Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know what kind of information you get on this? There's one available covering Middlesex and surrounding areas which is where my family are all from but they are not professional people - mainly bootmakers, labourers, carpenters etc and I wondered if the directory would list the ordinary working man - I don't want to buy it and find that its of no use to me. Thanks, Sue

There's a website at historicaldirectories(.)org/ which allows you to view many directories including pigots. Don't forget to remove brackets. Deb H

Thanks Debora, Hadn't heard of this site - it's really interesting and may save me buying Pigot's cd, although navigating my way round it seems a bit of a challenge! Thanks again, Sue

Pigots/Kellys and other similar direcories are all TRADE directories so that is precisely where you will find your Shoe Maker and Carpenter as well as your Butcher/Baker and Candlestick maker. Janet

I have a facsimile edition of Pigot's 1839 directory covering Essex, Herts and Middlesex which I bought a few years ago (proper book, not CD). My 3x gt grandfather who was a butcher is listed - it was the first time I'd found any of my lot listed in anything other than church registers and BMD indexes so couldn't resist buying it. It is also useful for giving descriptions of the places where my ancestors lived and some idea of the main occupations of the area. It doesn't cover every parish though, and people listed are those who were employers, or at least self employed rather than labourers. Would you like me to see if the part of Middlesex you are interested in is covered?

Hi Judith, The area that most of my tree is rooted in is Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Spitalfields - generally the East End which used to be Middlesex so if you could let me know if the 1839 Directory covers that area I'd be grateful. There is a copy of that one for sale on CD and also one for 1826 which definitely covers those areas. From what I saw on the Archive website it seems to me that you'd get good idea of the area that your ancestors lived in even if they're not listed. Many thanks, Sue

nudge

Hi Susan, I have checked the 1839 Pigots and I'm sorry it doesn't cover those parts of Middlesex, perhaps they were covered by London directories of the time. The places covered are all just a bit further out from the city. I've listed them in case anyone would like a look up: Acton, East Acton and Shepherd's Bush Brentford Chiswick, Turnham Green and Little Sutton Clapton and High Hill Ferry Ealing and Little Ealing Edgeware and Great and Little Stanmore Edmonton Enfield and Neighbourhood Fulham Hammersmith Hampstead and Neighbourhood Hampton, Hampton Court and Hampton Wick Harrow Greenford and Northolt Hayes Norwood Southall and Neighbourhood Highgate Hornsey, Crouch End and Muswell Hill Hounslow Heston and Cranford Bridge Isleworth Kilburn Pinner Ponders End Southgate and Winchmore Hill Staines Stoke Newington and Stamford Hill Sunbury, Shepperton, Lower and Upper Halliford Tottenham Twickenham and Teddington Uxbridge Wilsdon, Kingsbury and neighbourhood

Thanks for looking Judith - you've definitely saved me some money, still tempted to buy the 1826 version tho...Sue