National Library Scotland- Post Office Directories

[Falkyrn]

The NLS have relaunched access to their collection of Post Office Directories and provided their own website with search facilities

http://digital.nls.uk/directories/

[Currie]

Thanks Falkyrn,

You can always rely on the NLS to deliver the goods.

Compared to the NLS ones at the Internet Archive it seems to be much easier to see what’s available and to find a particular directory. I doubt the within directory search can be trusted to work on either site. The method of navigating through the pages is somewhat different here and I’m not sure if it’s better or worse as I‘ve only had a quick look.

There are some more Scottish Post Office directories starting to appear at the Internet Archive site. I think Glasgow is now up to 1918.

All the best,
Alan

[Falkyrn]

Having just tried their new search facility all I can say is "bring back the old format". Whoever designed the search facility is in need of serious therapy

[Lorna Allison]

Hi

Thanks very much for that Falkyrn. I didn't know they could be viewed online. Just found a name which gave me hope residing at 29 Scotland Street, Edinburgh in 1911-12 Directory. Looks like a private individual ok but absolutely no result in a 1911 Census search. This lad disappears between school and dying in WWI and I would very much like to find where he went and what he did. Any suggestions? Should I be able to find the inhabitants of 29 Scotland Street without having a name?

Lorna

[AndrewP]

Should I be able to find the inhabitants of 29 Scotland Street without having a name?

Hi Lorna,

One possibility is to look up one of his immediate neighbours on the census, from the names in the PO Directory. Hopefully the occupants of number 29 will appear on the same page, or at worst be one page away.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Currie]

Hello Lorna,

Here are some Scotsman entries for Tait at 29 Scotland Street.
1904 - A wanted Ad for a servant.
1912 Oct 05 - Mr C. Kingsley Tait offering Pianoforte lessons.
1916 Mar 01 - Detailed Obit for Thomas M. Tait, died age 57, Manager of Metal Merchants, son of late Thomas Tait, ironmonger, survived by a widow, and a son in training in the Inns of Court Officers Training Corps.
1916 Mar 11 - return thanks from Mrs T. M. Tait and Mr C. Kingsley Tait re death.

Maybe this is the son.
1941 Oct 11 - Charles Kingsley Tait, Civil Servant at Scottish Office in London, age 51, living at Harrow, gets into a bit of strife.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[AndrewP]

Hi Lorna,

Additional to my message above, I see the indexing of the directory is of the name index only. The street index has not been indexed by name.

For Scotland Street, see http://digital.nls.uk/directories/brows ... d=85928983 .

All the best,

AndrewP

[Lorna Allison]

Hello Alan

So that proves it - you are the 7th son of a 7th son, how else could you know that it was Thomas Tait that I was trying to find =D> You never cease to amaze me and thank you so much. Alas, as usual I am getting ideas above my station. Although the TM Tait turns out to be a son of Thomas Tait (as mine is) he is considerably higher up the social scale. Higher only in material things I would hasten to say as my boy was a clever country boy whose father was a gamekeeper - but of course you will know that already Your help is always so much appreciated. Frankly I am not going to investigate CK Tait as I have enough skeletons in my own cupboard without finding I might be related to another lot.

Hello Andrew

Once again you too come up trumps. I see the other occupants of Scotland Street - thank you because that will help me in future browses - and will have a look at the neighbours. Sadly not my Thomas but I think I shall get the old pen and ink out and contact the Cameron archivist to see if they have any idea what he did before joining up.

Kind regards to both
Lorna

[Currie]

It was a pleasure Lorna.

Actually, I’m more inclined to believe I’m the 13th son of a 13th son, although that one doesn’t match my tree either.

All the best,
Alan

[Falkyrn]

On their own site the NLS appear to have a cut off date regarding availability of the online directories. However the directories which have been digitised are also available at http://www.archive.org up to 1930/31 for Dundee Aberdeen and Glasgow and others for the likes of Inverness and Perth.
There are many more books digitised by the NLS available on the archive site (just under 4500 the last time I checked - 886 directories alone) - just enter "National Library Scotland" in the search box to see what is available.