Trade Directories - data sheet

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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After the WW2, telephone directories gradually superseded trade directories, but until the 1950s telephones were a luxury so only businesses and better-off residents were listed.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:

Records found = 20 from 128125
ID	Name	Year	Home Parish	Trade	View
ID	Qualification
23450	BOGGIS Arthur William	1912	-	Assistant overseer and blacksmith	-
23450	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23451	BRASNETT Arthur Leslie	1912	-	Farmer	-
23451	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23452	BRASNETT Walter Thomas	1912	-	Farmer	-
23452	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23453	COBBOLD John	1912	-	Beer retailer	-
23453	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23454	GARLAND Willie George	1912	-	Farmer	-
23454	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23455	GOODWIN George	1912	-	Farmer	-
23455	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23456	GRAY Aurelius	1912	-	Farmer	-
23456	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23457	HOSKINS Harry	1912	-	Shopkeeper	-
23457	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23458	LOND Horace	1912	-	Poultry dealer	-
23458	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23459	NEWSTEAD Frederick	1912	-	Farmer	-
23459	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23460	OAKLEY William	1912	-	Farmer	-
23460	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23461	RAMSEY Alfred	1912	-	Farmer	-
23461	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23462	RIVETT Rosa	1912	-	Farmer	-
23462	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23463	ROBINSON Caleb	1912	-	Farmer and beer retailer	-
23463	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23464	SOAR William	1912	-	Farmer	-
23464	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23465	SPURLING Charles	1912	-	Farmer	-
23465	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23466	WARBY Samuel	1912	-	Farmer	-
23466	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23467	WEBSDALE Clement	1912	-	Farmer	-
23467	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23448	WOODCOCK Mrs.	1912	-	-	-
23448	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
23449	WOODE Rev. Charles Edward B.A.	1912	-	The Rectory	-
23449	Kelly's Directory of Norfolk, 1912
SQL: " SELECT * FROM Complete WHERE ParishCode='FERS' AND EventType='Directory' AND EventYear=1912 ORDER BY FullName, EventYear, ID"