London City Directories 1736-1943 - ancestry

[kiterunner]

Not sure why they didn't add them to the existing City Directories database.

Anyway, here they are:
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61265

They were indexed using OCR software, so if you don't find what you're looking for, try browsing.

[Sue from Southend]

Interesting - not just the City, the directories covered include the Home Counties. I found my 2xgt uncle in Essex.

[Jill]

My 1x 2x and 3x great grandfathers shared the same name so I'll be unpicking which is which, thankyou.

[kiterunner]

For those searching for 18th century directories, they are mostly not indexed and you have to browse. But the browse goes by title of directory and only by year within title. So here are the titles you want to look for!

The only directories included which cover years before 1768 are called "Kent Directory" - 1736, 1745, 1753, then most years from 1765 through to 1817. They are actually London directories, though - Kent is the name of the publisher. Some of them are listed as "Kent London Directory", starting with 1754 and going up to 1828. If you are browsing through those and you can't find the year you want as "Kent Directory", try looking in the "Kent London Directory". Then the "London Directory" starts in 1768, and the "Lowndes London Directory" in 1774, although they seem to be the same series as each other. And there is the "Wakefield Merchant and Trademan's London Directory" covering 1794.

Pigot's starts in 1822.