| According to Slater's Directory of 1856, Edgeworthstown was a small market and post town. It lists the Edgeworth connection and the fact that pure water was avilable from an excellent spring. Civil affairs were handled by magistrates who held petty sessions in a room over the marketplace, once a fortnight. There were two churches and two schools and the nearest railway station was to be found at Mullingar. Market was held on a Tuesday while fairs were held on Shrove Tuesday, may 5th, July 2nd, September 12th, November 5th and the Wednesday of the week before December 25th. The population of the town, according to the 1851 census was 818. Below are the entries for the town in this directory. There is no indication as to the location of any business or school. |
| Gentry and Clergy | Professional and Schools | Inns and Public Houses | Shopkeepers and Traders | Ministers and others |
| Henry M. Bond(secretary to the Grand jury) Newtownbond | Church Education Society's School Kevin William, master Miss Allen, mistress |
Robert Bell | Joseph Allen, grocer&draper | Parish Church. Rev. John H.Powell vicar Thomas Flower, clerk |
| Andrew Brock, Race Park | George Cowen | John Battersby, carpenter | ||
| Mrs. Margaret Carroll | Parke Dobson, surgeon and apothecary | Michael Duffy(&grocer &draper) | Thomas Connor, carpenter | Roman Catholic Church Rev. Thomas Grey, parish priest Rev. John McNally, curate |
| Mrs. Edgeworth | Thomas Flower, clerk of petty sessions | Michael Langan | George Cowen, grocer&tallow chandler | |
| Capt. Charles O'Neill, Featherstone J.P. | National School Lawrence Gillick, master Mary Muldoon, mistress |
Matt McKeon | Henry Dermody, blacksmith | Constabulary Barracks George Brereton, constable in charge |
| Richard Maxwell Fox, Foxhall | Andrew Reilly | Catherine Evers, draper | Dispensary(open Monday&Friday) Parke Dobson, medical attendant |
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| Rev. Thomas Grey P.P | William Farrell, spirit dealer&clerk of the market | |||
| James Kelly, Kilcoursey | Eliza Gallagher, draper | |||
| John McManus, Kilshrewley | Thomas Gallagher, tailor | |||
| Rev. John McNally C.C. | Bryan Geraghty, spirit dealer | |||
| Rev. John H. Powell | John Gilnagh, grocer&spirit dealer | |||
| William Francis Ryan J.P. | John Higgins, saddler | |||
| B.W. Slater, Whitehill J.P. | John Kiernan, painter | |||
| Hugh McDermott, blacksmith | ||||
| John McManus, miller&bleacher, Kilshrewley Mills, Ballinalee | ||||
| James Magee, shoemaker | ||||
| John Mullen, carpenter | ||||
| James Rategan, general dealer | ||||
| Michael Reilly, blacksmith | ||||
| John Reynolds, tailor | ||||
| John Salmon, provision dealer | ||||
| Peter Tynan, grocer | ||||
| Owen Ward, leather seller&shoemaker | ||||
| James Watson, saddler | ||||
| George Wiggans, shoemaker | ||||