Street Directory, missing addresses.

[Roger The Hat]

Hi,

I've found some Post Office directories, on-line, which include the street where my grandfather lived (according to a marriage certificate).
However, the street listing only mentions one address, that of a newsagent - none of the other house numbers are mentioned, even though neighbouring streets include all the houses.

I wondered if a payment was required to be included in the Directory, or was there another reason why the other houses were omitted?

Thanks.

'Hat.

 

[stanmapstone]

Usually only people who were in business or were trades people were included. I have found that if there were no such entries a street was not listed.

The ways in which publishers collected data also varied considerably. Some obtained information by personal canvassing and combined the results with existing listings.
Other publishers simply asked people to send in their names together with a small payment if they wanted to be included in the directory.
See http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/ud/usingdir1.asp
Stan

[Roger The Hat]

Thanks for that, Stan.

Hopefully I'll find a non-P.O. Directory that has more information, though I suspect they probably copied from each other!
 

 

[Billyblue]

Roger are you sure it was a P.O. directory?
Having catalogued hundreds of Scottish directories for our FH library, I have noted that the Post Office ones usually have everyone listed, after all they were initially compiled 'for the letter carriers' - the postmen - so would need to have everyone listed.
This would I'm sure be the same for Irish or English ones too.

Some other directories were commercial only, that is only businesses (like present day yellow pages)

Dawn M

[Roger The Hat]

Hi, Dawn,

The title of the last one (of a series) I found is:

"The Post Office London Directory 1919 County Suburbs
London, Kelly's Directories"

....and an address.

In four consecutive directories there is only the newsagent mentioned.
I was hopng to find when my relative might have moved to the area, not where he might have bought his newspaper!
 

Thanks for your interest.

'Hat.

[Selina]

Hi Rog,

Have you looked at Ancestry's London, England, Electoral Registers, 1847-1965?

I have had a lot of results from there.

Selina

[Roger The Hat]

Thanks, Selina.

I'll get right on it.
 

Added: Sadly doesn't appear to be listed, but thank you anyway.
 

[Selina]

That's a pity but the different areas are not covered for all years and coverage varies.  You can check which districts and years are included on the browsing section.

Depending on when they were in London and if there were children then checking London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911, Ancestry again, can throw up some addresses and dates.

Selina

[Roger The Hat]

I hope he didn't have children - he wasn't married in the years I'm looking for him!
 

I've still got some directories to download (limits permitting!), so I'll keep my fingers crossed, but I still think there must be a reason why some addresses are omitted.

Frustratin' hobby, sometimes!

Rog.