Friday Feature - Free Resources in Research Library 29 Mar This Friday I wanted to focus on our library resources. As part of the new website we have been digitising many of our publications. While the majority of these (174) are available for our Guild members, there are 37 FREE publications which anyone can read online here Merchants in Plenty: Joseph Smyth’s Belfast Directories of 1807 and 1808 The wonderful publication Merchants in Plenty: Joseph Smyth’s Belfast Directories of 1807 and 1808 is now available to read online and vividly brings to life the Belfast of the early nineteenth century. As an example here are the trades and businesses in Belfast in 1808 in the W section: William Walker, grocer, tobacco and snuff manufacturer, 12 Corn-marketWallace, Lyle & Whittle, flour and grain merchants, 4 Chichester QuayThomas Wallace, woollendraper, 116 High StreetHugh Wason & Co., merchants, Byrt’s-entry, High StreetThomas Ward & Co., booksellers and stationers, 19 High StreetJames Ward, bookbinder, 2 Wilson’s CourtJeremiah Ward, grocer and spirit dealer, 79 Mill streetMichael Ward, tavern-keeper, 4 Corn-marketSusanna Ware, boarding-school for young ladies, 49 Bank LaneMartha Warnick, haberdasher, 9 Castle StreetWilliam Watt, cotton manufacturer, 71 Waring StreetJames Wharton, grocer, 14 Church StreetJohn Wharton, grocer and cooper, 91 Hercules StreetThomas Whinnery, post-master and agent for London newspapers, 23 Church StreetJohn White, muslin manufacturer, 24 Mill-field James & John Whittle, wholesale woollen drapers, 66 ware-house-lane, Waring StreetMary Wilson, haberdasher and milliner, 105 High StreetHugh Wilson & Son, merchants, 163 North StreetThomas Wilson, inn-keeper, Donegall Arms, 5 Castle StreetJohn Wilson, junior, grocer, 36 North StreetHugh Wilson, cooper, 48 Waring StreetWilliam Wilson, white-smith, Long-laneWilliam Wilson, umbrella and parasol manufacturer, 35 North StreetElizabeth Wills, milliner, 31 High StreetJames Williamson, land surveyor and draughtsman, Lilliput-hill, near BelfastThomas Williamson, grocer, 66 Ann StreetJames Winnington, book-binder, 12 Chapel LaneMary Woods, hardware and toy-warehouse, 2 Skipper’s LaneRose Workman, mantua-maker, Hill Street, off Waring StreetJohn Wright, coach-maker, 23 Prince’s StreetLudford Wright, copper-smith, 42 Ann Street From even this short extract, we can see that the commercial centre of Belfast at that time was around High Street and Ann Street. Genealogical Guides Also included in this section of our new website are genealogical guides we have produced such as: Ulster Libraries, Archives, Museums and Ancestral Heritage CentresMy Roots – Tracing Your Belfast AncestorsIn Search of Sperrins Ancestors: Practical Guide and Sourcebook Local History Publications As well as local history publications including: Light of other days around Coalisland: stories of coal, cotton, clay, canals, steam and ironDerry beyond the walls: social and economic aspects of the growth of Derry, 1825-1850Overlooking the River Mourne: Four centuries of family farms in Edymore and Cavanlee, County TyroneBallymena and the First World War: A Sacrifice SharedBallymacarrett and the First World War: A Sacrifice Shared Family Histories Finally this sections also includes a number of family histories whose authors have kindly allowed us to reproduce them here for family historians and researchers to freely access. These include: Never to be heard from again! Searching for the McCurrys of Myroe by Frances (McCurry) BachThe Waddells of Ireland: A Genealogical Resource by Caroline Wilfreda Bingley As well as nine publications by our former trustee Sir George Bain histories of his Irish and Scottish ancestors – Bain, Bamford, Boal, Bowie, Sayers, Smart, Stalker, Wallace and Wilkie. Happy Reading and Happy Easter! Share Article