Local studies and family history resources
Trade directories
The Local Studies section of the Central Reference Library has a significant number of trade directories. They list tradespeople and services as well as names of residents, so they are of great value to the genealogist and the local historian. They also contain extensive information on the history, public institutions and major features of each community.
Online resources
- From Weaver to Web: online visual archive of Calderdale history.
Sections of many directories have been digitised as part of this website, created with the support of the Big Lottery Fund. - Historical Directories|
.
The Historical Directories website is a digital library of local and trade directories for England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919.
Printed resources 1781 -1897
The following directories are held in the Central Reference Library:
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 1781 | BAILEY: Northern Directory |
| 1806 | HARGROVE: Yorkshire Gazetteer |
| 1809-11 | HOLDEN: Triennial Directory |
| 1816-17 | Commercial Directory |
| 1818-20 | PIGOT: Commercial Directory |
| 1822 | BAINES: History, Directory etc of County of York |
| 1822-3 | BAINES: History etc. County of York (2 Vols) |
| 1828-9 | PIGOT: National Directory (2 Vols) |
| 1830 | PARSON and WHITE: Directory of Leeds and Clothing District |
| 1834 | PIGOT: National Commercial Directory |
| 1837-8 | WHITE: History and Directory – West Riding |
| 1840-41 | ROBSON: Commercial Directory (2 Vols) |
| 1842 | PIGOT: Yorkshire Directory |
| 1842 | WHITE: Directory of Clothing District |
| 1843 | WHITE: Directory of Clothing District (microfilm also available) |
| 1845 | IBBETSON: Directory of Bradford |
| 1845 | WALKER: Directory of Parish of Halifax (microfilm also available) |
| 1847 | WHITE: Directory of Clothing Districts (CD ROM also available) |
| 1848 | SLATER |
| 1850 | Directory of Halifax, Huddersfield, Holmfirth etc. |
| 1850 | IBBETSON: Directory of Bradford |
| 1852 | WHITE: Sheffield Directory |
| 1853 | WHITE: Directory of Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield |
| 1856 | LUND: Bradford Directory |
| 1858 | WHITE: Directory of Leeds and Halifax |
| 1861 | KELLY: Post Office Directory of West Riding |
| 1863 | JONES: Mercantile Directory of Bradford |
| 1863-4 | JONES: Directory of Halifax (microfilm also available) |
| 1863-4 | JONES:Mercantile Directory of Halifax |
| 1866 | STEPHENSON: Halifax municipal. Borough Directory |
| 1866 | WHITE: Directory of Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield and Halifax |
| 1867 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding (also on CDROM) |
| 1871 | KELLY: Post Office Directory of West Riding |
| 1872 | SMITH: Directory of Bradford and neighbourhood. |
| 1874 | SMITH: Directory of Halifax and District (microfilm also available) |
| 1875 | SLATER: Directory of Yorkshire |
| 1877 | KELLY: Post Ofice Directory of West Riding |
| 1878 | SMITH: Directory of Dewsbury |
| 1881 | KELLY: Directory of Halifax |
| 1881 | KELLY: Directory of Sheffield |
| 1881 | WHITE: General Commercial Directory. Vol.2. Halifax, Huddersfield (microfilm also available) |
| 1887 | SLATER: Royal National Commercial Directory |
| 1889 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding |
| 1889 | KELLY: Directory of Sheffield and Rotherham |
| 1890 | MITCHELL: Halifax Street Guide and Directory |
| 1893 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding |
| 1894 | WHITE: Halifax and District Directory |
| 1897 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding |
1903-present
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 1903 | Halifax, Huddersfield and District Trades Directory |
| 1904-5 | Halifax, Huddersfield and District Trades Directory |
| 1905-6 | ROBINSON: Halifax and District Directory |
| 1906-7 | Halifax, Huddersfield and District Trades Directory |
| 1908 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding |
| 1912 | KELLY: Directory of Bradford and Suburbs |
| 1915 | WADSWORTH: Halifax:A commercial and Industrial Centre |
| 1917 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding |
| 1922 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding |
| 1919, 1919-1920, 1922-3, 1923-4, | Halifax, Huddersfield and District Trades Directory |
| 1924-5, 1925-6, 1926-7, 1929-30, 1931-32 | Halifax, Huddersfield and District Trades Directory |
| 1927 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding |
| 1928 | KELLY: Directory of the Textile Industries in England, Scotland and Wales |
| 1928 | Halifax: Commercially considered |
| 1927,1928, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1935 | Huddersfield, Halifax and District Buyers Guide |
| c1935 | AUBREY: Directory of Yorkshire |
| 1935 (December) | Classified Telephone Directory: West and East Yorkshire |
| 1936 | KELLY: Directory of West Riding |
| 1937-82 | Halifax Telephone directories (incomplete) |
| 1939-40 | Bradford, Leeds, Halifax and Huddersfield Trade Directory |
| 1947 | KELLY: Directory of Merchants, manufacturers and shippers |
| 1949 (January) | Classified Telephone Directory: Leeds, Bradford and York areas |
| 1951 (October) | Classified Telephone Directory: Leeds, Bradford and York areas |
| 1952-3 | BARRETT: Halifax County Borough Directory |
| 1956-7 | Bradford, Leeds, Halifax and Huddersfield Trade Directory |
| 1960, 1964, 1966 | BARRETT: Halifax County Borough Directories |
| 1960-61 | Bradford, Leeds, Halifax and Huddersfield Trade Directory |
| 1971-72 | Trades Directory(Classified) |
| 1980's-present | Various telephone and trade directories |
