Trade directories

Trade and street directories are well-used sources of information by family and local historians. The first directories were published in the late 18th century and they remained an important genre of reference information into the mid-20th century. The best-known trade directory is Kelly’s, which issued county directories from the late 1830s.

In 2002 the University of Leicester digitised over 600 English and Welsh directories in a searchable format. There is at least one directory for every English and Welsh county for the 1850s, 1890s and 1910s.

MKHA member websites with information from directories are:

Castlethorpe

Hanslope and District Historical Society

Haversham & Little Linford

New Bradwell Heritage

Old Stratford

Sherington Historical Society

Towcester and District Local History Society

Winslow History

The Woburn Sands Collection