Paul,
You might try contemporary issues of Whitaker's Almanac for the
population numbers. Modern editions have certainly included such
information.
I believe you are correct about 1860 for the arrival of the GWR.
Regarding the publisher: Thomas Nelson sr. died in 1861. However, his
son and successor, Thomas Nelson jr., also had sons, and died in 1892,
which may, therefore, be a terminus ad quem. If the address of the firm
is given anywhere as Hope Park then the book presumably pre-dates the
destruction of those premises by fire in 1878 (re-opened at Parkside in
1880).
Regards,
Jane
Jane Wickenden
Historic Collections Librarian
INM
Alverstoke
023 9276 8238
-----Original Message-----
From: Exlibris [mailto:EXLIBRIS@MAIL.ECW.NAME] On Behalf Of Paul
Westover
Sent: 23 October 2006 16:14
To: EXLIBRIS@MAIL.ECW.NAME
Subject: [EXLIBRIS] Stratford guidebook query
Dear colleagues,
I am hoping that you can help me date a book: _Stratford-on-Avon and
its Neighborhood_, published in London by T. Nelson and sons sometime
(I suppose) in the second half of the nineteenth century. WorldCat has
no date, and it shows only two copies--one at Wisconsin and the other
at Cornell. The book is one of Nelson's Pictorial Guides for Tourists.
A few hints:
1) The book mentions a railway line (run by the Great Western) to
Stratford. That puts the book post-1860, I believe.
2) The book lists the Stratford population at 3672. That number must
come from somewhere--perhaps the British Census.
Does anyone know this book?
Many thanks,
Paul Westover
Indiana University