The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-22 00:00:00

Subjoined are the opinions of 111(71,:dltors o' tee le.- ',fog r:tropo.
litan Journals on this edition of the work, which iaa unu,tially
comprehensive, and contains MANY Ttiouvsi) NAMES Irmo
than any former publication.
SUN, NON-EMBER 22,1847.
Increased in size, in proportion as the metropolis of which It is the
Mirror has increased in bulk, the " Post-orlice Loniisii Directory"
for 1843 makes its appearance. As a specimen of the great increase
In size, and variety of intormation by which the " Post-office London
Directory" for 1848 is advantageously distinguished frms its prede-
cessors, we may state that the " Street Directory" contains forty-
seven imperial octavo pages (each page consisting of three closely-
printed columns of names) more than any formeredition of the " Di-
rectory," this large amount of additional matter being introduced
into all the other arrangements and classifications. air. Kelly, in his
Preface, informs us, that "a change was, in the year 1444, intro-
duced into the system under which the infortnation had before been
collected, which has been since continued. ride Was in the employ-
ment of selected agates, having their entire time at their own dis-
posal, and, as stated in the preface to the last editioa, the change
Worked excellently.' The present volume has, therefore. been pro-
duced entirely under the improved system. :rid will consequently be
found far more comprehension than heretofore." This affords u
cempiete refutation of the accusations so industriously dinned into
the ears of the House of Commons concesnina the emp °meat of
letter-carriers in obtaining information. Letter-carriers have not
been employed in obtaining information for the " Post-office London
Directory" of 1348, but selected agents, having their entire time at
their own disposal, have been employed to collect the immense mass
of Information, which has afterwards been arranged and classified in
a manner so beautifully simple that any portion of it rail be referred
to at once, and without difficulty; and wken we r, member that this
Work consists of 2,091 closely-printed imperial octavo pages ()litanies,
we Must admit that great credit is due to the compiler, who, by his
admirable plan of arrangement and his copious indexes, has enabled
Us to pick out any one name and address from the, vast mass in a
space of time certainly not exceeding one minute. The aggregate of
local and specifleanformation contained in this volume of the " Post-
office London Directory" is quite unequalled. It is indeed Ihe hand-
book to the commerce of the first commercial city of the world.
TIMES, NOVEMBER 24, 1847.
The volume of this indispensable work for the year 1848, being
the 49th of the series, has lust been published by Messrs. Kelly and
Co., of Old Boswell-court, Temp's-bar, to whom the public, and
More especially the commercial portion of it, are indebted for one
of the most useful books ever compiled. The present volume con-
tains the Game body of information as its immediate predecessor,
and is of increased accuracy, being se near to perfection in what it
professes to contain as can be well imagined. Without such a book
no counting-house or place of business cart be complete. It is useful
for. so great a variety of purposes that everybody will find something
in it which he wants to learn ; in short, it is an invaluable collection
of facts, required every day, and about which there are incessant
demands. It contains also a very good map of London and the
suburbs of the city.
MORNING POST, NOVEMBER 2f, 1847.
For forty-nine years has this laborious and most useful compila-
tion of local and general information, indispensable to the gentle-
man, the merchant, the professional man, and the trader, been grow-
ing intolts present bulk, and attaining its present state of almost per-
fection. To say aught in praise of the merits of this hand-book to the
commerce of the greatest commercial city in the world, would be now
superfluous; it lithe universally recognised cyclopmdia of facts to
Wateleoll messof tmeiness turn in their perplexities, and front which
they draw the information which they require. The excellent order
in which the millions of facts and details collected are arrayed, so as
to be found with the greatest facility, cannot be contemplated with-
out admiration; and the general accuracy of the work, considering
the multiplicity of the addresses, and the changeable nature of the
subject-matter, is perfectly marvellous. The imaaase in the size of
the present edition is very apparent, and is particularly observable in
the "Street Directory," in which, at its original compile ion in 1841,
the nobility and gentry, merchants and traders, appeared for the
first time in any street list. In all the classifications a propor-
tionate increase is perceptible, and the " Court Directory " for 1848
is most complete. The whole information is *brought down to the
latest possible period. The most recent Parliamentary changes are
included, and the Government offices and officers are brought down
to the present month. We dismiss this monster volume of metropo
litan and national information by declaring that it is well worthy the
Monster city of London.
MORNING ADVERTISER, NOVEMBER 22. 1847
Once more, after the usual annual interval, the " Post-office Di
rectory " has made its appearance. It has alwas a been a remark-
able instance of the successful result of unwearied lac our ; but this
Year it is still more s'isklngly characterised by the completeness and
the judicious arrangement of its numerous features of ut lily, as an ad-
Blirable work of refereoce. Au actively conducted, painseiking,
and elaborate revision of such a publication, must necessari y
tend to render such annual issue more satisfactory and correct than
its predecessors. This year, however, the " Directory" is,pecullarly
deserving of eulogy 'and recommendation, ou many accounts. It
seems, from numerous experimental references to 'ite pages, to be
accurate in the minute and. curiously extended information it gives
on the localities and inhabitants of the metropolis, and its immediate
suburbs. The proprietors appear to heve taken every means of se-
curing increased correctness in all the departments ef this ponderous
Volume : and it is due to them to bear decided testimony as to the
effective and successful results of such exertions. With regard to
the "modus operand!" in obtaining the requisite information and
constantly required correction of this work, it may be remembered
that various statements were made in. Parliament some time since,
touching the employment of letter-carriers. &c., in the collection
of that information. We have reason, however, now to believe
that different means have been employed hethe preparation of the
Volume for 1844. That bulky volume has, we understand, been
prepared from materials entirely collected by persons unconnected
With the Post-office. This certainly appears to be a practical answer
to allegations wlech have been made on the subject ; and the re-
sult Is all the more striking and satisfactory, as the " Directory "
for 1848 is by tar the most comprehensive yet produced. The
alterations which have been made to ensure the accuracy of
Its contents have, it appears, been more numerous than in any
former year, and the book altogether presents a higher degree of
elaborate finish, admirable arrangement, and valuable completeness
In its classification and general construction than it had previously
attained. It was perfectly needless to enforce the recommendation
of the "Post-office Directory" by.any remarks upon the utility, nay,
almost absolute necessity, of its presence in mercantile and profes-
sional offices. Indeed, wherever business of any kind is proceeding
it must be more or less desirable. We shall deem it a most valuable
Companion upon our table.
MORNING HERALD, NOVEMBER 25, 1847.
• This' leviathan volume has again 'made its appearance, and is
again amonument of vast and comprehensive industry. Every year
adds something to its bulk and extends its usefulness ; and the im-
lirovements which have been introduced since the' last edition seem
now to eyeleti the characteri-tics of perfection. Asa compendious
directory of loeal and official intelligence It has no coupe itor, nor
L it likely to have ; for such an aggregate of intelligence—so
various in its kinds, so multitudinously specific—could only he
brought to its present state of completeness with . the growth of
Years. We can now now but reiterate the admiration which we are
Periodically called upon to express, and congratuiate Mr. Kelly
"Pon the aspect of his forty-ninth publication. There does not
weal to be a single want likely to be experienced by the mercantile
community which is left unsupplied ; and no one can turn over the
2,000 pages of this ponderous' work Without sensations of a-tonish-
.llsent, not only the multiplicity of facts which it contains, but
at the comprehensiveness of the machinery which could bring them
into so convenient a focus. This is the book of all others to thus-
tette the real greatness •ot the metropolis. Where else Is such a
stupendous assemblage of merchants, traders, and gentry, of public
offices and publlc Institutions, of churches, palaces, and asylums, to
be met with? What an overwhelming proof, in short, is it of the
extent, magnificence, and social and commercial importance of the
British capital ?
_ A glance at the contents of the new volume at once satisfies all
deisbts ai to the multifarious utility of the work. There are several
grand.divislons, or special directories—namely, of the public offices
and °nicer', of the streets, of commercial and professional residents.
attendee end lonidaniten •of -the-courts-of law of th
le the nee", eV 6' tut. Pgtodnetalge.erloe:, nobility
dillordor
charge all over the world, .Ohio elvic°f
Of bankers, &c. Under each of these heads an int=elT:dnyceofti
intelligence is to be found; and we repeat our belief that there Is
no species of information whatever to wit!. h the public in the course
- of daily huffiness may desire to have aocess, that is not here at
'hand. The lucidity of the arrangement admits of the readiest
reference ; while a copious table of contents indicates those sub-
ordinate branches of classification which might otherwise elude the
search. That the work is a miracle of correctness the pub! c has
had ample proof in the previous volumes, endive have, therefore,
every faith in the protestations of Mr. Kelly that the "` Post-office
Directory' for 1848 will folly maintain its reputation," besides ex-
hibiting "increased exertion and improvement." In the Pre'ace
the Editor calls particular attention to the postal section, in which
Ire introduced " all the emendations rendered necessary by new
treaties With foreign powers, and the recent packet alterations."
MORNING CHRONICLE, NOVE3OEI 29, 1847.
The 49th annual publication of this valuable work has just been
Issued, with improvements on the volumes of preceding years, in the
Shape of enlargement and better arrangement. That accuracy in
each a book of reference is absolutely necessary to ene engaged in
atlYbusiness or profession in the metropolis, must be obvious. No
• Pains or coat seem to have . been spared in ensuring the utmost cor-
rectness as to the millions of facts and details stated in this work,
AN. the greatest attention has been paid to rendering the arrange-
latent of such a vast mass of general information so clear,
and to place it in such lucid order, that any information
Coilling.within the scope of such a book can be obtained with the
greasest facility. We are assured that in one part alone, nanselY,
the street Directory," there are not less than .47 imperial octavo
Dates more than in any former edition, and a corresponding
amount of additional matter is introduced into all the other arrange-
ments and classifications without any additional charge. In the
"resent year, also,' a most important change has been Intro-
dated into the mode of 'obtaining necessary information, to ensure
accuracy in the completion of the work. Hitherto, the pro-
Prietors of this work had been acting in direct connexion with
the - authorities of the Post-office, and the letter-carriers were
er"Ployed to make returns respecting their several walks, for which,
et course, they were paid by the proprietors of this publication.
Within the last few years some dissatisfaction has been manifested
Certain of the letter-carriers so employed, and the subject has
more thin once been brought under the notice of the House of
Commons._ In consequence of this the proprietors determined to
"Ike steps to extricate themselves from the situation in which they
Were placed; and, herefore, since 1844 exertions have been made
t, form a staff of experienced men to obtain the requisite informs-
-11011. Last year. on a careful comparison of the work performed
;It the Directory "by those persons, with that done by the
,ettei-carriers, it was found that the former was decidedly
tePerior in accuracy. It was, therefore, determined to take steps
at once to terminate the connexion which had previously existed
• between the "Directory" and the Post-office. The present volume
,_
.been compiled from information obtained from persons not con-
, '""et-W. with the Post-office ; and, as far as we have been able to test
.t. It Is fully equal, if not superior, to any of its predecessors in ae-
' ,stus,racY• We need hardly say more in commendation of a book
"welt is indispensably necessary to a resident in the metropolis.
GLOBE, NOVEMBER 26. 1847.
fit *Consequence of the complaints made in Parliament last session
*fuse employment of the post-letter deliverers in procuring materials
tor the swell-digested information contained in this " Monster"
titaaal, the proprietors have been obliged to apply their own re-
"L'urc es to its production—a fact which appears rather to have
flProved the volume than otherwise. It is unnecessary to say
:(2ere, perhaps, than this; but from its annually increasing balk it
evident the .arectory keeps pace with the increase of the metro-
Polls. The series of Its maps of London will bye-and-bye be the
Pographisal history. In themselves, of this vast city, where we are
congregated
now to nearly the number of two millions a souls. As
fat' as we have had occasion to consult the volume, we have found
its accuracy unquestionable. It is an indispensable adjunct to every
naercreatlle establishment In London.
ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS,
• NOVEMBER 27, 1847.
_

This is the forty-ninth annual volume of the " Directory ;" and
to say that it- maintains the reputation of its predecessors is but
trite praise, and scarcely its fall meed ; for the present volume ex-
ceeds its forerunners by nearly 150 pages, and a like assurance of
completeness. It presents, perhaps, an unequalled mass of local and
specific. information, in some 2,000 pages ; and is, certainly, too big
Lot a hand-book, which the Editor, modestly, terms it.
The labour of the arrangement and classification of the materials,
for such easy reference as is here insured, must have been excessive,
and-unsparing industry and experience were indispensable to such
completeness. The changes and improvements are numerous and
evident. We must especially mention that the work is worthy of
the Patronage of her Majesty's Postmaster-General by its general
completeness,
e but specially by the fulness of that division of the
ark which bears out its title, and is more immediately, under the
supervision of its proprietor—the " Postal 'Directory," into which
have been introduced all the emendations rendered necessary by
'eye treaties with foreign powers, and ,by,the recent packet alter-
ation; ,
„, ace.
the success of this work, hard-earned as it has been by years of
3• and nightly toil, has called up a few detractors—some Jones or
th. whose name may have, unfortunately, been omitted from its
r,.:'• It were unreasonanle to expect a volume of this bulk free
such specks of imperfection as these which grievance-mongers
41-101 c, in pointing out ; whilst, on the other hand, they grudgingly
1,,,?..ye the vast amount of labour requisite top rodace the entire work.
`ll a distinct recollection of the Directories of the last thirty years,
are confident that in 11 0 work of its class has so much time, pains,
ti ,stoney been expehded to complete a most useful design, as in
l'Ost-office London Directory " for 1848.
JOHN BULL, DECEMBER 4, 1847.
irThis Colossal volume comes once more before us, and appears with
tic,Z,!ased excellence in every department, in consequence of being
or,;'ved of the valuable aid of the injured letter-carriers, who are
e hoar, " grumbling in their gizzardsraudibly," at the loss of
illelng like 1,2001. a year for about twenty hours, annually, of
leisure time. •
o We
have so repeatedly expressed, not merely our praise of, but
43ionishment at, the extraordinary accuracy with which this
4.l4',tic compilation has been prepared, embracing, as it does, such
shi:ititude of subjects, that wS hen we say the present edition is a
li,lng and manifest improvement of all former ones, it is hardly
rart;4ssrY to say anything else. The " Street Directory" contains
inN;',;Beven more pages than any preceding edition, " this large
raout of additional matter being introduced into all the other ar-
tthZ.,ents and classifications." A hasty examination of its con-
arorT. cos impressed us with the notion that in every department the
ant; cf• Imrovement has been going on ; so that the present edition
almost be said to render further improvement hopeless.
BRITANNIA, DECEMBER 11, 1847.
it, • volume forilB4s is before us. still showing improvements on
le43rodecessors, and proving the determination of its conductors to
14r° nothing undone that can ender it more acceptable to the
wim,.antile community, though it has no longer any rival to contend
Its ,„ the excellence of its arrangements, its extreme accuracy,
•It co
classification, an i its immense amount of information,
4taindeed, fairly beat all competitors out of the field, and
bli
taleer2l.led a kind of monopoly, no less honourable to the spirit and
ey h4ite of its proprietors than beneficial to the public ; for it is
tory mg one work of this kind, and one only, that such a satisfac-
ane,e_4lllt could be obtained. The present volume is larger than any
11,4 int:rone, more matter having been introduced, though the price is
• itifo,—c esed. A change has been made in the mode of collecting
~netio
ay n, it being now gathered from agents expressly employed
44114:ttorcPrielors, instead of from letter-carriers. Si far as our ex-
bee gone, the change has ensured greater accuracy. We
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