Link: Historical Trade Directories

[DeComyn]

Found a really useful site with fully searchable directories eg kellys etc

www.historicaldirectories.org

Well worth a look (It'll keep me busy for hours!)

[piedstilt]

Thank you for reminding me about this site. The first time I tried it I was a bit bamboozled and eventually gave up, but after reading your message I gave it another go.

Now I think it is FANTASTIC!

I tried your keyword search, but eventually settled on 'Find by location', because it listed all the resources for a particular area. I scrolled down until I found a likely looking one for the approximate years I was after.

At first I was confused by being confronted with 'Page 1 of 859' and thought I was going to have to troll through the lot!  However, I discovered the trick is that once you've arrived at the directory you want, you do a search. It will tell  you how many hits and and then you click on 'next hit'. The page you are looking for comes up with the name highlighted.

I didn't actually find anyone I wanted, but you could spend hours and hours searching this site. I'm sure one of my names is going to turn up eventually!

Thanks again,

Ros

[sparrett]

I'll give you a couple of tips on keyword search option.

Suppose you are looking for A person named Brady who lived in Surrey in decade 1870's and was a blacksmith.
Complete top2 boxes to set time and region.  In keyword box put

 Brady w/3 blacksmith  Then hit Directories  BE careful you get the spacing right in this phrase.  Up will come any directories which have pages on which the words Brady and blacksmith appear within 3 words of each other.  You have to press next something or other to get the 'book' to open sometimes!
  As you know the entry will be highlighted.  There is more description of this search method in their help of faq section.  Let me know how you go .  Sue

[piedstilt]

Thanks for the tip. I was just about to get back to you, after having had another look,  to say that  you are quite right - keywords is the best option because you can narrow it down so well.

Now I'm off to try out your suggestion!

Ros

[piedstilt]

Back again already.

I'm intrigued by the use of w/3 (etc). Is this a trick you can use on other search engines? I tried it on Google, but it didn't work. Is this unique to historicaldirectories? Unlike me, did you actually read the instructions? (I'm of the 'when all else fails ...' school of instruction reading!)

Cheers,

Ros

[sparrett]

Yes I did Ros, Funny old me!!  I have to say I was a bit put off by the fact that the directions had some intimidating heading like "for the technically Advanced"  So not me!

However once you fiddle around w. a bit of trial and error it sort of comes good for you.
In answer to your question I have never seen any thing quite like it in my life!S

[Manchester Rambler]

I've used this site quite a lot now, and found it most useful.  I was able to find an address to search the 1861 census for one elusive family, having failed to locate them any other way.  It was also very interesting to trace how family moved from one location to another - combined with census/BMD certificate info, it's possible to pin down dates quite precisely, particularly if your family lived in a large town.  Highly recommended!

MR

[russethouse]

Just found the company my grandfather worked for, I knew they were called Deeds and where they were but googling didn't work - I found them on this site John S Deed & Sons. Many thanks for the link.
Now.........Any recommendations as to if its possible to find out more about them ? They were leather finishers and did such things as the  scabbard for the Sword of Stalingrad and the covers for the order of service for George V1 Coronation, work for Aspreys etc.

[celia]

Hello Drakes
I have a good excuse for the late reply If you offer is still on.Can you keep eye open for a Morgan Mathew( My grand uncle) I still cant find him after 1901.On that census he was now aged 22 and was back with his mother in Stainsby Road Limehouse. He was a teacher then.My mum wasn't born till 1909 but she once told me he was a teacher in the east end.She was old enough to remember that.So Morgan must have stayed a teacher.Every time i have tried Morgan Mathew, i get Mathew Morgan.Cant find him under teachers. Would Morgan have been exempt from call up if he was a teacher

Celia