How to use Historical Directories
In these short guides, we will show you:
- How to use a historical directory to find your local town or village
- How to use a historical directory to find a street in a town or city location
Each guide will help support you in developing your skills in using historical directories. These were a published book, listing details about people, businesses, and institutions in a specific area at a particular time. They often include names, addresses, occupations, and advertisements, making them valuable sources for historical research. They can then be used to support an investigation of your local area, particularly examining how cities, towns, villages, and specific sites evolve over time.
Downloads
Aims and outcomes
- To provide step-by-step guidance on how to find historical directories online
- To explain some of the different features of a historical directory
- To support people in using historical directories to identify how their area has changed over time
Useful links
- University of Leicester - Archives and Special Collections - Historical Directories of England & Wales
- Video showing more detail on how to search the Historical Directories of England & Wales
- UK, City and County Directories, 1766 - 1946 available on Ancestry.com (free in most libraries but subscription charges apply online elsewhere)
- Who do you think you are? Magazine online article - Where to find historical trade directories online
- Historic England How To Guides
- Historic England’s Archive Resource Packs, containing old maps and aerial photographs that can be used to supplement your research from Historical Directories
Also of interest
