Street Directories

Post by **steve p** » 27 Mar 2010 22:03

Hi all... I'm fairly new to all this, so forgive me if this is a daft question.

Searching the Records Office directories for residents of Arlington Street pulled up very few names, even though I am led to believe that the street was chock full of people during those overcrowded days.

I looked over several years' worth of records, but always it pulled up one or two names and a reference like 'Vauxhall road to...' I realise these lists are not always complete, but surely a street like that wouldn't be missed out over so many years. The same has happened for other streets I've looked for.

Does anyone know if I'm missing something here? Should I be looking somewhere else?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts...

steve

Post by **MaryA** » 27 Mar 2010 22:57

Hi and welcome to the forum.

The probability is that only tradespeople registered themselves in the directories you were checking and Arlington Street might have been in a residential area. It also depends on the affluence since labourers and the like wouldn't have wanted to spare their precious cash on entries in a trade directory.

Perhaps you could give us some names and dates that you are looking for and we can help check through the censuses and see if they have moved to a different area.

Post by **steve p** » 28 Mar 2010 08:25

Thanks, Mary A.

That would certainly explain it as the people I'm researching are all amongst the poorest. It's also a little disappointing as it would seem the Records Office Street Directories are not going to be much use to me (I had thought they were sort of 'mini censuses', albeit listing only family heads).

Thanks for the kind offer of trawling the censuses, but I have my Ancestry subscription and I believe I've traced them back as far as 1841. I was hoping to use the street directories to fill in the gaps and also go back a little further address wise.

Just as an aside, I used the street directories to trace my own recent history (my main project is a surprise family tree gift for my wife's fiftieth) and found my own parents listed even though they've no trade as such and wouldn't pay to be in it. I wonder when it went from being that 'mini census' to 'no paupers' sort of thing?

Thanks again for your reply. It's nice to find people passionate about family history seeing as I've been bitten big time by the bug myself now!

steve

Post by **Katie** » 28 Mar 2010 09:55

Look in the Electoral Rolls and you will get more people living in Arlington Street

Post by **Tina** » 28 Mar 2010 10:51

Hi Steve
Some of us have Gores/Kellys Directories covering many years.
We can look up Arlington St for you if you give us a surname or house number.
There's also this link
http://www.old-liverpool.co.uk/Directories.html

The Society also has Poll Books.

Tina

Post by **steve p** » 28 Mar 2010 12:23

Katie wrote:Look in the Electoral Rolls and you will get more people living in Arlington Street

Thanks, katie... are the Electoral Rolls available on microfilm at the central library?

steve

Post by **steve p** » 28 Mar 2010 12:31

Tina wrote:Hi Steve
Some of us have Gores/Kellys Directories covering many years.
We can look up Arlington St for you if you give us a surname or house number.
There's also this link
http://www.old-liverpool.co.uk/Directories.html

The Society also has Poll Books.

Tina

That's kind of you, Tina, thank you.

The person (people) I'm interested in is Joseph Price. His 1911 address would seem to be 15 Juvenal Buildings, Juvenal Street, Liverpool. On the birth certificate of daughter Eileen Price in 1918 the address is 224 Arlington Street (or possibly Adlington Street, the writing's a bit wobbly).

I was hoping to see when they moved to Arlington and how long they stayed there. Possibly Katie's Electoral Roll suggestion might do the trick...

steve

Post by **Katie** » 28 Mar 2010 19:02

Hi Steve.

Up to 1899 they are on microfilm 1900 to 1918 (gap between 1914-1917) are in original form which you have to request in the search room 1918-1940 on microfilm.

a member of staff will be able to show you how to get the polling district

Post by **John Stanley** » 29 Mar 2010 01:04

Hi,Nothing to do with this post,
But I was born at 147 Arlington Street as were most of my immediate family, you may not know this Arlington Street was destroyed by Enemy Action in WW2 during the "May Blitz" and was never rebuilt.
I have a cousin who is 97 years old this year,she also lived in "Arley", I love going to visit her and just talk.
she is an amazing lady and an absolute fount of knowledge.
regards John

Post by **steve p** » 30 Mar 2010 08:55

Thanks for the comment, John. I'd love to hear what life was like in 'Arly' back then (and possibly even more so 97 years ago!). I read on the Internet somewhere (I could probably find the source if you're interested) that back then (1900s) there were 1000 people living in Arlington Street. I guess it was busy!

steve

Post by **Tina** » 30 Mar 2010 10:44

Hi Steve
Maybe Erika or Jan will look in, they have 1914 Directories.

Tina

Post by **erika** » 30 Mar 2010 12:44

Have checked 1914 for Joseph Price at both addresses.

Nothing listed for either I'm afraid and Arlington St only has one person listed!

There are a few Joseph Price listed, mainly over the water tho'.

Two in Liverpool
3 Ellison St
28 Empire St E listed as a checker.

Also checked 1938 Directory, but again no Arlington St, but for one name.
There are again a few Joseph Price listed.
Have you an occupation, it could help narrow it down?

Cheers
Erika

Post by **colette** » 30 Mar 2010 17:38

Hi

If it was a rough street then they sometimes never bothered taking names of heads.... i know this from the street my ancestors lived in only shopkeepers were mentioned..its just one of those things i am afraid..

Post by **steve p** » 31 Mar 2010 08:34

Hi Erika... thanks for your time and effort with that.

He was a labourer (in a lard refinery according to 1911 census -which I guess gave him an unique aroma

. I think he was in Uldale Close by 1938. It would seem he was in Arlington (or Adlington) Street at 1918 with the birth of daughter Eileen.

I'm going to try and get to the central library this week (I'd offer the 'look up' thing many of you do but being fairly new to this don't yet trust myself not to give people duff info) and look at the electoral rolls as suggested above.

Again, thanks for your efforts...

steve

Post by **steve p** » 31 Mar 2010 08:36

colette wrote:Hi

If it was a rough street then they sometimes never bothered taking names of heads.... i know this from the street my ancestors lived in only shopkeepers were mentioned..its just one of those things i am afraid..

Hi Colette... I suspect it was a 'poor' street, though whether poor is always associated with 'rough' I'm not sure.

It's an amusing image, though, of these unfortunate data collectors hurrying by certain streets

steve

Post by **steve p** » 02 Apr 2010 10:11

Electoral Rolls suggestion did the trick, Katie, so thanks for that...

steve

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