Street Directories
The entries in the spreadsheet below have been taken from the Kellys Street Directory for Tunbridge Wells for the years shown.
The spreadsheet (in xls format) can be downloaded
The 1939 Register
The entries in the text file below have been taken from the 1939 Register. The Register was taken on 29 September 1939 and is one of the most important twentieth century genealogical resources for England and Wales. The 1931 census was destroyed by fire. No census was taken in 1941 because of the war. So the 1939 Register is the only national census-like resource available for this period. Once war became inevitable the British Government knew they had to issue National Identity cards. They planned for the wide-scale mobilisation of the population and the eventual introduction of rationing. The most recent census was now almost a decade old, so more up-to-date statistics were needed. Some preparations had already begun for the 1941 census, so the Government capitalised on this to take a register of the civilian population. They issued Identity cards immediately afterwards (which were used until 1952). The Government constantly updated and changed the 1939 Register over time to take account of changes of address or deaths. When they introduced rationing in 1941, they planned it with information from the 1939 Register. The 1939 Register eventually formed the basis of the NHS registration system.
The text file (in doc format) can be downloaded
The four columns show the house number (or name), occupiers name (later additions in brackets), occupiers date of birth, Married (M), (Single (S) or Widowed (W) and occupation. A name in square brackets in the occupation column for women indicates a change of surname on marriage, sometimes showing the year of marriage. A ‘Closed Entry’ indicates the record is closed for a century after the person’s birth (the 100 year rule), unless it can be proven they passed away before this milestone.
Abbreviations are commonly used in the Register as follows:
AFS Auxillary Fire Service) ARP Air Raid Precautions Warden ARW Air Raid Warden GPO General Post Office RNVSR Royal Navy Volunteer Supplementary Reserve
TW Tunbridge Wells UDD Unpaid domestic duties (used for women not working and looking after the home) WVS Womens Voluntary Service
Some house numbers are missing. This is because the houses had not been built by September 1939. In fact there are no records at all for Pinewood Road. The maps for the other four roads show where the gaps in building were located.
It is interesting to note the different occupations of the persons living on the estate. There were 11 police officers and three retired police officers, and I know of at least two other police officer who moved to the estate the following year. The size of Tunbridge Wells Borough Police in 1939 was only about 40 officers, which means over a quarter of them lived on the estate. It must have been a very law-abiding place to live!
Fairfield Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3SD
Map of Ferndale Park Estate showing the location (black arrowed) of Fairfield Avenue, and the gaps in building (dark grey areas) on the estate at that time.
Recent pictures of Fairfield Avenue: (left) looking up Fairfield Avenue from Hilbert Road, and (right) from the top of Fairfield Avenue looking down. Do you have any old pictures of Fairfield Avenue that you would allow me to display here, please?
Left: 3 & 5 and 7 & 9 Fairfield Avenue pictured in 1950 showing the original front wooden fencing.
Right: A later picture of 3 Fairfield Avenue showing the new front brick wall and the roof of 1 Fairfield Avenue on the left – photos thanks Carol Campbell nee Smith.
Left: The back garden of 20 Hilbert Road in 1936 showing the backs of the houses at 2, 4 and 6 Fairfield Avenue.
Right: The front of the larger individually designed detached house at 2 Fairfield Avenue in the early 1950s – photos thanks Patricia Skittrall nee Tayler.
A recent picture of Fairfield Avenue from the air – photo thanks Zooplah.