Trade Directories
Trade directories became common from the late 1700s as trade and industry expanded and people began moving from the countryside into towns and cities. Some covered huge areas such as Slater’s Directory of Cumberland, Westmorland, Northumberland and Durham in 1882. Others were more local focused as Bulmer’s Directory of Furness and Cartmel.
They provided descriptions of cities, parishes, towns and villages including geographical, historical and statistical details. There was information about local facilities, institutions and associations with listings for important people, private residents, traders, trades and professions. They often had advertisements which helped pay for production and distribution.
Leicester University had a project to digitise the directories and their site. The collection contains 689 directories, with at least one directory for every English and Welsh county for the 1850s, 1890s and 1910s. Searchable by name, place and occupation this is an essential tool for local, urban and family history. https://leicester.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16445coll4
Duddon Valley Local History Group have been putting together a collection of directories covering our area of Furness and South Cumbria. Members have gathered together original publications and digital copies and more copies are available from the Local Studies Collection at Barrow Library. We are making these available on our website to encourage research.
For Furness we have files for Broughton, Kirkby and Seathwaite parishes. Across the river we have files for Millom, Thwaites and Ulpha. Over the years, parish names have altered so there are records labelled Broughton West and Kirkby Ireleth. Millom has been split between the town, Millom Below and Millom Urban, and the surrounds, Millom Above and Millom Rural.
Some entries are easily split into separate sections others have the information for some or all of the parishes mixed together.