First published by Gales and Martin in 1787, this republished edition of the Sheffield Directory was published in Sheffield in 1889. Although a somewhat slight publication, the whole including an introduction extends to only 126 printed pages, the Sheffield Directory for 1787 is full of curios, and extremely useful details on the merchants, traders and manufacturers of the town. The full title of Gale and Martin's Sheffield Directory gives and indication as scope of the publication: "A Directory of Sheffield Including the Manufacturers of Adjacent Villages: with the several marks of the Scissor and Filesmiths, Edgetool and Sickle Makers. To which are added, the Regular Setting out and Return of Posts; And a Correct List of the Coaches & Wagons".
Apart from a number of partial directories for the town of Sheffield published in 1737 and 1774, Gales and Martin's Sheffield Directory is one of the oldest and most complete for the town and as such can be seen as somewhat of a rarity. The printing of the Sheffield Register coincided with the establishment of the short-lived newspaper, the Sheffield Register, the publishers of which were also Joseph Gales and David Martin. The Sheffield Register ceased publication in 1794 after Gales and the paper and be accused of sedition, Gales fleeing to America, where he died. Gales co-publisher, David Martin was a Sheffield engraver and was responsible for the engraving on the title page of the Directory, showing the west front of Sheffield Market Place,
Martin also published independently six engravings of views of Sheffield. In 1791 this showed a rural idle before the onset of Victoria industrialisation.
The Directory itself exhibits the pursuit of some unusual trades for 21st century tastes. For example, ____ Sleigh of Pond Lane was advertised as a 'cock weapon maker', a common enough trade in Sheffield at the time. But it is to the tradesmen and their marks that most benefit can be derived from this Directory. Many of these are of simple design and point to the origin for the trades person. For example, Thomas Blake of Green Lane used the trademark 'Wath' and Robert Skidmore that of 'Eyam', which were undoubtedly the villages from whence the tradesman originated. It is only to be lamented that Gales and Martin's desire to open an ongoing Registers for Sheffield's tradesmen was curtailed by their departure. It was announced by the publishers that at they had 'opened' a trades Register in their shop and an manufacturer that may have been omitted from the 1787 publication was invited to enter his particulars in the Register as were any new businesses, and or alterations in partnerships. It is much to be lamented that the Register, which was also to include notices of deaths in the preceding year did not come to fruition.
Republished here on fully-searchable CD-Rom and containing an alphabetical list of tradesmen in the Sheffield and the adjoining neighbourhood, together with an alphabetical list of notable residents of the town, the 1787 Directory of Sheffield is a little gem of a publication.
Records of all those entering the school in each year from 1546 to 1895. A typical entry gives the date, age, birthday, date of leaving the school, together with a short biography, and a death date.
Students entering the school came from all parts of the British Isles, and therefore this book is invaluable for family history studies.
Five huge volumes comprising the earliest directory for Great Britain, and one which is probably the most important directory for genealogists and historians that we have released on CD. For towns and villages the descriptions of the places are excellent, with details of their facilities, etc, and includes those residents with trades (even those such as farmers, hay-binders, labourers, bakers, shop keepers, etc.) and their addresses.
Although titled "Great Britain", this directory covers places in England and Wales. Volume 1 of the five is devoted to London, volumes 2 to 4 cover the places in the England and Wales in alphabetical order, and vol. 5 contains a number of the subsequent amendments and additions published in the next few years.
"The Universal British Directory of Trade, Commerce, and Manufacture, comprehending Lists of the Inhabitants of London, Westminster, and Borough of Southwark; and of all the Cities, Towns, and principal Villages, in England and Wales; with the Mails, and other Coaches, stage-wagons, Hoys, Packets, and Trading Vessels. To which is added, a genuine Account of the Drawbacks and Duties chargeable at the Custom-House on all Goods and Mechandize, imported, exported, or carried coastwise, with a particular of the Public Offices of every denomination; His Majesty's Court, and Ministers of State; The Peers of the Realm, and Parliament of Great Britain; The Court of Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common-Council, of London; together with an Historical Detail of the Antiquities, Curiosities, Trade, Polity, and Manufacturers, of each City, Town, and Village. The whole comprising a Fund of useful and important Information, equally interesting to the Nobleman, the Gentleman, and Man of Business."
An incredibly rare directory.
Note that these directories include only the main towns and market towns, and not the villages in the county.
Contents: Barnsley, Beverley, Bradford, Bridlington and bridlington Quay, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Driffield, Guisborough, Halifax, Huddersfield, Hull, Knaresborough, Leeds, Market Weighton, New Malton, Northallerton, Pickering, Pontefract, Richmond, Ripon, Rotherham, Saddleworth, Scarborough, Selby, Sheffield, Snaith, Stokesley, Tadcaster, Thirsk, Thorne, Wakefield, Whitby, York
A lovely book, divided into three sections. West Riding towns and cities, West Riding villages, and a Classified directory (144 pages) of the bankers, merchants and principal traders of London, Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry, Kidderminster, Kilmarnock, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester & Nottingham.
(See below for combined vols. 1 & 2 as a set at a cheaper price)
A history of the North and East Ridings; a history and directory of York (140 pages), The East Riding towns & villages (pp. 149-402), The towns and villages of the North Riding (pp. 403-604), and a final section of general information covering churches, populations of towns & villages, coins, newspapers, courts, taxes, fairs in England, etc (pp. 605-654)
The combined two volume set of Edward Baines' Yorkshire Directories covering the West, North and East Ridings.
An immense amount of information for both historians and genealogists. For more details see descriptions above of each volume.
See above for description of individual books.
An unusual Pigot's classified trade directory, that covers 6 major manufacturing towns in England.
An excellent early directory of Yorkshire, complete with its original map of 1828 that you can zoom in and in to the finest detail. Compared with other county directories by Pigot & Co. this one is very thick, and comprehensive.
An early directory containing descriptions of the larger towns and villages in the county. It contains the names and trades of residents, listing everyone from Bricklayers to Bankers. Set out in alphabetical order and fully searchable this is an easy way to find ancestors and to discover more about their lives.
This book was kindly loaned to the Project by the Institute of Heraldic & Genealogical Studies.
Typically comprehensive of the White's directories, this one weighs in at 780 pages. Excellent history of the West Riding of Yorkshire and each town, with lots of detail about each place to add to your family history. Very comprehensive listing of all people with trades, from chimney sweeps to farmers, dress makers to doctors, etc.
One of the very comprehensive White's directories. An immense amount of general information about the East & North Ridings and their history, geology, soils and agriculture. Plus of course, the excellent descriptions and history of each town and village, together with lists of their inhabitants with trades. Over 800 pages.
As with all of our CDs, this one contains very high quality scanned images of every page of the book, in PDF format for viewing using Adobe Acrobat Reader. The original book, not a transcript. Real primary information, that you can print, or copy and paste into your own family history files.
William White's county directories are famous for their incredibly detailed descriptions of places and superb directories of almost every person, from gardener to gentleman. The more specialised local directories he produced, such as this one, are even better, cramming in even more detail.
This will be of special interest to those having problems with research in the 1851 census as it might provide a valuable lead in the form of an address for your ancestor.
The directory covers an area roughly twelve miles around Sheffield, including Rotherham, plus Chesterfield and dozens of villages in Derbyshire.
Kindly loaned to the Project by the Family Record Centre (the PRO) in London.
This localised directory covers the towns, parishes, townships and villages within a 20 mile radius of Sheffield.
Includes: Rotherham, Doncaster, Barnsley, Worksop (Notts.) Bawtry, Tickhill, Penistone, Chesterfield (Derbys.) Matlock, Alfreton, Bakewell, Tideswell, Chatsworth, Haddon, Bolsover, Welbeck, Clumber, and more than eight hundred hamlets in the counties of York, Derby and Nottingham
A superb example of William White's more localised directories covering Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Bingley, Keighley, Skipton, Settle, Todmorden and roughly six hundred villages and hamlets. If the title page is to be believed it covers 'nearly one million inhabitants', we haven't counted them though!
Published by Kelly's, this enormous 1148 page directory is incredibly comprehensive. Each town village and hamlet has a description of its history and local facilities such as schools, churches and hospitals etc. plus directories of tradespeople and private residents.
Also included are court (private residents) and classified trades directory.
Kindly loaned to the project by the Family Record Centre (the PRO) in London
One of the books that was loaned to the Archive CD Books Project by the Family Records Centre in London, as part of our co-operative venture to digitise their collection.
The Post Office Directories (published by Kelly's) set a new standard in quality and detail, with every place included, right down to the smallest village, with lists of residents and their trades, together with a classified trades directory.
As is usual with any White's directory this is an incredibly detailed history and directory of Leeds.
Included for Leeds itself is a fabulous street by street, almost house by house directory of the heads of each household along with their occupation. There follows an excellent alphabetical list of people's names, addresses and ocupations, plus a very comprehensive classified trades directory.
This directory will prove to be immensely useful to those researching their Leeds ancestors in the 1871 census.
The places included in the District, besides the Borough of Leeds itself, are:
Adel, Alwoodley, Ardsley East, Ardsley West, Armley, Barwick-in-Elmet, Beeston, Bramley, Burley, Calverley, Chapel-Allerton, Churwell, Crossgates, Drighlington-with-Adwalton, Dunkeswick, East Keswick, Farnley, Farsley, Fulneck, Gildersome, Gipton, Gledhow, Halton, Harewood, Headingley-cum-Burley, Horsforth, Kirkstall. Knostrop, Lofthouse-cum-Carlton, manston, Meanwood, Middleton, Moor-Allerton, Morley, Newlay, Osmondthorpe, OultonPotternewton, Pudsey, Rodley, Rothwell, Roundhay, Seacroft, Shadwell, Stanningley, Swillington, Templenewsam, Thorpe-on-the-Hill, tong, Tyersall, Weeton, Whitkirk, Wigton, Wike and Wortley.
Lists every person in the West Riding who owned 1 acre of land or more, with name, place, extent of land and its value.
Lists every person in the East & North Ridings who owned 1 acre of land or more, with name, place, extent of land and its value.
A huge directory of mainly the professional classes in the county such as justices, accountants, dentists, doctors, clergy, architects, bankers and surveyors.
There are also court directories of private residents in Leeds, Scarborough, Harrogate and York as well as a beautiful and incredibly detailed map of the whole county.
An incredibly detailed and comprehensive history, topography and directory of each town, village and hamlet in the Cleveland and Richmond Divisions of North Yorkshire. Includes a superb map of the area.
It is organised by Division and then parish, with each place in every parish described in great detail with lists of residents and separate lists of farmers. The following is a list of the *parishes* included:
Cleveland Division
Parishes of Acklam, Ayton, Brotton, Carlton, Crathorne, Eston, Faceby, Guisborough, Hilton, Ingleby Arnclife, Ingleby Greenhow, Kildale, Kirkby-in-Cleveland, Kirlleatham, Kirkleavington, Loftus, Marske-by-the-Sea, Marton, Newton-in-Cleveland, Ormesby, Rudby, Seamer, Skelton, Sockburn, Stainton, Stokesley, Thornaby, Upleatham, Westerdale, Whorlton, Wilton, Yarm & Middlesbrough.
Redland Division
Parishes of Ainderby Steeple, Arkengarthdale, Aysgarth, Barninhgam, Barton, Bedale, Bellerby, Birkby, Bolton-upon-Swale, Bowes, Brignall, Brompton, Catterick, Cleasby, Coverham, East Cowton, South Cowton, Crakehall, Croft, Downholme, Easby, Eryholme, Fingall, Forcett , Gilling, Grinton, East Harsley, Hauxwell, Healey, Hornby, Hutton Magna, Kirby Sigston, Kirkby Fleetham, Kirkby Ravensworth, Laithkirk, Langton-on-Swale, Leake, Manfield, Marrick, Marske, Masham, Melsonby, Middleham, Middleton Tyas, Northalleton, North Otterington, Osmotherley, Patrick Brompton, Richmond, Rokeby, Romaldkirk, West Rounton, Scruton, Great Smeaton, Spennithorne, Stanwick St John, Startforth, Thornton Steward, Thornton Watlass, Welbury, Well, Wensley, East Witton, West Witton & Wycliffe.
A wonderfully comprehensive directory containing every detail of the towns and village in The West Riding. (Note: excludes Leeds, Sheffield, Rotherham and their adjacent villages - see 9031-2 below). In each place there are list of private residents and commercial traders, plus a huge alphabetical directory that covers the whole area. The larger towns have a house by house, street by street listing of households!
The trick here is to use the directory to track your ancestor down, their name and where they lived. Then use the other information in the directory to build up a picture of what the village was like, where they bought their food, where they drank their ale, who ran the Post Office etc. This is what Family History is all about
This book was kindly loaned to The Archive CD Books Project by The Family Records Centre (the PRO) in London.
A wonderfully comprehensive directory containing details of the residents and commercial traders in Leeds, Sheffield and Rotherham and their neighbourhoods. House by house, street by street listings of households. Full details of each town's facilities, churches, schools, etc. Contains detailed street maps of Leeds, Sheffield & Rotherham.
Other places include: Adel, Apperley, Astley, Austhorpe, Baildon, Barrowcroft, Belleisle, Bingley, Breary, Bruntcliffe, Bullerthorpe, Calverley, Eccleshill, Farsley, Garforth, Gildersome, Guiseley, Horsforth, Idle, Ilkley, Keighley, Manston, Middleton, Morley, Otley, Oulton, Pudsey, Rawdon, Rothwell, Roundhay, Seacroft, Shadwell, Swillington, Whitkirk, Yeadon, and adjacent smaller villages and hamlets.
Suburbs of Sheffiled & Rotherham: Beuchief, Beighton, Bolderstone, Bradfield, Brinsworth, Catcliffe, Chapeltown, Dalton, Dore, Dronfield, Ecclesfield, Eckington, Elsecar, Handsworth, Holmsfield, Hooton Roberts, Killamarsh, Kilnhurst, Kimberworth, Mexborough, Norton, Orgreave, Oughtibridge, Owlerton, Parkgate, Ravenfield, Rawmarsh, Ridgeway, Stannington, Swinton, Tankersley, Thorpe Hesley, Thribergh, Thurgoland, Tinsley, Treeton, Wadsley, Whiston, Wickersley, Worrall, Wortley, and their neighbouring smaller villages and hamlets.
For other West Riding towns and villages see the separate Kelly's 1893 West Riding Directory.
The electoral rolls of 1905/6 and also 1913/14 - two books on one CD.
Scanned from the original books, which are very rare indeed, and incredibly fragile due to the type of paper used. The books show the names and addresses of every person on the electoral roll for the town of Ossett in Yorkshire, and their eligibility to vote in either Municipal or Parliamentary elections. Particularly interesting is that the two books are a snapshot in time 10 years apart, and the second volume, 1913/14 lists many men who would have died during the Great War.
This directory covers Sheffield, Rotherham and the suburbs around these towns, including, Abbeydale, Beauchief, Beighton, Bradford,Chapeltown, Denaby, Dronfield, Mexborough, Parkgate, Stannington, Stockbridge, Wadsley Bridge, amongst others.
Chapters contain superb descriptions of Sheffield and it's amenities such as water works, gas works, drainage, banks, Churches, schools, theatres, clubs and transport, which makes for excellent background research. You can read all about how the town actually functioned and the role your ancestor's played in town life. You can identify people either by looking up their trade, their street or their name, a very useful book indeed.
Weighing in at 1619 pages, this directory cover the whole of the West Riding. The introductory pages describe the West Riding in general, its unions, registration districts, lists of the wapantakes and the places contained in them, parliamentary representation, military, hunting, fairs & markets. The West Riding County Council, magistrates, and a chapter on the geology.
Then follows the main part of the directory. A gazetteer of all towns, villages and hamlets, each with a description, facilities, private residents and commercial residents and those with trades. Larger places (such as Huddersfield), have a complete street directory listing with numbered houses and all heads of household listed, plus an alphabetical listing of people. (All that takes up the first 1050 pages.
There is a Private Residents Directory (although not all residents) amounting to 146 pages of small type in three columns; and finally a classified Trades and Professional Directory (pp. 1197-1619).
(Note: this directory excludes Sheffield, Bradford, Rotherham and Leeds.)
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