The Post Office Directory Of Glasgow 1913-1914

The Post Office Directory of Glasgow 1913-1914: A Snapshot of the Second City of the Empire (Digital Download or CD)

Product Description

Step back into the vibrant, bustling streets of Glasgow just as the world stood on the brink of the Great War. This fascinating reproduction of The Post Office Directory of Glasgow 1913-1914 offers an unparalleled glimpse into the daily lives, architecture, and commerce of Scotland’s largest city during its industrial zenith.

Ideal for family historians, genealogists, and local history researchers, this directory serves as a vital "census substitute," bridging the gap between the 1911 Census and the disruption caused by the First World War. Whether you are tracing the movements of ancestors or researching the history of Glasgow’s iconic buildings, this directory is an essential resource.

Format & Navigation

Please note that this directory is a high-quality scan of the original book, consisting of digitally scanned images. The text within the PDF is not searchable in the traditional sense (you cannot Ctrl+F to find a word instantly). However, due to the highly structured, alphabetical nature of the directory, navigation is intuitive and straightforward.

• Modern PDF Readers: Most modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat) now perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the fly. While the underlying data is an image, your software may be able to read the text for you, depending on your device and settings.
• Manual Indexing: The directory is meticulously organized alphabetically by surname, street, and trade, allowing you to quickly pinpoint the section you need.

Historical Context: The Eve of the Great War

In 1913-1914, Glasgow was at the peak of its power, known as the "Second City of the Empire." The Clyde shipyards were the engines of the world, producing a huge portion of the globe's shipping. This directory captures the city in a moment of frozen grandeur just before the ravages of WWI changed society forever.

Census Gaps & Genealogy Value: With the 1921 Census being the next major census after 1911 (and the 1931 Census lost to fire), directories from the 1913-1914 period are crucial. They allow you to confirm if an ancestor was still at a known address, had moved due to the booming wartime economy, or had changed professions.

Famous Residents & Notable Figures

Glasgow in 1913 was home to inventors, architects, and industrialists. While using this directory, you may come across the addresses of notable figures such as:

• Charles Rennie Mackintosh: The pioneering architect and designer was active in the city during this period.
• Sir William Burrell: The shipping magnate and art collector whose generosity would eventually gift the world the famous Burrell Collection.
• John Logie Baird: The inventor of television was studying and living in the area around this time.

Local Interest Facts

• Industry: Glasgow was the shipbuilding capital of the world. The Commercial and Trades sections list the engineers, ironmoulders, and boilermakers who powered the Clyde.
• Football: The city was obsessed with football. Rangers were the dominant force in Scottish football during this era, while Celtic were also drawing massive crowds to their new ground at Celtic Park (having moved from the original Celtic Park in 1892). The directory lists the officials and secretaries of these clubs, as well as the local publicans whose premises hosted the supporters.
• Trams: The city boasted an extensive electrified tramway system, one of the most advanced in Europe at the time, connecting the suburbs to the industrial heart.

What's Inside the Directory

This comprehensive volume is divided into clear sections to aid your research:

1. Street Directory: An alphabetical list of streets with head-of-household names and occupations listed house-by-house. Invaluable for seeing who lived next door to your ancestors!
2. Commercial (Trades) Directory: A classified list of businesses and tradespeople, from Architects to Woollen Merchants.
3. Professional & Private Residents (Alphabetical): A list of private citizens, gentry, and professionals, often including their occupations and business addresses.
4. Official & Municipal Information: Details of the Corporation, Magistrates, Councillors, and public officials.
5. Suburbs: Detailed sections for surrounding areas including Govan, Partick, Pollokshields, and Maryhill.

Important Disclaimer

Please be aware that during the original binding process for the 1913-1914 edition, certain maps were occasionally omitted or lost before digitization. We have included all pages available in the source text. While every effort has been made to provide a complete reproduction of the directory text, specific fold-out street maps may be missing from this edition.