This was posted to another list and I thought it might be of interest. ---------------Original Message--------------- Taken from PRONI : Your Family Tree 9 There are a number of printed sources available on the shelves of the Public Search Room which can be of use to anyone interested in tracing their family tree. Of particular value to genealogists are the Ulster Street Directories, which contain a great deal of information on the gentry, the professional classes, merchants etc. These directories include information on even the smallest of market towns and ports in Ireland. Beginning with a description of the town and surrounding countryside, the names and addresses of the local butchers, pawnbrokers, blacksmiths and coach builders are given, as well as the various places of worship, with the names of the local ministers etc..and the location of local schools. The names and addresses of the local Member of Parliament, magistrates, poor law guardians and town commissioners are also included in many street directories. In fact the only classes which are excluded from all the directories are the small tenant farmers, landless labourers and servants. The principal coutry-wide directories which can be found on the shelves of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland are; Slater`s Directory of Ireland: Arranged by province, trade lists for each town and village within the province are included. There are lists of nobility, gentry and clergy, however, the principal farmers are not included. The main cities - Belfast, Cork, Dublin and Limerick have alphabetical indexes to their lists of traders, nobility etc. Pigot`s Commercial Directory of Ireland: The towns of Ireland are listed alphabetically, supplying the names of the nobility etc., and dividing the traders of each town according to their trade. Thom`s Official Directory of Great Britain & Ireland: Divided into a county directory, borough directory and directory of the municipal towns in Ireland, an alphabetical list of the nobility, gentry, merchants and traders is included. A series of provinical directories is also included on the shelves of the Public Search Room. During the 19th century, a great many local directories were produced particularly for important commercial centres such as Belfast, Derry and Newry, although the quality of these vary considerably from locality to locality. Of particular interest to anyone interested in tracing their family tree. Martin`s Belfast Directory: 1839 and 1841-42, which includes an alphabetical list of gentry, merchants and traders living in Belfast and also a street-by-street listing of the principal streets. Matier`s Belfast Directory: 1835-36 and c 1860, which includes an alphabetical list of gentry, merchants and traders residing in Belfast and its neighbourhood. Alex Hughes >from Ayrshire, Scotland Searching for Duncan,Bruce,Kilpatrick,Campbell,Fairley,Milne,McKechan, Jamphray,Strathern,Kelso,Smith & Auld in Scotland Searching for Hughes, Graham, McCutcheon, Donaghy, Irvine, Dorian, Kelley & Black in Ireland ----------End of Original Message----------