1680s: No directories were produced at this time, but the Hearth Tax Returns provide lists of names, but omit occupations.
LIST OF DIRECTORIES
1752: In this year Thomas Juxon printed a catalogue of inhabitants and tradesmen of Birmingham, which is now lost.
1763: This was the first directory produced by James Sketchley, no copies have been found.
1765: Sketchley produced a second directory, but again, no copies can be located.
1767: Sketchley's Birmingham, Wolverhampton & Walsall Directory - This is Sketchley's third directory, but the first that survives. [selected pages]
1770: A Universal Directory for the Towns of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, and the Manufacturing Villages [...] (Sketchley and Adams). [searchable transcript]
1774: The New Birmingham Directory (Myles Swinney). [scanned pages]
1775: The Birmingham Directory (Myles Swinney).
1777: The Birmingham Directory (Myles Swinney).
1777: The Birmingham Directory (Pearson and Rollason). [scanned directory pages] [online full]
1780: The Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Bilston, and Willenhall Directory (Pearson and Rollason). [A-Z for Birmingham]
1781: Directory of Birmingham (Pearson and Rollason). [pay to download]
1781: Bailey's Northern Directory. [section listing Birmingham from page 142]*
1783: Bailey's Western & Midland Directory.
1785: Charles Pye, Birmingham Directory.
1787: Charles Pye, Birmingham Directory. [only High Street]
1788: Charles Pye, Birmingham Directory.
1788: 'Multum in Parvo', The Distant Traders Guide and Residents Local Directory for the Mercantile Town of Birmingham, written by G. Hunter and printed by T. Chapman for J. Smith & Co., Fazeley Street (near the Cotton Engine). [Google Books]*
1791: Charles Pye, The Birmingham Directory.
c.1792: Universal British Directory with section on Birmingham
1797: Charles Pye, The Birmingham Directory.
1800: James Bisset, A Poetic Survey and Magnificent Directory (Myles Swinney). Poetic Survey HERE & Magnificent Directory HERE.
1800: Charles Pye, The Birmingham Directory (T. A. Pearson) [scanned pages]
1800: Chapman's Birmingham Directory.
1801: Chapman's Birmingham Directory.
1803: Chapman's Birmingham Directory.
1808: James Bisset, Magnificent Directory, 2nd edn with additions.
1808: Triennial Directory of Birmingham (Thomson & Wrightson).
REGENCY PERIOD
1812: Triennial Directory of Birmingham (Thomson & Wrightson).
1815: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham.
1818: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham. HERE.
1818: The Commercial Directory (James Pigot). HERE.*
1821: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham..
1823: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham.
1823: York Directory with section on Birmingham. HERE.*
1825: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham.
1828-29: Pigot's National Commercial Directory (inc. Birmingham). HERE.
1830: William West, History, Topography and Directory of Warwickshire (R. Wrightson) [including Birmingham]
1835: Directory of Birmingham (Wrightson and Webb) [transcript] [scanned pages + better here]
1837: Pigot's National Commercial Directory [including Birmingham]
OTHER DIRECTORIES
1763: This was the first directory produced by James Sketchley, no copies have been found.
1765: Sketchley produced a second directory, but again, no copies can be located.
1767: Sketchley's Birmingham, Wolverhampton & Walsall Directory - This is Sketchley's third directory, but the first that survives. [selected pages]
1770: A Universal Directory for the Towns of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, and the Manufacturing Villages [...] (Sketchley and Adams). [searchable transcript]
1774: The New Birmingham Directory (Myles Swinney). [scanned pages]
1775: The Birmingham Directory (Myles Swinney).
1777: The Birmingham Directory (Myles Swinney).
1777: The Birmingham Directory (Pearson and Rollason). [scanned directory pages] [online full]
1780: The Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Bilston, and Willenhall Directory (Pearson and Rollason). [A-Z for Birmingham]
1781: Directory of Birmingham (Pearson and Rollason). [pay to download]
1781: Bailey's Northern Directory. [section listing Birmingham from page 142]*
1783: Bailey's Western & Midland Directory.
1785: Charles Pye, Birmingham Directory.
1787: Charles Pye, Birmingham Directory. [only High Street]
1788: Charles Pye, Birmingham Directory.
1788: 'Multum in Parvo', The Distant Traders Guide and Residents Local Directory for the Mercantile Town of Birmingham, written by G. Hunter and printed by T. Chapman for J. Smith & Co., Fazeley Street (near the Cotton Engine). [Google Books]*
1791: Charles Pye, The Birmingham Directory.
c.1792: Universal British Directory with section on Birmingham
1797: Charles Pye, The Birmingham Directory.
1800: James Bisset, A Poetic Survey and Magnificent Directory (Myles Swinney). Poetic Survey HERE & Magnificent Directory HERE.
1800: Charles Pye, The Birmingham Directory (T. A. Pearson) [scanned pages]
1800: Chapman's Birmingham Directory.
1801: Chapman's Birmingham Directory.
1803: Chapman's Birmingham Directory.
1808: James Bisset, Magnificent Directory, 2nd edn with additions.
1808: Triennial Directory of Birmingham (Thomson & Wrightson).
REGENCY PERIOD
1812: Triennial Directory of Birmingham (Thomson & Wrightson).
1815: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham.
1818: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham. HERE.
1818: The Commercial Directory (James Pigot). HERE.*
1821: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham..
1823: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham.
1823: York Directory with section on Birmingham. HERE.*
1825: Wrightson's Triennial Directory of Birmingham.
1828-29: Pigot's National Commercial Directory (inc. Birmingham). HERE.
1830: William West, History, Topography and Directory of Warwickshire (R. Wrightson) [including Birmingham]
1835: Directory of Birmingham (Wrightson and Webb) [transcript] [scanned pages + better here]
1837: Pigot's National Commercial Directory [including Birmingham]
OTHER DIRECTORIES
VICTORIAN DIRECTORIES ONLINE
1846: Slater's National Directory [including Birmingham] [Google Books]
1850: Post Office Directory of Birmingham, Staffordshire and Worcestershire (London: Kelly & Co., 1850) [Uni. of Leic.]
1854: Post Office Directory of Birmingham, Warwickshire, and part of Staffordshire (London: Kelly & Co., 1854) [Google Books]
1858: General and commercial directory of the borough of Birmingham, and six miles round; including Wolverhampton, Bilston, Walsall, Westbromwich (Birmingham: W. H. Dix & Compy, 1858) [Google Books]
1861: Corporation General and Trades Directory of Birmingham [...] (Birmingham: William Cornish, 1861) [Google Books]
1875: Francis White, Birmingham History and General Directory, 2 vols [Uni. of Leic. - vol. 1 - vol. 2]
1878: The Post Office Directory of Birmingham with its suburbs (London: Kelly & Co., 1878) [Google Books]
1879: The Post Office Directory of Birmingham (London: Kelly & Co., 1879) [archive.org]
A range of other Victorian Birmingham directories can be found here.
OTHER AREAS
1794: Directory of London and Westminster, & Borough of Southwark *
Originals (and copies) of directories can be found at Birmingham archive, unless marked with a *
OTHER AREAS
1794: Directory of London and Westminster, & Borough of Southwark *
Originals (and copies) of directories can be found at Birmingham archive, unless marked with a *