co. The preface is dated Jul. 1913.