The different city and business directories in England have been an essential resource for genealogists since the late 18th century. Trade directories, such as Pigot’s and Kelly’s Directories, list residents, business owners, and professionals, often including addresses and occupations. These records provide valuable insights into urban ancestors in cities like London, Birmingham, and Manchester, as well as rural communities. Electoral registers, clergy lists, and apprenticeship records further supplement research. Given England’s history of industrialization and internal migration, directories help trace movements and establish family connections between censuses, making them an indispensable tool for genealogists.
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Directories, Guides & References
Directories
- England, Telephone Directories 18,723,475 records
- Manchester, Salford 1933 Kelly's Directory 2,942 records
- London 1916 Kelly's Post Office Directory 2,651 records
- Thom's Directory Great Britain & Ireland 1914 2,544 records
- Thom's Directory Great Britain & Ireland 1894 2,046 records
- Ward's Directory of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, North Shields, South Shields, Sunderland, Jarrow, Wallsend and the adjacent villages 1,569 records
- Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxford 1920 Kelly's Directory 1,368 records
- Bulmer's History, Topography and Directory of East Yorkshire (with Hull) 1,271 records
- Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, 1895 1,260 records
- Sedbergh School Register 1,097 records
- History, Gazetteer And Directory of Norfolk 1,070 records
- Cheshire 1934 Kelly's Directory 822 records
- York 1822 Hist, Dir & Gazetteer, Volume 1, West Riding 809 records
- Close Rolls of the Reign of Henry III, A.D. 1234-1237 (1902) 798 records
- Nottingham 1853 History, Directory & Gazetteer 780 records
- Dulwich College Register, 1619 - 1926 735 records
- Derbyshire 1928 Kelly's Directory 726 records
- Suffolk 1927 Kelly's Directory 696 records
- Register of Admissions To Gray's Inn, 1521-1889 694 records
- Rugby School Yearbooks 1901 - 1905 671 records
- Nottinghamshire 1895 Kelly's Directory 671 records
- Warwickshire 1936 Kelly's Directory 641 records
- Leeds and District Trades' Directory, 1901 - 1902 636 records
- Porter's Topographical and Commercial Directory of Leeds and Neighbourhood 611 records
- Giggleswick School Register, 1499 - 1921 601 records
- Admission Register of the Manchester School, 1730 - 1807 596 records
- Durham School Register to 1912 560 records
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