The following news release was received from FamilyRelatives.com:
How are Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde and the Regent Bridge connected? Familyrelatives.com adds Scottish Trade Directories dating back 185 years.
Having released over 40 volumes of Scottish Trade Directories in 2009, we are pleased to release an additional 60 volumes of Directories dating back from 1825 to the early part of the 19th Century during the growing influence of the Industrial Revolution and the British Empire.
One of the directories available is Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and the hub of Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century. It transformed Scotland into one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe which continued well into the 19th Century.
In these early directories key figures in the Scottish Enlightenment included Sir Walter Scott, Sir James Hall and other notables such as Robert Stevenson (1772-1850) a Scottish civil engineer and famed designer and builder of lighthouses.
Engineers and their skills were very much in demand following the battle of Waterloo and the end of the continental wars as it was a time of great improvement in the fabric of the Country. One of Stevenson’s finest achievements was the construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse as well as the Hutcheson Bridge in Glasgow and the Regent Bridge in Edinburgh. His grandson was Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) the renowned novelist and poet whose best known works include Kidnapped, Treasure Island and The Strange case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, among many.
There is a growing demand and popularity for Scottish records especially those that predate the Official Births Marriages and Deaths records. This addition to the existing collection is significant as it is some 30 years prior to the official records of Births, Marriages and Deaths which commenced in 1855.
Some Counties of the North of England are also included in this collection.
About the collection
“Pigot & Co.’s New Commercial Directory of Scotland for 1825 – 1826
Containing comprehensive and accurate Directories of Edinburgh, Glasgow and every other Town, Sea-Port, & Village in the Kingdom; To which is Pre-fixed, Separate Historical and Descriptive Sketches, each of which has been written, revised, and authenticated on the spot, exclusively for this work.”“The names of Merchants, Manufacturers, and Traders in Edinburgh, Glasgow and all the other Towns, are scientifically classed and arranged under each distinct head of trade or designation, and a full Alphabetical list is annexed where the names in Towns are so numerous as to require a reference – the Lists of the Coaches, Carriers and Water Conveyances are copious and complete – and the names of the Nobility, Gentry, and Clergy, in the Cities, Towns, and Villages in Scotland are exclusively arranged in Alphabetical order, to refer more speedily to any name when the place of residence is not known.”
The description for Scotland notes among many interesting historical facts, “The population according to the census of 1821 was 2,093,456, so that there are nearly 71 inhabitants to each square mile”, in under 200 years the population has more than doubled. It is estimated that the density of population in Scotland today is 5,222,100 with nearly 171 inhabitants per square mile.
Pigot goes on to describe Scotland in almost poetic tones as the idyllic country we know today “…verdant plains, watered by copious streams and covered with innumerable cattle; in others pleasing vicissitudes of gently rising hills and bending vales, fertile in corn, waving with wood, and interspersed with flowery meadows. Throughout the whole extent of the coast there are fine fisheries, which employ a vast number of hands, and furnish a hardy and skilful race of seamen for the British navy – The country abounds with rivers and lakes, which are in general very pure and transparent, and abound with fish.”
As well as describing the landscape and general topography Pigot mentions the main industries, the minerals and the raw materials found together with the skills and trades of the area or town.
Another interesting mention is “Most of the gems and precious stones, with the exception of the diamond, have also been found in Scotland”.
Scottish Records – new release
“We are pleased to announce the release of the second major set of Scottish records to be placed online. This is part of our programme to add Scottish records to the Familyrelatives.com website”, commented a spokesman for the family history website.The collection is searchable by surname and forename or the business name for each of the counties and cities. The Trade directories provide an invaluable resource for family history researchers wanting to know more about the area where their ancestors lived and the various trades and businesses in which they worked.
The collection is only a small part of over 800 million historic records available online to all members and visitors by way of an annual subscription of only £30.00 or US$50.00 at www.familyrelatives.com
About Familyrelatives.com
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With many free and easy to use tools which allow the building of online Family Trees and connect with other members, the focus is to provide specialist and historical records to a worldwide audience.
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