You can use historical directories for genealogy and family history in many ways. The most useful is finding where your ancestors lived and what their occupations were.
Historical street and business directories first appeared in the late 1600s, but they didn't become widespread until the early 1800s when they were printed on a regular basis. There were four main companies that published directories regularly — Slater's, White's, Pigot's and Kelly's.
In the earlier directories, only the rich and important business people were included. However, towards the end of the 1800s more residents and businesses had entries.
What You Can Find in Historical Directories
- Name & Address
- Occupation
- Businesses & Employers
This information can be used to fill in gaps in census records. For example, if your ancestor lived at an address in 1901 but you can't find them at the same address in 1911, it might be worthwhile searching a directory published in between. If your ancestor lived in Staffordshire, you could try Kelly's Staffordshire of 1904 to see where they had moved to — this is easier if you already know their occupation from the census records.
Where to Find Historical Directories
-
Historical Directories of England and Wales 1766–1919
Free access to online directories. You can view your search results online or download a PDF version of the directory you want. Most PDF viewers will let you search for names within the downloaded document.
-
English Trade Directories of the 19th Century
Covers Pigot's Trade Directories of 1830 for Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumberland, Durham, Huntingdon, Northampton, Northumberland, Oxford, Westmoreland, Wiltshire & Worcester. Also includes Slater's 1854 Trade Directory of Durham County and the English Electoral Polls.
-
Scottish Post Office Directories
Over 700 digitised directories from 1773–1911, free of charge.
-
Irish Street Directories
Various Irish street directories on the Library Ireland website.
-
Belfast Street Directories
Covering the years 1819 to 1900, free to view.