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Directories and Member Lists TOP^
The Directories & Member Lists Collection is a compilation of printed and electronic databases dating from the 1680s to 2000, containing contact information for individuals and groups from the U.S. and the U.K. (including Ireland and Scotland). Directories and member lists are the predecessors of the modern-day phone book. They listed the inhabitants of a locality, with their addresses and occupation (and sometimes business address). Since most directories list individuals alphabetically, they are one of the most easy-to-use record forms available to genealogists.
The collection contains the following interesting databases (among others):
- Harvard University Alumni Directory (Boston, Mass.), 1913
- Catalog of Knights, 1660-1760
- Ireland, The Royal Irish Constabulary, 1816-1921
- LDS Member Name List, 1830-45
- New York Holland Society Yearbook, 1902
- New York Politicians and Postmasters, 1898
- New York Teachers Association Members, 1888
- Old Westminsters, up to 1927
- Pacific Coast Directory, 1867
- Protestant Episcopal Church Clerical Directory, 1898
- Worchester, Massachusetts Real Estate Directory, 1922 and 1944
Featured Databases TOP^
The following is a brief description of the four featured databases in the Directories & Member Lists Collection:
- 2000 Phone and Address Directory. This database is a phone directory from 2000 in the United States of America. Entries include name, address, city, state, and phone number. Telephone directories are the descendants of city directories, with the criterion for inclusion simply being subscription to a particular phone service. Telephone directories are useful as locators of a person in a specific time and place and are very useful for twentieth-century family research. This type of directory can be great for locating living distant relatives.
- 1994 Phone and Address Directory. This database is a phone directory from 1994 in the United States of America. Entries include name, address, city, state, and phone number.
- New York City Directory, 1890. With a population approaching nearly 1.5 million, New York City was the largest metropolitan area in the United States as the nineteenth century ended. In 1890, the city limits included areas of the Bronx, Kings, and Queens counties. This database is a directory of city residents in that year and includes the names of over 384,000 persons. Along with the name of the resident (which is displayed surname first), you will find his/her occupation, business address, and home address (preceded by a lowercase h). For those seeking ancestors who were residents of New York City, this database can be a helpful tool.
- Early UK and U.S. Directories. This database is a massive collection of UK and U.S. biographical records, directories, and lists. The database makes available biographical sources that were previously too large and too dispersed for practical consultation. It also lets genealogists trace some individuals and families from birth to death, including everything in between, such as marriage, work, reading interests, offices, children, and social groups. This collection provides information on more than 2.5 million individuals.
Types of Records TOP^
The Directories & Members Lists Collection contains a variety of records. This section explains some of the
types of records you might encounter:
Alumni Directory
Alumni directories contain a listing of individuals who attended a particular university, the year
that they graduated, and their degree. If you can find information about your ancestor in one of these
directories, you may be able to locate other records within the organization which can provide insight
into the life of your ancestor.
View an original
image from an Oxford alumni directory
Business or Professional Directory
Business directories usually contain information such as dates and places of birth, dates of marriage,
names of children, length of residence in the town, and other valuable information. They are usually
organized by county, and depending on the time period, vary in the amount of information they contain.
Often, you'll find advertisements for certain businesses in these directories.
Professional directories include directories for people such as doctors and lawyers. They will most often
include information relating to that individual's history in the profession, as well as other biographical information.
City Directory
City directories help you locate where and when a person lived. A city directory can often guide you to other
records such as censuses, death and probate records, naturalization records, land records, and church records.
View an
original image from a Massachusetts city directory
Member List
A member list usually includes the names of individuals who are members of a particular group or organization.
Telephone Directory
Most people are familiar with the common telephone directory; they contain addresses and phone numbers. These
directories can be quite helpful in locating living relatives or possible relatives with the same surname or
a similar surname. The phone company in each city in the United States publishes a directory of everyone in
that area who has a phone number.
Interesting Facts TOP^
- The first residential listing for an American city is believed to be for Baltimore, Maryland, in 1752.
- When the telephone was invented in 1876, only three people had telephones.
- The first telephone directory was published in 1878. The directory was a one page listing of only fifty subscribers-phone numbers not included.
- The "yellow pages" were invented in 1883 when a telephone directory printer ran out of white paper and used yellow paper to complete the job.
- Many directories were intended for short-term use and printed on low-quality paper-and consequently, many have been destroyed over the years.
- The Library of Congress maintains the world's largest archive of historical U.S. telephone and city directories, with over 124,000 items in the collection.
- You can find city directories in almost every local library in the country.
Some information in this section was taken from The Library of Congress at <www.loc.gov>,
The Yellow Pages Association at <www.yppa.org>, and National Historic Landmarks Program
at <www.cr.nps.gov/nhl>.
FAQ TOP^
What is a directory?
A directory is a document that contains information about a city's residents including phone numbers, addresses, and sometimes occupations.
How can I find out what directories my ancestors might be in?
Before you start to look for an ancestor in a directory, you might want to locate a copy of the Directory of
Directories by James A. Ethridge. This book is available in most local libraries and may help you find a
directory that has exactly what you are looking for.
How can I search for phone and address listings for living individuals?
Ancestry offers a free Phone and Address Listings database provided by
Infospace.com which offers current information on living individuals from the United States, Canada, and much of Europe.
Related Articles TOP^
For more information on using directories in your research, see these articles:
Using Directories by Juliana Smith
Using Directories for Genealogical Research by Curt B. Witcher
City Directories by Brian G. Andersson
City Directories by Kathi Sittner
Employing Detective Skills with Directories and Maps by Juliana Smith
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