Genealogy Chat

Hi. I am wanting to trace information about my maternal great grandfather who had a small business during the 1880 to 1900 general period. Does anyone know if small private companies had to register anywhere at that time - local trade organisations, chambers etc? He was a master wheelwright, carpenter and stonemason and had a small number of employees. I know quite a bit about him and the family side of things but not much about his business activities.

Is it in GB
Kelly's trade directories are good
Or try Gores directory

Have you tried Googling his name?

If he was a Master Wheelwright, he must have gone through an apprenticeship ........... google to find Wheelwrights, and see if you can find hi name

Same thing if he was a Master Carpenter or master Stonemason ..... although the carpentry could just have come through his training as a wheelwright.

Look for the Electoral Roll(s) for his town, or "Trade Directories - (name of town)"


Google, Google, Google is often the answer to a lot of questions.

Welcome to the Community boards Robin.



(I'll let Robin know how to find his replies) :-)

Hi Folks.
Thanks for your helpful suggestions, which I shall check-out. Little difficult I suspect checking trade directories as I live abroad, however, I do visit England a couple or so of times a year so will see what I can do during one of these occasions.
Sorry I have been rather a long time responding to your replies but have been away and also this is the first time I have tried this system. So thanks Cynthia in particular for having at last got through to me.
Robin :-)

You can see old Kelly's Directories on this site:

http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/cdm/landingpage/collection/p16445coll4

It is very time consuming to look at them though.

Newspapers...

(add some details if you need more help)

Chris :)

edits (not Cambs./Norfolk/Notts. area is it?)

This is the same as Kense's above, but takes you in a bit further on. I use it quite a lot and it is not as time consuming as Kense makes out (unless the name is very common).

Start by clicking on the county and then the decade required. Open one of the directories and put the name of the person in the search box.

A list of pages will appear on the right. Scroll down it and any with your name on will be marked in red, so you can open them. Businesses usually appear more than once - under name, type of business and address.

http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/cdm/map/collection/p16445coll4

found this site

http://blacksmiths.mygenwebs.com/wheelwrights-1.php

Thanks for that Andysmum. It is some time since I last used the facility.

http://blacksmiths.mygenwebs.com/wheelwrights-1.php

This is an excellent site. I often use it for blacksmiths ......... BUT it is not a comprehensive list. It depends on people sending information to Ann Spiro on ancestors with the trades she mentions ............... blacksmiths, whitesmiths, and other associated occupations.

She actually headed her original site "A Genealogical Index of Blacksmiths and Related Occupations"

freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~blacksmiths/index.htm

and described it as ................

"my personal collection of blacksmiths,cartwrights, wheelwrights, shipwrights, farriers, iron workers and any other related occupations. They are compiled from census records and with information received from other generous researchers who have shared their ancestors details with me."

If someone has already listed your ancestor, fine and dandy. Otherwise, nada.

The amount of information on there depends on what has been entered .................. ie, from name, address and maybe dates only ot lots of history

You can list your ancestor and then hope for future contact ........... as I did, and as did happen about 8 years later :-D

If it was a limited company (by shares) then there are often records held online both at Companies House and the London Gazette. Access to old records on both sites is free. The London Gazette records can be very illuminating.

However if the "company" was a non-incorporated "sole trader" providing a service, running a shop or pub and so on then Kelly's is your best bet after specialised trade records. Ancestry has a good chunk of Kelly's on line.

Professional services provided by partnerships eg law, architecture, medicine or usually v easy to follow up.