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Fersfield : 1869 Trade Directory

( Show general information )

• Trade Directories set out to record the “principal inhabitants” of a community, particularly those in a trade or profession. Directories were put together by individuals and publishers for commercial purposes during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
• Historical trade directories are useful for finding out where people lived and worked, especially for the years between censuses. If someone owned even a small business or shop, there is a reasonable chance that they are listed in the historical trade directories for their city, town, or village. There are plenty of collections of trade directories now freely available. Earlier directories also listed notable people and professionals. Gradually over time more ordinary people were listed.
• Historical trade directories were originally compiled to aid businesses and merchants. The earliest known trade directory is a list of London merchants published by Samuel Lee in 1677.
• One of the most famous historical trade directories, the Post Office London Directory, was taken over in 1836 by Frederic Festus Kelly, government inspector-general of letter-carriers. He used postmen to update the directory listings, and made it so profitable that he bought it from the Post Office. He sent people to visit each street to ensure that names and addresses were up to date. Kelly began publishing county titles in the 1840s, and a Manufacturers and Merchants Directory from the late 1880s.
• Specialist directories limited to one trade were also published, eg: brewers, builders, etc. Publishers updated their directories every few years.
• Many directories give an account of each place it lists; information about schools, places of worship, local administrative areas, and transport and carrier details, as well as other pieces of local historical interest.
• After the WW2, telephone directories gradually superseded trade directories, but until the 1950s telephones were a luxury so only businesses and better-off residents were listed.
• Further information:
  • University of Leicester - Historical Directories of England & Wales
  • TNA - People in business and trades
  • WDYTYA - Where to find historical trade directories online
  • Wikipedia - Kelly’s Directory
  • GenGuide - Directories, Trade, Professional, Telephone & Street, including Scotland

Records found = 20 from 126676
ID	Name	Year	Home Parish	Trade	View
	Qualification
23278	ALGAR John Esq.	1869	-	-	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23281	CALTON James	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23282	COATES Elizabeth	1869	-	Beer retailer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23277	CRICK Walter	1869	-	Parish Clerk	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23279	DARBY Rev. George M.A.	1869	-	Rector	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23283	EATON George Francis	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23284	ELLIS Robert	1869	-	Grocer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23285	GARROOD Hobert	1869	-	Carpenter	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23286	GREENWOOD James	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23287	HOSKINS Charles	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23288	HOSKINS William	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23289	JESSUP Solomon	1869	-	Farmer and cattle dealer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23280	MORTIMER Miss	1869	-	-	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23290	PUNT George	1869	-	Blacksmith	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23291	ROBINSON John	1869	-	Farmer and beer retailer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23292	SAYER Henry	1869	-	Miller	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23293	STAINES Timothy	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23294	WHAITES Robert	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23295	WILLIAMS Jonathan	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
23296	WOODCOCK Horace Robert	1869	-	Farmer	-
	Post Office Directory of Cambs, Norfolk & Suffolk,1869
SQL: " SELECT * FROM Complete WHERE ParishCode='FERS' AND EventType='Directory' AND EventYear=1869 ORDER BY FullName, EventYear, ID"

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Page last updated: Thursday, 26th February, 2026
© Diss Family History Group & Nigel Peacock 2026