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Fersfield : 1883 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• After the WW2, telephone directories gradually superseded trade directories, but until the 1950s telephones were a luxury so only businesses and better-off residents were listed.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 = 30 from 128125
ID	Name	Year	Home Parish	Trade	View
	Qualification
23327	BRAITHWAITE Rev. Arthur	1883	-	Rector	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23328	BROWN Charles jun.	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23329	BULLOCK Charles	1883	-	Farmer and shopkeeper	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23330	BUNN Robert Newson	1883	-	Farmer; h Bressingham	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23331	CALTON James	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23332	CRICK Walter	1883	-	Sexton	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23334	DENNIS John Thomas	1883	-	Carpenter and coach builder	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23333	DENNIS Mrs Charlotte	1883	-	Schoolmistress	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23335	EASTO Charles	1883	-	Farmer; h Diss	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23336	EATON George	1883	-	Miller	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23337	GARROOD Fuller	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23338	GARROOD Robert	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23339	GREENWOOD James	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23340	HAWES George	1883	-	Miller and farmer; h Bressingham	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23341	HOSKINS Charles	1883	-	Farmer and owner	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23342	HOSKINS Charles jun.	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23343	HOWLETT Amos	1883	-	Cottager	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23344	JESSUP George	1883	-	Carpenter, wheelwright, smith, and beerhouse	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23346	LEVIS Samuel	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23345	LEVIS William	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23347	MORTIMER Juliet Elizabeth	1883	-	-	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23348	MUNFORD John	1883	-	Cottager	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23349	NEWSTEAD Frederick	1883	-	Cottage farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23350	NOBLE Daniel	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23351	PUNT George	1883	-	Blacksmith and farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23352	ROBINSON Sarah Ann	1883	-	Victualler	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23353	SPICER John	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23354	WELLS Alexander	1883	-	Farmer; h Kenninghall	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23355	WITHAM Richard	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
23356	WOODCOCK Horace Robert	1883	-	Farmer	-
	White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Norfolk, 1883
SQL: " SELECT * FROM Complete WHERE ParishCode='FERS' AND EventType='Directory' AND EventYear=1883 ORDER BY FullName, EventYear, ID"

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