New mid-20th century trade directories on TheGenealogist

Search the expanded historic trade directories collection on TheGenealogist 

January 2025 saw the release of 39 comprehensive directories spanning 1935-1940, covering over 6 million individuals and businesses.

This collection will be of particular use to family historians and researchers seeking information about people and companies in the run up to and early days of World War II.

The newly digitised collection of trade directories on TheGenealogist includes:

• Over 6 million individuals and businesses
• 39 detailed directories covering various regions
• Searchable information about residences and commercial establishments

"This release represents a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to providing comprehensive historical records to genealogists and family historians," says Mark Bayley, Head of Online Development at TheGenealogist. "These directories offer a unique glimpse into the lives of people and businesses operating during the outbreak of the Second World War, providing invaluable context for family researchers."

Users can access these new records through TheGenealogist's advanced search system, which allows for both broad and detailed searches across the entire collection.

The Directories covered in this release from TheGenealogist are listed below.

1940 Bedfordshire, Huntingtonshire & Northamptonshire, 1940 Kelly’s Directory; Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire 1935 Kelly’s Directory; Bristol & Suburbs, 1937 Kelly’s Directory; Buckinghamshire 1939 Kelly’s Directory; Cambridge 1937 Kelly’s Trade Directory; Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay & C 1939 Kelly’s Directory; Croydon 1939 Ward’s Directory; Cumberland & Westmorland, 1938 Kelly’s Directory; Cumberland, Westmorland and North Lancashire, July 1940 Telephone Directory; Devon 1935 Kelly’s Directory; Devon and Cornwall 1935 Kelly’s Directory; Devonshire & Cornwall, 1939 Kelly’s Directory; Dorsetshire, 1939 Kelly’s Directory; Edinburgh & Leith 1939-1940 Post Office Directory; Essex 1937 Kelly’s Directory; Essex, East Suffolk & East Herts 1939 Telephone Directory ; Gloucestershire 1939 Kelly’s Directory; Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, 1940 Directory and Almanack; Hampshire & The Isle of Wight, 1939 Kelly’s Directory; Hants & Isle of Wight 1935 Kelly’s Directory; Huntingdonshire 1940 Kelly’s Directory; Ireland 1935 Thom’s Directory; Lincolnshire 1937 Kelly’s Directory; Liverpool & South West Lancashire, December 1939 Classified Telephone Directory, ; London 1936 Kelly’s Post Office Commericial Directory; London 1937 Post Office Directory; London 1938 Post Office Directory; Paris 1935 Directory; Rutland, 1936 Kelly’s Directory; Somerset 1935 Kelly’s Directory; Somerset 1939 Kelly’s Directory; Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth Districts March 1940 Telephone Directory; Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, 1940 Kelly’s Directory of ; Sunderland, Newcastle and Gateshead 1937 Ward’s Directory; Watford 1937 Kelly’s Directory; Wembley, Alperton, Sudbury and Kingsbury, 1937 Kelly’s Directory; Weston Super Mare Directory 1935; Wiltshire 1939 Kelly’s Directory; Worcester 1937 Kelly’s Directory.

The best way to locate them is to go to TheGenealogist > Search > Find records & scroll down to 'Reference Books' and choose 'Trade, Residential and Telephone' then 'Trade, Residential and Searchable Books'.

Then you can search on your county name of interest. This will reveal just the relevant directories, and from here you can easy spot the publication dates that fit your research needs.