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Explore more than 800 almanacs and directories from across Great Britain. The collection includes trade directories, county guides, almanacs and general directories. Inside you will find the names of prominent people, tradesmen, people who held office, business owners and local civil servants. Discover your ancestor’s address and occupation or explore the history of your home address. The almanacs and directories stretch across three centuries.
Each record is available in a PDF format. Use the previous and next buttons are the top of the page to browse through the publication. The PDF search experience can be different from searching transcribed records. Use our search tips below to get the most out of this collection.
The detail in each record will vary depending on the publication. The majority of the publications are directories, which will include business listings and usually descriptions of the local area. In the records you may find a combination of the following information:
Additional detail found in these types of publications will provide a more in-depth study of your ancestor’s life and the local area.
To the left of the PDF, you will find the Transcription Box, which includes
For a full list of all the titles available, view the Britain, directories & almanacs publication list available in the Useful links and resources section.
Explore more than 800 almanacs and directories which encompass three centuries of Great Britain's history. The collection is from Anguline Research Archives, Gould Genealogy, Yorkshire Ancestors, Eneclann, Devon Family History Society, and Explore York Libraries and Archives. For a full list of all the titles available, view the Britain, directories & almanacs publication list available in the Useful links and resources section.
Almanacs and directories are an excellent resource for anyone researching their family history and want to understand more about their ancestor’s life. They provide topographical accounts of towns, social statistics and comprehensive guides of towns or cities, as well as full listings of gentry, business owners, trades people, civil servants, church leaders, school teachers and much more. Furthermore, you can explore the history of your home by searching the publications by address, where you may discover previous proprietors.
The Britain, Directories and Almanacs includes a variety of sources,with Whitaker’s, Thom’s, Boyle’s, Kelly’s, and Pigot’s being among them. Some of the publications are general directories, while others are focused on a specific topic or trade. Below are some examples of the detail you can find in the records.
Kelly’s Directories
A large part of this collection comprises numerous Kelly’s directories, one of the most well-known publishers of directories. The founder was Frederic Festus Kelly, once the chief inspector of letter-carriers for the general post office. While chief inspector, he took over the publication of the London post office directory. He founded Kelly & Co and expanded the company over the decades that followed. They produced directories for many counties around the United Kingdom and continued to buy other publishers of directories. In 1897, Kelly & Co. became Kelly Inc. and continued to create directories until the 1970s.
In December 1870, The Era, a British weekly paper, wrote a review of Kelly’s Directory and described it as an institution that many would not know how to do without: ‘We cannot praise its literary attractions, but we can bear witness that the Editor must be both painstaking and patient. We cannot praise its artistic beauty, but we can comment the general getting-up and the clearness of the typography; and, above all, we can conscientiously declare it to be the most useful, if not the most entertaining, of Christmas books.’
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