An interesting early account of the town, with a trades directory and trader adverts. I list the contents headings below.

•  Rise and Progress of Watford

• Salubrity of Watford

• Purity of Watford Water

• Prices of Labour and Provisions in the Olden Times

• Short History of Bushey

• Cassiobury, a Royal Residence: Its History - List of Pictures, Antiquities, etc

• The Grove - List of Pictures, &c. - The late Earl of Clarendon, the great Ambassador and Statesman - The Visit of Queen Victoria to the Late Lady Clarendon

• Manors and Estates

• Watford Heath and Hunton Bridge

• Lammas Land and its Fund

• Churches: Interesting particulars of Watford Parish Church and Churchyard

• Poetry by a Local Author

• The Legend of the Fig Tree destroyed

• Body Snatching at Watford

• Dissenting Places of Worship

• The High Street - A French Prison - Mausoleum in a Gentleman's Garden

• Walks and Drives

• The Colne

• London & North Western and Rickmansworth Railways - Eleven Men killed in the Tunnel

• The Post Office, past and present

• The Workhouse - Curious old Contract and Inventory

• Schools, with Endowed School Scheme

• London Orphan Asylum

• Memorable and Eccentric Inhabitants

• Fires and Fire Brigade

• A Notorious Hotel

• The Public Library

• School of Music

• Watford Petty Sessional Division

• Police

• Local Board of Health

• Watford and Bushey Temperance Society

• Various Institutions

• Matters Ancient and Modern, many interesting particulars

• Benefactions to Watford

• Murder of Weare at Aldenham

• Trade Directory, &c.

The book often contains interesting information which is not directly covered in the contents list. For instance the answer HAMPSON, Watford, late 19th Century contains an extract from a description of the 1878 floods that affected the lower end of Watford High Street.

There is a web page for Watford.

Page created May 2005