From 1800 the Post Office produced Directories. By 1835 it had been sold to Frederick Kelly who continued to publish them by county as ‘Kelly’s Post Office Directory’. From this date maps of the counties engraved by Benjamin Rees Davies were published to accompany them. In the 1870s new plates were introduced. These were the work of Frederick Bryer (1840?-1919) and like the previous plates were never used for direct intaglio printing. These lithographic transfers were published well into the twentieth century. Indeed Kelly’s Directory only ceased publication in the 1970s.

This is a group of Middlesex and the home counties as a collection. Hodson cites the Hertfordshire as being the first state is the Sussex according to Kingsley. This particular issue is not identified in Burgess’ study of Kent but undoubtedly is the same. They are all likely to be first editions. Kingsley cites an 1882 edition of ‘Kelly’s Directory’ stating ‘the maps are sold separately at the following prices:- Plain Sheet … 2s0d/ On Roller … 4s0d/ In Case … 5s0d’. Amongst the Explanatory Notes on each are found the size of each county in acres, its population according to the 1871 census and the number of Members of Parliament. Not in Burgess Kent 180; Hodson (1974) 123 A; Kingsley (1982) 133A; Smith (1985) Victorian pp. 141-2; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).