The Post Office Directory Of Glasgow 1908-1909

Step back in time to the heart of a city at the zenith of its power. Imagine the clang of the shipyards along the Clyde, the rumble of trams on cobbled streets, and the lively chatter in bustling tenement closes. This was the Glasgow your ancestors knew. Now, you can walk in their footsteps.

The Post Office Directory of Glasgow 1908-1909 is more than a book; it's a time machine. For the family historian, it is an indispensable key that can unlock the stories, locations, and livelihoods of your Scottish ancestors, transforming names and dates on a chart into a vivid, living past.

What Will You Discover Inside?

This comprehensive directory is a genealogical treasure trove, offering a detailed snapshot of the city and its inhabitants on the eve of the First World War. Within its pages, you will find:

Residential Listings: Go beyond the census. Pinpoint your ancestor's exact address with street-by-street listings of private residents. Discover who their neighbours were—often revealing other family members living nearby.
Trades & Professions: What did they do for a living? Find your great-grandfather listed as a "spirit merchant," your great-aunt as a "dressmaker," or your great-uncle as a "shipyard riveter." This section provides unparalleled insight into their daily lives and social standing.
Commercial Glasgow: Explore the city's economic backbone. Discover the businesses your ancestors may have owned, managed, or frequented. From family-run bakeries to massive engineering firms, see the commercial landscape they navigated every day.
Official & Civic Life: Find listings for municipal officials, church ministers, doctors, lawyers, and schoolmasters. These are the figures who shaped the community your family lived in.
Rich Advertisements: Be captivated by period advertisements for everything from tea and tobacco to pianos and patent medicines. These ads provide a fascinating and colourful glimpse into the aspirations, trends, and necessities of Edwardian life.
Maps & Plans: Navigate their world. Often included are street maps that allow you to visualize the journey from your ancestor's home to their workplace, their local church, or the market.
Why This Directory is a Genealogist's Goldmine:

Bridge the Census Gap: This directory is the single most powerful tool for tracing your family between the 1901 and 1911 censuses. It can show moves, marriages, and changes in occupation that official records miss.
A Primary Source: This isn't a modern interpretation; it's a contemporary record created at the time your ancestors lived there. It provides direct, unfiltered evidence.
Add Context and Colour: Move beyond "when" and "where" to understand "how." Learn about the layout of their street, the services available to them, and the very fabric of their daily existence.
Who Will Find This Invaluable?

Family Historians with Glasgow or West of Scotland ancestry.
Local and Social Historians researching Edwardian urban life.
House Historians tracing the history of a specific building.
Writers and Researchers seeking authentic details for projects set in early 20th-century Scotland.