Trade and employment records

Birth, marriage and death certificates and the census should provide a good account of our ancestors’ occupations. If your ancestor worked in a particular trade, or ran a shop or business, one of the best places to start finding out more is in local trade directories.

These volumes may list your ancestor year by year, revealing the premises from which they worked, whether they had any business partners and when they disappeared from the trade.
 

Where to find them

Trade directories are held at local archives, and there is a good national collection at Guildhall Library. Some have also been put online at www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/. Some commercial websites offer access to trade directories online too – www.ancestry.co.uk, www.familyrelatives.com and www.thegenealogist.co.uk, which have substantial collections.
 

Specific trades

If your ancestor worked for a particular company, hospital or specific professional industry, the relevant records may survive, and have either been deposited in an archive or are still held by the company or institution in question. Records of many railway employees are held together at the National Archives, while records of local police forces are often found in the relevant local archive.

The survival and scope of such records varies enormously, but may include details of when your ancestor joined a particular company, promotion details, pay, disciplinary matters and pension.

Apprenticeship records are also useful sources. There are collections of these in London at the National Archives, the Society of Genealogists and Guildhall Library, while British Origins (www.originsnetwork.com) offers online access to London Apprenticeship Abstracts 1442-1850 and Apprentices of Great Britain 1710-1774.

Records of industrial relations, including membership of Unions can tell you a lot too. The Trade Union Ancestors website is a good starting point for researching and locating union records.
 

 Although the census may say that someone was a coal miner or factory worker, you are still left with the task of finding out which local mine or factory they worked at. Ask family members if they know any stories that have been passed down. Local history books or newspapers may also hold vital clues.