The Post Office Directory of Glasgow 1915-1916 (Digital Download or CD)

Unlock the history of the "Second City of the Empire" during the pivotal years of the First World War.

Step back in time and walk the streets of Glasgow in 1915-1916. This invaluable genealogical resource bridges the gap left by missing census records, providing a detailed snapshot of life in Scotland’s largest city during the Great War. Whether you are tracing your family tree, researching house history, or exploring local industrial heritage, this directory is an essential addition to your archive.

Navigating the Directory

Please Note: This directory is a scanned facsimile of the original book, presented in high-resolution PDF format. It is not fully searchable by text input (e.g., Ctrl+F). However, due to the meticulous alphabetical arrangement of the sections, navigation is intuitive and straightforward. Furthermore, many modern PDF readers (such as Adobe Acrobat or browser-based viewers) now offer OCR (Optical Character Recognition) "on the fly," which may allow you to search the text depending on your software settings.

What’s Inside?

This comprehensive volume is divided into clear, easy-to-use sections:

1. Street Directory: A complete listing of streets and principal buildings, perfect for locating ancestors' homes and seeing who their neighbours were.
2. Commercial & Trades Directory: Classified lists of businesses and tradesmen. Find out if your great-grandfather was a Clydebank shipbuilder, a tea merchant, or a master baker.
3. Alphabetical Directory (Private Residents): The core of the book for genealogists, listing the heads of households, their occupations, and their addresses.
4. Official & Municipal Directory: Listings for the City Council, public bodies, churches, schools, and charitable institutions.
5. Postal & Court Information: Details on post office hours, money orders, and court officials.

Bridging the Census Gaps

This directory is particularly vital for researchers because it falls directly between the 1911 and 1921 censuses. By 1915, the landscape of Glasgow had changed dramatically due to WWI. Many men had enlisted, leaving women listed as heads of households or taking on new roles in the commercial directories. This resource helps you track family movements during this "lost" decade.

Glasgow in 1915: Facts and Context

• The Workshop of the World: In 1915, Glasgow was the engine room of the British war effort. The Clyde shipyards were working at maximum capacity, producing battleships and cruisers for the Royal Navy.
• The Old Firm: Football continued to provide a morale boost during the war years. This era saw legendary players like Celtic’s Jimmy McMenemy and Rangers’ Tommy Cairns plying their trade (though many footballers had by this stage signed up for the Footballers' Battalion).
• Famous Residents: While Charles Rennie Mackintosh had left for England by 1915, the city was still populated by industrial giants like Sir William Burrell (the shipping magnate and art collector) and influential figures of the Tennent brewing family.
• Transport: Glasgow boasted one of the largest municipal tramway systems in the world, a vital network for the thousands of workers commuting to the factories and shipyards every day.

Important Disclaimer

Please be aware that during the original scanning of this historical document, some maps were unfortunately missing or damaged. Consequently, certain street maps may be absent from this digital reproduction.

Product Format

• Format: High-Quality PDF (Scanned Images)
• Availability: Instant Digital Download or Physical CD-ROM
• Compatibility: Compatible with PC, Mac, and tablets. Requires a PDF reader.