If you’re having trouble finding addresses, you may need to look beyond census data. Follow Judith Batchelor’s advice to…
Discover where your ancestors lived
From 1841 onwards, you’ll find your ancestors’ addresses in census records. However, as the census is taken only once every 10 years, it won’t record every address your ancestors lived at. We’ll reveal which other sources to search for to fill the gaps.
Search old trade directories
Trade directories were first published for cities and towns from the late 18th Century. At first, only notable people and professionals were listed, but by the 1820s they included more ‘ordinary’ people, notably those who owned a small business or shop. In time, almost all heads of households were listed.
You’ll find searchable trade directories on all major genealogy websites. For example, on Ancestry I found a Post Office Directory from 1875 containing my ancestor Methusalem Woodcock. He’s listed as the proprietor of a chandlers shop (selling candles, oils, soap and paint) at 64 Gough Street, Poplar, Middlesex.
For more directories, search Leicester University’s records for England and Wales between 1760s-1910s (www.snipca. com/47647). For Scottish directories between 1773 and 1911 visit https://digital. nls.uk/directories.
Browse electoral lists and 1939 Register
In 1918, the electorate was extended to include most men aged 21 and over and women over 30, subject to a property qualification. In 1928, everyone aged over 21 got the vote (1930 in Scotland), while in 1969 the voting age was lowered to 18. Electoral registers are therefore particularly useful for tracing addresses in the 20th Century.
Before 1878, many registers were organised alphabetically by surname. Afterwards, they were arranged by parliamentary division, polling district and then by address. Findmypast hosts an extensive collection of electoral registers from 1832 to 1932 (www.snipca.com/47649). You can search the early registers by name only, but for registers between 1910 and 1932 you can search by both name and keyword. Ancestry also has electoral registers for London, Middlesex and several other counties (www.snipca. com/47648).
