"The Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Almanacks". There are 11 of these volumes on this CDrom (for the years 1876, 1889, 1892, 1898, 1901, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1914). If you have an interest in the people in the Todmorden area in the periods covered by the above years, then these Almanacks are an absolute goldmine of information. There are lists of councillors, magistrates, officers along with lists of local events for the previous year such as golden weddings, deaths, openings of buildings, presentations etc, all given month by month. There are usually 3 or 4 biographies of the more eminent people who died in the previous year, and also a list of historical local events.
In order to give you a better idea of the information in the book the following items are available here on line:
The above Acrobat files were extracted from the CDrom and show the quality of the images. You will need at least version 5 of Acrobat to open this file. If you do not have an up to date version please go to the Adobe web-site to obtain a free version of Acrobat Reader.
A short review of the books by Linda Briggs:
These almanacs are a real gem for anyone interested in the lives of the people of Todmorden and Hebden Bridge throughout the 19th Century and up to the First World War. Don't be fooled by the years of each of the volumes as events from many preceding years are covered. The almanacs give a unique insight into the lives and activities of very real people that cannot be equalled by any history book, and are the best source of information you are likely to come across. They were written by ordinary local people for ordinary local people, detailing local events, personal profiles, obituaries, life stories, births, deaths, marriages, accidents, retirements, celebrations, probates of wills and so much more. Alternate pages are given over to adverts for local businesses, with some that will make you weep with laughter. Be assured that even if your ancestors don't get a personal mention, their friends and neighbours will, and by the time you have read them you will be a great deal wiser about their lives.
If you would prefer the real book(s), please contact The Idle Booksellers through their website.
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