NAMES, PLACES & OCCUPATIONS
Trade directories
Although often not a first line resource, trade directories can be extremely valuable for discovering what your ancestor did for a living and where they were based.
Dr Simon Wills explains
Explore Archive. org for a wide range of freely available digitsed directories, such as those illustrated on these pages
The first British trade directory dates from 1677 and covers London merchants, but it was in the later 18th century that directories started to become more well-established and common, and in the 19th century they flourished. The earliest publications often simply listed inhabitants of a community by name and profession, with an address or a parish where they could be found. However, this is particularly useful information in the period before the first census in 1841. It may be the only way to determine what your ancestor did for a living Trade directories may also help you find a businessman or professional person in-between censuses or if they are missing from a census.